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Robinsons gets ready for summer with the Big Fruit Hunt

Linda Stewart — Thu, 26 May 2022 11:53:39 +0000

The UK’s number 1 squash brand, Robinsons, is launching its biggest summer activity to date with the Big Fruit Hunt.

The £1.5 million campaign centres on a digital augmented reality fruit hunt, created to encourage families to flavour their water bottles with Robinsons, whenever, wherever.

The activation will inspire families to get active together this summer and ensure the Robinsons brand continues to be front of mind for shoppers across a key season for soft drinks.

Running from 1^st June until 2^nd September across Robinsons squash promotional packs, a QR code will feature on-pack, where shoppers can scan and be taken to an interactive map to find virtual fruit to fill a water bottle and collect prizes. The unmissable campaign will include in-store, out of home, point of sale, digital and social activations.

Ben Parker, GB Retail Commercial Director at Britvic, said: “Robinsons is preparing for its biggest summer to date with the launch of the Big Fruit Hunt campaign and Robinsons Ready to Drink as the official soft drinks partner for The Hundred cricket tournament. We can’t wait to be able to bring families together this summer and have fun. Forecasted to reach 90% of family households, the Big Fruit Hunt campaign will support in driving sales and reinforce the messaging that Robinsons livens up every water occasion with great taste and real fruit.”

To amplify the campaign even further, Robinsons will be partnering with Heart Radio. Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Zoe Hardman will be running a one-week on-air promotion – the live Big Fruit Hunt rooftop game and online competition, along with sponsored ads on weekend mornings during the summer. In addition, each month, Heart Radio listeners will be challenged to find hidden fruit on its social media channels and website, with the chance of winning a family day out, plus Robinsons squash supplies.

Robinsons core range is available across the grocery and convenience channels. Over 90,000 prizes will be up for grabs in the Big Fruit Hunt game, including bespoke Robinsons water bottles and outdoor activity kits.

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Turnover up 17% at Ballymena bottling plant Norbev

Linda Stewart — Fri, 20 May 2022 10:10:22 +0000

Turnover rose at Ballymena drinks’ bottling firm Norbev by 17 per cent to £24.4 million according to its latest financial report.

The firm, which has been operating since 1919, said turnover was sustained during the period up to December 2021 due to ongoing contracts.

Norbev provides bottling and labelling services for some of the biggest drink brands in Northern Ireland including Robinsons, Monster and Britvic.

Pre-tax profits increased from a loss of £0.65m in 2020 to £301,396 in 2021. The company’s net assets also grew from £3.22m in 2020 to £3.66m.

The company received £121,178 in government grants, down from 2020’s heftier £346,037 which could be attributed to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Staff at the company decreased during the financial period, from 90 to 86.

This saw Norbev’s wages and salaries over the period also decrease from £2.99m to £2.78m.

Norbev was set up in 1919 when it washed, labelled and corked glass bottles by hand at an old laundry business.

It moved to its current site on Ballymena’s Railway Street in 1961 and welcomed its first bottling contract with Coca Cola in the early 70s.

Today it bottles drinks for many recognised brands as well being involved in the production of drinks.

The company is headed by directors James Harkness and Shona Jane Blythe.

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Britvic reveals profits hike as it raises prices to combat costs

Linda Stewart — Tue, 17 May 2022 09:34:02 +0000

Soft drinks giant Britvic has seen half-year profits jump nearly 50% as it hiked prices to offset inflation, but cautioned over falling consumer spending amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The Robinsons squash and J2O maker reported pre-tax profits of £59.3 million for the six months to March 31, up from £39.8 million a year earlier.

Revenues jumped 18.5% to £719.3 million and the group said drinks bought for “immediate consumption” had now bounced back ahead of pre-pandemic levels, while trade overall across bars and restaurants recovered further.

The group said it increased prices at the start of the year amid efforts to offset soaring costs, but added that inflation was only partially mitigated in the first half.

Simon Litherland, chief executive of Britvic, said: “The current geo-political uncertainty is likely to result in continued cost inflation and pressure on consumer spending at least into 2023.

“I remain confident however that we will continue to successfully navigate the headwinds.”

The group added that “while soft drinks are not immune to changes in consumer spending, both the category and Britvic’s leading family favourite brands have historically shown themselves to be resilient” to wider economic turmoil.

The group also unveiled plans to increase shareholder returns, launching a £75 million share buyback programme and upping its dividend by 20% from 6.5p per share to 7.8p per share.

Britvic said it had seen strong trading continue into April, with double-digit revenue growth year-on-year.

The firm has been boosted by the lifting of restrictions on hospitality, which had hammered so-called out-of-home sales at the height of the pandemic.

In its British market, Britvic saw revenues leap 19.3% higher year-on-year, with out-of-home sales soaring 59% on the previous year, when Covid restrictions were in place, and continuing its recovery back to 2019 levels.

Sales of drinks through retailers continued to grow, up 4.4% year-on-year across Britain.

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Britvic reports post-lockdown bounceback as profits surge

Linda Stewart — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 12:32:34 +0000

Robinsons squash and J2O maker Britvic has posted a surge in annual profits as pandemic restrictions eased.

Despite cost pressures, the company is forecasting further progress over the year ahead.

The drinks giant reported pre-tax profits of £142.9 million for the year to September 30, up from £111.2 million the previous year.

Its first-half trading was hit hard by lockdowns, but the group saw a marked bounceback in the final six months as restrictions eased and hospitality reopened.

Following a 12% fall in interim sales, revenues ended the year 6.5% higher at constant exchange rates, at £1.4 billion.

The group said while out-of-home sales have not yet returned to pre-Covid trade, demand elsewhere is back to levels seen in 2019, such as for multi-pack drinks, thanks to the trend for staycationing over the summer.

Britvic said it is facing challenges from soaring costs and supply chain disruption, but said it has been able to successfully navigate the problems so far to keep its products on retailers’ shelves.

Recovery

Chief executive Simon Litherland said: “This year we have recovered strongly from the effects of the pandemic, with underlying revenue, margin and profit all in growth.

“While there are multiple operational headwinds leading to increased inflation, we are confident we will mitigate them through a combination of our agile and resilient supply chain, revenue management and cost-saving actions.

“In 2022 we anticipate making further progress with revenue, profit and margin ahead of 2021.”

The group said it has put in place contingency supply arrangements for certain key raw materials and ingredients, in case of severe supply disruption.

“Our significant investment in supply chain capability has provided a high level of operational resilience during even the most challenging times and gives us confidence we can meet future demand,” it added.

The group said that, across Great Britain, it has delivered growth across its brands, with its mainstream carbonated drinks – Pepsi Max, 7UP Free and Tango – having an “excellent year” and growing revenue and retail sales by value.

Its so-called socialising brands, such as J2O and Fruit Shoot, have also returned to growth as the on-trade and schools reopened, and as restrictions eased over the year.

Britvic said that, since the year-end, it has seen ongoing robust trading, with sales in the first six weeks ahead on both a one-year and two-year basis.

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