The new Triple Dip includes three sour sherbet flavours – strawberry, apple and blue raspberry – along with the Swizzelstick for dipping.

With an RRP of £0.50p, the latest addition to Swizzels countline range features bold new packaging set to stand out on counter tops and appeal to those seeking a sour twist on a nostalgic product.

“Double Dip has been loved for generations and this timeless treat is just as popular today,” said Clare Newton, trade and shopper marketing manager at Swizzels.

“With sour confectionery in high demand, creating a Triple Dip that leans into this trend felt like the perfect way to mark 50 years since Double Dip first launched.

“Both products are vegan-friendly and affordable, appealing to a wide range of consumers and enabling retailers to bring something new to their novelty offerings. Whether shoppers are seeking to be transported to childhood trips to the corner shop with Double Dip or are hearing about the product for the first time in the form of Triple Dip, the brand is a must-stock for retailers looking to drive novelty sales and capitalise on the nostalgia and sour trends in the category.”

As the top manufacturer of countline sugar confectionery, Swizzels continues to add novelty products to its range, appealing to demand for low-cost treats from trusted brands. The novelty category is currently worth £69m* making it a key focus for retailers looking to elevate their confectionery offerings.

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IT’S GIVING, the first brand from Simon’s new venture Fizz With Purpose, is available in three fruity flavours – Apple & Elderflower, Black Cherry and Mango & Passionfruit. Each 330ml can contains 6g of plant-based fibre, is low calorie, naturally low in sugar and contains no artificial sweeteners.

The launch comes at a time when soft drinks remain one of the strongest categories in convenience, with total category value growing +6.9% year on year. However, the bigger shift is what shoppers are choosing within soft drinks, with modern soda growing at +412% year on year, significantly ahead of more established areas such as cola at +2.8% and other flavoured carbonates at +4.4%*.

That gives IT’S GIVING a clear role in one of the fastest-growing spaces in the category, bringing a modern soda proposition into mainstream convenience at an accessible price point.

“IT’S GIVING has been developed around a clear consumer need. Shoppers increasingly want drinks that feel healthier and offer more, but too often they feel forced to compromise on taste, affordability or everyday accessibility,” said Simon Gray.

“IT’S GIVING is designed to challenge that compromise, bringing together great taste, 6g of plant-based fibre and a £1 PMP format that makes modern soda accessible for everyday soft drink occasions.”

It also comes at a time when fibre intake remains a major consumer issue, with 96% of UK adults failing to meet the recommended 30g daily fibre intake, according to the British Nutrition Foundation.

Early sales in Northern Ireland are tracking ahead of expectations, with the brand showing strong early rate of sale and, in some launch retailers, performing above the levels of established carbonated soft drinks brands.

IT’S GIVING has already earned industry recognition, with finalist spots in all three UK Soft Drinks Awards categories it entered: Best New Brand, Best Functional Drink and New Product Concept.

“For retailers, IT’S GIVING brings together the cues shoppers are looking for – taste, flavour, fun, value and added benefit – in a format that sits comfortably in the mainstream soft drinks chiller rather than a specialist health fixture,” added Simon.

“I know better than most what it takes to build a drinks brand that resonates with consumers in Northern Ireland. With BOOST, I built a hugely successful brand on value and functionality. IT’S GIVING takes that same understanding into a new space – flavour-led refreshment with added purpose.”

The brand is now available across key wholesalers in Northern Ireland, including Musgrave, O’Reilly’s, C&N, Northern Confectioners and S&W.

The IT’S GIVING launch will be supported by sampling activity and consumer-facing events across Northern Ireland as part of the brand’s #ServeSeason campaign, helping drive awareness, trial and demand at store level during the key summer trading period.

For more information, visit www.itsgivingdrinks.com or follow @itsgivingdrinks on Instagram and TikTok.

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The CMA’s independent inquiry group found that Allied Bakeries would exit the market entirely in Northern Ireland and Great Britain if the merger did not go ahead.

In its final report published on 16^th June, the CMA stated that competitive pressure from Allied Bakeries would be lost with or without the merger and so found that the merger does not raise competition concerns.

Since the start of the investigation, the inquiry group heard that bread suppliers across the UK are facing longstanding challenges, such as declining demand as well as significant increases in costs.

Evidence gathered shows that Allied Bakeries and Hovis have each faced financial challenges, with Allied Bakeries making significant losses over the last 14 years, despite exploring a range of options to improve performance, due to the overall decline in bread demand, the increase in demand for lower-margin private-label products and significant rises in costs, such as energy, wheat and distribution.

Chair of the independent inquiry group leading the investigation, Cyrus Mehta said with bread being a basic staple for millions of people, it was important to look carefully at the deal and assess competition implications for households in the UK.

“On the basis of the wide range of evidence we received, which showed the difficult position many UK-based bakeries are in, we found Allied Bakeries – owned by ABF – would likely leave the market entirely if the deal did not proceed,” said Cyrus Mehta.

“Taking that into account, we have concluded the deal does not raise competition concerns.”

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Meanwhile, further data has suggested the ban has not worked as intended and has instead pushed some vapers towards illicit products or a return to smoking.

