Proteinflation

 If you’ve restocked your protein powder lately, you’ve probably noticed a major hit to your wallet—what industry experts are now calling “proteinflation.” Over the past few years, the price of standard whey protein has skyrocketed, with wholesale costs more than quadrupling and a typical large bag doubling from around £60 to well over £100. Why the massive jump? It turns out it’s a classic case of supply and demand economics. Protein is no longer just for bodybuilders; food companies are slapping high-protein labels on everything from bagels and cereals to water. Combined with a surge in demand from people using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic who need to preserve muscle, everybody wants a piece of the pie. Meanwhile, because whey is a byproduct of cheese production that requires expensive, specialized facilities to refine into powder, farmers and manufacturers simply can't expand supply fast enough to keep up. The result? You’ll likely be paying top dollar for those gains—or seeing brands swap out whey for cheaper alternatives like soy and pea protein.

BBQ - Will the price increase reduce the demand for whey protein by much?

Proteinflation

Lidl Banned From Selling Copyright Sandals

 

Lidl must stop selling copycat versions of Birkenstock's famous sandals in the Netherlands, a Dutch court has ruled. The discount supermarket chain faces a fine of €5,000 (£4,200) per day if it fails to comply and must also hand over sales data to Birkenstock, according to the ruling. Lidl must also compensate Birkenstock and pay its legal fees, with the amount to be decided in separate court decisions. Birkenstock said the judgement sent a clear message that "copycats must not be allowed to free-ride on [our] creativity and innovation". The ruling, which can still be appealed against, means Lidl cannot sell its copycat versions of Birkenstock's Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston, and Florida models across the Netherlands, after the court found the discount grocer infringed on the brand's trademark "footbed design".Europe's highest court ruled everyday commercial products can hold copyright if they represent creative design choices, a decision which Birkenstock said was relevant to its "iconic" sandals.

BBQ - How important is copyright law for businesses like Birkenstock?

Lidl Copyright

KFCereal

 

KFC UK and Surreal have launched KFCereal, a limited-edition breakfast cereal flavored after the fast food chain’s Original Recipe chicken. The pairing swaps the usual splash of milk for KFC gravy, marking KFC’s first move into the cereal aisle. Flavor leads the spec sheet. The crunchy cereal is seasoned with KFC’s closely guarded blend of 11 herbs and spices, giving it a savory profile far removed from the sweet, fruity and chocolate varieties that usually fill the category. The nutrition leans on Surreal’s high-protein formula. Despite its fried chicken inspiration, KFCereal delivers 19g of protein and only 1g of sugar, keeping it in line with the functional positioning Surreal is known for.Then comes the gravy. Rather than milk, KFC recommends topping the cereal with its signature gravy, and it positions the release squarely at die-hard fans, curious cereal eaters and anyone bold enough to make the switch. KFC brand manager Elspeth Allen framed the idea simply: “Our 11 herbs and spices have been doing a pretty good job on chicken,” she said, explaining that the team wanted to test the seasoning at breakfast. The cereal is currently only available directly from Surreal and is priced at £6 a box.

BBQ - Is this a well thought out product or simply a PR stunt?

KFCereal

Greggs Bitesize

 

Greggs has opened its first supermarket Bitesize Greggs at the Tesco Southwark Superstore, marking an expansion of its smaller shop format.This move is part of the food-to-go retailer’s plan to offer its popular range to customers in compact units in high-footfall locations.The new location will be open seven days a week and has created 10 local jobs in the area. The Greggs Bitesize store offers a full selection of products, including sausage rolls, steak bakes, sweet treats and fairtrade hot drinks. This move follows successful openings of ‘Bitesize Greggs’ locations across London Bridge Station, Sevenoaks Railway Station, Dartford Station and Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. This move is part of the retailer’s broader estate growth plans to open smaller format stores which support the Greggs’ traditional, larger locations.This year the retailer expects to open around 100 to 110 new shops and aims to open 3,500 UK shops over the long term.

BBQ - Is this a good long term strategy for Greggs?

Greggs Bitesize

Golden Twirl

Cadbury is adding an exciting twist to its Twirl range with the launch of Twirl Golden Dipped, a limited-edition offering designed to give shoppers “a rich and indulgent way to enjoy the brand’s iconic chocolate curls and swirls,” it said. The chocolate bars are dipped in a layer of caramelised white chocolate designed to “flood your mouth with delicious flavours as it melts.” The launch follows the success of other recent limited lines, such as Orange, Caramel, Mint and White Dipped - which became the top new singles new product launch in 2025. Sabina Sabova, brand executive for Cadbury Twirl at supplier Mondelēz International, said: “Limited-edition innovations continue to play an important role in driving shopper engagement for Cadbury Twirl. ”Building on the success of our previous launches, Cadbury Twirl Golden Dipped is designed to recruit new shoppers to the brand and give our existing fans something new to try, tapping into our recent campaign messaging and sending them from Zero To Chocolatey In Milliseconds. “By combining the much-loved Cadbury Twirl with a caramelised white chocolate coating, we’re bringing a fresh twist to a trusted favourite we know shoppers will be eager to get their hands on.” Cadbury Twirl Golden Dipped will be available from the end of this month across grocery and convenience channels.

