​Focus On Winter Remedies: 10 August

By Alice Leader alice.leader@thegrocer.co.uk

Publishing: 10 August 2024

Advertising deadline: 26 July 2024

Submissions deadline: 19 July 2024

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

Wallets are tight. Even in the medicine aisle, it’s clear shoppers are looking for a bargain. Sales of winter remedies on promotion rose 61.6% last year, with the bulk of these coming from temporary price reductions, Kantar data suggests. Meanwhile, discounters Aldi and Lidl have seen the largest growth in category value, albeit from the lowest base of the retailers – another sign pointing to the rise of budget medicine. So what’s behind the trend for savings? Is it due to become a major force in the category?

Promotions: Shoppers tend to buy winter remedies when they need them – but with greater demand for bargains, advance purchases on promotion are becoming more common. How popular are volume deals vs temporary price reductions? Which promotions have been most successful? And which demographic is buying most on offer?

Retailers: How are the discounters and traditional retailers faring in the cold remedies aisle? Are any taking creative approaches to draw in customers? And how are they keeping supplies strong to prevent out-of-stock issues?

Own label vs branded: The performance of own label (+4.1%) versus branded (-7.5%) gives a more nuanced picture of the winter remedies category. Is this simply down to cheaper medicines? What else has own label done to make products more attractive? What are brands doing about this?

Innovations: We will profile four new products or ranges, ideally ones that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.