A survey of 6000 UK adults, conducted by Opinium for ELFBAR found that one in six of those who previously used single-use vapes have relapsed to smoking or started smoking more, with the survey identifying a gradual increase in smoking prevalence; 16% of respondents say they now regularly smoke, compared with 15% in December 2025 and 14% in December 2024.

However, the survey also found that seven in 10 (72%) of daily vapers had switched to reusable vapes, with 79% buying refills each time, while 77% said reusable products helped them cut back or quit smoking.

Elsewhere, a separate survey from Haypp, found that 35% of respondents said they had purchased a disposable vape since the ban was introduced, indicating an active black market for the product.

The main sources for the purchase of illicit disposable vapes are corner shops/convenience stores (51%); car boot sales/market stalls (35%); independent vape shops (28%) and friends or family members (28%).

Additionally, the survey found that the ban has resulted in some reduced demand for vapes, with 61% of respondents saying they have reduced how much they vape and 8% said they had quite vaping altogether.

The data has highlighted a shift in consumer behaviour, with the survey showing that some vapers have replaced disposable vapes with traditional cigarettes (41%); nicotine pouches/snus (44%); refillable vapes (17%) and chewing tobacco (12%).

“By introducing a blanket ban, the government has inadvertently fuelled the black market and, most concerningly, pushed 41% of those who have reduced their vaping to cigarettes,” said Dr Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp.

“While it is positive to see 44% moving to tobacco-free alternatives such as nicotine pouches, we must acknowledge that the negative outcomes from the ban far outweigh the positive. As the government begins to implement the Tobacco and Vapes Act, the lesson from the disposable vapes ban is that blanket bans do not work.”

Meanwhile, the survey conducted by ELFBAR is part of a series of ongoing studies examining smoker behaviour and publica attitudes to vaping-related issues. Opinium has surveyed 46,000 adults since 2023 (across eight separate waves), making it one of the most comprehensive datasets on vaping behaviours and trends in the UK.

The large majority of vapers (78%) know that used vape refill pods and devices should not be disposed of in general waste bins. In practice, two thirds (65%) of current daily vapers say they either recycle their pods and devices, have attempted to, or retain them for future recycling. However, 26% still report disposing of either the pod or device in waste bins.

The survey also shows consumer engagement with illicit products, with one in four current vapers (25%) saying they have knowingly bought them (30% in December 2024). Of these, 39% had done so within the past three months. The findings align with reports from Trading Standards that the illegal vape market has fallen since the single-use ban, though it remains a significant challenge.

Purchases of illicit products made in the last month were most commonly from retail shops (16%), followed by market or street sellers (11%), online (7%) and friends (4%).

Eve Peters, director of government affairs for ELFBAR in the UK said it was positive to find the transition to reusable vapes has embedded one year on, but added that disruption to established product categories has had unintended consequences, including relapse for some smokers.

“This underlines the need for clear, consistent public messaging on the effectiveness of vaping as a smoking cessation took, alongside proportionate regulation that supports smokers to make the switch,” she said.

“It is incumbent on all, including those in government, to ensure that the messaging around vaping remains consistent and highlights the evidence that it is much safer than smoking.”

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Consideration of Commons amendments/reasons on the bill took place in the House of Lords on 20^th April, and with both Houses having agreed on the text of the Bill, it proceeded to the final stage, receiving Royal Assent on 29^th April, when it became an Act of Parliament (law).

This now means that children born after 1^st January 2009 now face a lifelong ban from purchasing cigarettes, as the government aims to create a smoke-free generation.

Additionally, from 29^th October 2026, it will also be illegal to sell non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine products to under 18s.

NI Assembly members had previously voted in support of the region’s inclusion in the Tobacco & Vapes Bill in February last year, following a plenary debate on the Legislative Consent Motion on the Bill.

There has been some concern and criticism of the bill, with the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association stating the generational ban “lacks common sense” while also completely disregarding the unintended consequences, with the UKVIA adding that while it supports the need to tackle youth sales, it was necessary not to ignore those adult smokers who turn to vapes in a bid to stop smoking.

National President of the Fed, Hetal Patel said that concerns remain, especially around the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes.

“Whilst this Bill has developed, we have engaged closely with the Government and MPs from all parties about the potential impact of changes including the Generational Smoking Ban and licence of tobacco retailers.

“We welcome societal changes which have seen a dramatic fall in cigarette smoking over the past half a century – from about 45% in the mid-1970s, to less than a quarter of that today – but are concerned that a generational smoking ban relating to cigarettes and taxation on vapes will lead to these products being driven underground into the black market. We also worry that licencing will hit legitimate retailers with costs and red tape, unless it is properly used as a deterrent to restrict rogue traders which give our high streets a bad name.

“We are calling on the government to quickly engage more closely with retailers about how the measures in the Bill will be implemented – particularly on the Generational Ban and Licencing – and to provide extra resources for law enforcement, especially local authority trading standards teams, so more can be done to tackle illicit tobacco.”

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE NEW LAW AND ITS IMPACTS IN MORE DETAIL – HOW WILL YOUR BUSINESS BE IMPACTED? LET US KNOW – CONTACT caroline.rainey@pentonmedia.co.uk

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