United Kingdom

Inflationary pressures caused by the war in Ukraine and supply issues continued to be among the strongest influences on the performance by beauty and personal care in the UK in 2023. However, despite further increases in the price of goods and…

Following two years of consecutive declines in value terms, bath and shower in the UK returned to growth in 2023. However, this was driven by the impact of inflation on unit prices and higher production costs, as overall demand continued to drop,…

In 2023, baby and child-specific products in the UK experienced 8% growth. One of the factors contributing to this growth was the UK's economic situation, which continued to see high inflation. This forced players to raise unit prices due to higher…

PET jars, which have long since become the main pack type in this category, continued to gain share in nut- and seed-based spreads in 2023. PET jars are valued for their shatterproof and non-reactive properties, ensuring the safety of the contents.…

Ketchup is a staple fixture in British households and, despite the advantages offered by glass bottles, such as premium look and feel, product safety, impermeability and eco-friendliness, other packaging solutions, and particularly PET bottles, have…

In July 2023, Sainsbury's, one of the UK's largest supermarket chains and also one of the leading players in processed meat and fish, launched a sustainability programme to reduce plastic waste for its chilled processed meat. It replaced plastic…

Metal food cans account for the greatest pack type share in processed fruit and vegetables packaging in the UK. Metal food cans are used to package the largest category in unit volume terms, shelf stable fruit and vegetables, due to their excellent…

In the UK, the 1,000ml pack remains the most popular size in the packaging of plant-based milk, and therefore also plant-based dairy as a whole, given milk’s dominance of the overall category. Consumers in the UK are now familiar with plant-based…

Plastic pouches are seeing strong growth in dried ready meals and are therefore gaining share in this category. Major brands are using plastic pouches for their dried ready meal products due to their lightweight nature and compact size, which make…

The UK’s dairy packaging market is dominated in unit volume terms by HDPE bottles and thin wall plastic containers. HDPE bottles dominate milk packaging, and are also gaining share in yoghurt, due to their robust barrier credentials. Milk is a…

Although it remains a much smaller pack type in unit volume terms, flexible paper continues to take share from the dominant packaging format of flexible plastic in countlines, as consumers increasingly opt for sustainable packaging options. This…

Flexible plastic accounts for the greatest pack type share in baby food packaging in the UK. This low-cost, compact pack type is ideal for small, convenient baby food packages, particularly in categories such as “other baby food”. This category…

Pet products in the UK continues to be challenged, experiencing slow positive value growth driven by inflation. Pet owners remain reluctant to invest in discretionary pet products, caused by the enduring impact of inflationary pressures. This is…

Persistent challenges of inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions that characterised 2023 are still being observed in pet care in the UK, although unit price growth is starting to slow. Multinational pet food companies face ongoing obstacles…

In 2024, against the current economic challenges and an observable decline in the dog and cat populations in 2023, a distinctive 6% surge has been witnessed in the small mammal/reptile population in the UK. This rise can be attributed to the…

Despite a slowdown in the unit price growth of dog food in the UK, influenced by a reduction in energy and electricity costs, manufacturers and suppliers are still passing on some costs to end consumers. Challenges resulting from key commodities such…

In 2023, the UK experienced a marginal decline in the cat population, whereby the rate of abandonment surpassed the rate of adoption, resulting in an overall retail volume decline for cat food. Despite the increasing popularity of cats as companions,…

PET bottles are the leading pack type in the UK soft drinks packaging market due to their durability and affordability, with PET bottles also expected to continue being the most widely used packaging format over the forecast period. PET bottles are…

Fresh coffee beans was one of the best performers among the various hot drinks categories in 2023, benefiting from premiumisation. In particular, it has been benefiting from single-origin and speciality coffee, as consumers become more concerned…

Vending in the UK was significantly disrupted by the pandemic as vending machines predominantly target closed sites such as academic institutions, hospitals and businesses, which also experienced a substantial decrease in footfall. The channel fully…