Britvic gets the right mix of cutting costs and making investments

Winner: Britvic Soft Drinks

As costs soar, shoppers switch stores and smaller formats gain ground, Britvic has needed to take a dynamic and agile approach to navigate the cost of living crisis.

It is doing so with aplomb. On the sales side, Tango was the standout performer. It was the fastest growing soft drinks brand last year, aided by a raft of strong innovation including the top soft drinks NPD in 2022 (Berry Peachy Sugar Free).

Overall, value sales growth has been supported by vital cost price increases. Meanwhile,  better procurement to reduce costs, including new lightweight packaging and more insourcing, has resulted in strong bottom-line growth.

What impressed the judges most was Britvic’s investment, including £40m on two new canning lines. But investment wasn’t just about capacity.

There was also a £19m upgrade to Britvic’s National Distribution Centre to increase efficiency; the addition of a dedicated GB fleet for internal stock movement to free up customer-facing capacity; increased storage capacity; diversified CO2 supply to mitigate risk; and investment to improve pack size flexibility. These moves speak to a business focused on supply chain resilience.

Crucially, investment also increased in physical and digital advertising, up 6.4%. Britvic’s decision not to extend its Wimbledon sponsorship paid off, resulting in greater year-round activation and more focus on digital and in-store.

Shortlisted:

• Britvic Soft Drinks
• Charlie Bigham’s
• Mars Wrigley
• Princes Limited
• Warburtons