Rob Brown
The Grocer
United Kingdom
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Past articles by Rob:
Why soft seltzers are making a big splash
While units shrank by 4.4%, Kantar says flavoured sparkling is attracting new shoppers → Read More
Cut-price roasts loom for this year’s Easter
Easter isn't only for gorging on chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and the like → Read More
Baby & infant products 2022: brands see benefit among Brit ‘baby bump’
You'd be forgiven for thinking the UK was in the grip of a post-pandemic baby boom. After all, sales in the three main infant care categories have grown a combined £84.2m → Read More
Frozen food 2022: long-term behavioural shift paying dividends
Under normal circumstances, a £119.8m decline on volumes down 10.7% would spark panic in supplier HQs. But things haven't been normal for quite some time → Read More
Hot beverages 2022: Costa makes a splash in hot drinks
Sales of Costa's coffee and hot chocolate lines have added £6.8m, with volumes surging 72% → Read More
Rice, noodles & pasta 2022: Pasta stays firm despite price hikes
Dry pasta has seen the greatest average price jump of any food in Top Products 2022 → Read More
Confectionery – chocolate 2022: Easter saves choc in difficult year
Chocolate's on the skids. Grocers have sold 91.2 million fewer bars, bags and boxes of the stuff in the past year → Read More
Confectionery – sugar and gum 2022: Sweets surge as Brits get out and about
Candy's value in grocery is up 6.9%, while gum sales have spiked 16.7% → Read More
The yolk of the matter: 10 charts that reveal how Britain likes its eggs
Shoppers want their eggs to come with more than a kiss these days, as our research shows. We've cracked open consumer attitudes to eggs to reveal that assurances on Britishness, food safety, animal welfare and quality are of growing importance. So how does Britain like its eggs in 2022? → Read More
Can gum recover its pre-Covid puff?
The bubble burst for gum and mint in the pandemic. And the category hasn't yet fully recovered → Read More
Why blonde chocolate is having a moment
It all started with the launch of Mondelez's Australian Caramilk brand into the UK in June 2021 → Read More
Nature in a bottle? Free-from category report 2021
Brands are stressing the environmental credentials of plant-based milk and other dairy alternatives. How much do shoppers care? → Read More
Couch potatoes: fresh produce category report 2021
Fruit & veg sales are up by more than £1bn, with spuds the fastest grower by volume. What does that say about Brits’ eating habits? → Read More
The Great British sauce revival? Sauces & condiments category report 2021
Classics like brown sauce and salad cream are soaring - as Heinz is set to invest £140m in its UK production. Is it time to celebrate? Downloads Focus On Sauces and Condiments PDF, Size 39.94 mb → Read More
Dairy drinks: Top Products report 2020
The shutdown of coffee shops hasn’t been a bad thing for flavoured milk The milk market is being shaken up. In the past year, sales have surged by £113.3m on volumes up 1.6%. But own label, which accounts for nearly two thirds of market value, hasn’t cashed in at all. Sales have slipped 0.6% in value and 0.3% in volume. Brands, meanwhile, have passed the £1bn mark for the first time, with growth… → Read More
Dairy: butters & spreads: Can butter keep its gloss next year?
Can butters, spreads and margarine expect another golden year in 2021? Or are hopes for further growth likely to melt away? → Read More
Hot beverages: Top Products report 2020
Shoppers have splashed out on tea, coffee and hot chocolate this year but it doesn’t touch the heavy losses endured by foodservice → Read More
Rice, noodles and pasta: Top Products 2020
The shift from spuds to other options marks the culmination of the trend towards convenient and exotic food → Read More
Animal house: meat snacks category report 2020
Jerky, scratchings and dried sausage brands rely on pubs and on-the-go snacking for much of their trade. So how have they fared in lockdown? → Read More
The clean-eating BBQ: barbecue category report 2020
The time of the ‘dirty’ burger is over. Consumers are seeking out cleaner, more sustainable and more exotic fare for their BBQs → Read More