Batteries 2025: Higher prices slow charge of the brands

Brands’ power in batteries & chargers is waning. After the 2.8% gain in volumes reported last year, they’ve shed 3.1% of units. That’s two million fewer packs through tills in the past 12 months.

Still, that’s nothing when compared with the travails of own-label batteries & chargers. Their units are down 7.6% – meaning losses are accelerating. In 2024, their decline was 6.6%. This “weakened performance” by own label “would indicate shoppers are switching back to branded products or leaving the category”, says Ryan Wells, NIQ senior client analyst.

Brands have fared better due to being higher quality, he adds, but their higher prices have become a sticking point for some shoppers. As such, the top five players have experienced mixed fortunes. Only Varta has grown volumes, and only Energizer and Varta have added value.

“The top traditional brands in the category are facing declines in value and units, driven by a mix of factors” including distribution losses, says Wells.

“Where there is category growth, this is from new incoming brands within premium and value tiers where retailers are supporting volume.”

Take JCB. It’s leapt up the ranking on a 356.6% value gain – albeit from a very small base. It’s now worth £0.7m after shifting an extra 496.7 thousand extra packs.

Looking ahead, “brands that communicate a stronger, longer-lasting battery or communicate efficacy will be key to shoppers in this category”, says Wells.

Sustainability, safety and efficacy are worth shouting about, too. Duracell, for instance, boosted its Plus and Optimum tiers in June with PowerBoost Actives – a proprietary technology that promises to enhance performance in “high-drain devices and extends life in others”. It offers “superior energy density and operating voltage compared to conventional alkaline batteries”.

The following month, Energizer launched what it billed as “the world’s first and only lithium coin battery equipped with three levels of child protection”. It includes Colour Alert tech that dyes the mouth instantly if the batteries come into contact with saliva.

Varta’s big launch of the year was this month’s Eco range. It comprises rechargeable batteries and multichargers. Both are made partially from recycled materials and come in plastic-free, fully recyclable cardboard packaging (see Top Launch, below).

Their aim is to provide “cost competitiveness without compromising long-term quality or environmental responsibility”, says Simon Laidler, Varta marketing manager.

Such qualities could be crucial in returning the category to volume growth, as the grocery channel faces stiff competition from the ‘pile them high and sell them cheap’ approach increasingly being taken by DIY chains and bargain stores.

But Laidler is bullish: “Although there has been some shift in volume share, supermarkets remain a dominant force in battery sales, continuing to serve a broad customer base with trusted brands and a convenient shopping experience.”