BBQ - What limited edition twist on a chocolate bar would you like to see?

Golden Twirl

 

Pokémon Turns 30

The Japanese brand has become one of the most recognisable in the world, with its colourful creatures appearing in video games and on shop shelves across the globe. But perhaps most synonymous with the Pokémon phenomenon is its trading card game, which has been played, bought and sold between collectors for the last three decades. Wednesday marks the release of Pokémon's 30th anniversary range - a day one collector described as the brand's biggest day "in the last decade, if not more". Pokémon's popularity has exploded over the years, with some cards originally worth just a few pounds now selling for eye-watering amounts. Hall said a box that may have been worth £200 in the late 1990s would now sell for about £35,000. Pokémon, originally called Pocket Monsters, began as a game released for the Nintendo Gameboy in Japan in 1996. Millions of copies were sold worldwide and the name was eventually shortened to Pokémon. Following the success of the first games, a company called Media Factory released the Pokémon Trading Card Game in October that year. Like the game, the cards exploded in popularity. Since then, more than 85 billion cards have been produced, a world championship tournament established, and an ultra-rare card sold for $16.5m (£12m).

BBQ - What makes something collectable? How can a brand use this?

Pokemon

McVities Expand to China

 

McVitie’s is stepping up its ambitions in China with a strategy that looks beyond the biscuits that made the British brand famous, as owner pladis seeks to build McVitie’s into a £1 billion global brand. While limited McVitie's biscuits are already available in China, pladis is now expanding the brand through locally developed snacks designed specifically for Chinese consumers. The move marks a new phase for one of Britain's best-known food brands. While McVitie’s remains synonymous with Digestives in places like the UK and Ireland, pladis believes future international growth will increasingly come from expanding the brand beyond its traditional biscuit range. In other markets, that evolution is already underway through products such as McVitie’s Joy in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, underscoring the brand’s ability to flex across formats and occasions internationally. China is one of the brand's biggest long-term growth opportunities. As part of that strategy, pladis will launch a locally developed McVitie’s Flipz range this August, produced in China and developed for local tastes. Rather than exporting existing products from Europe, pladis has developed the range around Chinese tastes and shopping habits, from flavours and portion sizes to how the products are made and sold.

BBQ - How important is it to understand the market when developing new products?

McVities China

Apple First Foldable Phone

Apple has launched its most expensive iPhone ever - a foldable handheld that costs at least £1,999 and marks the first major iPhone design change in almost 20 years. The iPhone Duo is a gamble by new boss John Ternus, who took over from long-time chief executive Tim Cook this month. Apple is entering the foldable phone market comparatively late, following the likes of South Korea's Samsung and China's Huawei. Ternus told an audience at Apple's California headquarters: "Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together." Apple's model, he claimed "redefine[s] the experience of using a foldable phone". In the US, prices start at $1,999, but can go up to $3,200. It has taken eight years to develop, something Ternus was directly involved in after spending many years as a top executive inside Apple's hardware division. When unfolded, it looks like a small iPad and a wider iPhone when it is folded. But the product is facing established competitors. "The real fight is China, where Huawei owns nearly 80% of foldables." said Francisco Jeronimo, vice president for data and analytics, devices at IDC EMEA. Altering the design of the iPhone may address some criticism that Apple has yet to land a major product hit or truly exciting innovation since the first iPhone came out in 2007. Apple also revealed on Wednesday the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, which in the US start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively.

BBQ - Is there enough of a market for a foldable phone?

Foldable Phone

Primark Finally Launching Home Deliveries

 

Primark has said it plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain, four years after it made its first foray into e-commerce. The retailer did not say when it expects to launch the service, but it has bought a warehouse in Sheffield from to enable it to ship products to homes. The company said there was "opportunity for profitable growth" through home deliveries, which could help boost trade after Primark reported subdued sales following the recent hot weather. Analysts said the decision to offer home delivery after years of resistance - including through the pandemic - indicated that Primark was facing major challenges from ultra-fast-fashion brands such as Shein. Primark did not sell goods online until 2022, when it launched a click-and-collect service which meant shoppers still had to travel to pick up their purchases. The fast-fashion chain is struggling to compete with brands such as Shein and Boohoo, as well as alternative platforms such as TikTok Shop and Vinted, and in July said it was lowering prices on hundreds of clothing items. Retail analyst Julie Palmer said that "Primark has been playing catch up for years" and launching home deliveries "is as much about defence as growth". The brand will need to absorb additional costs of returns, which tend to be higher than in-store purchases as customers cannot try clothes on before buying them.

BBQ - Do you think Primark are too late to move fully into e-commerce?

Primark Online

Business Fail To Pay Properly

 

DIY store B&Q and the fast food chain Five Guys are among hundreds of UK businesses named by the government for paying staff below the minimum wage. More than 600 employers were ordered to pay affected workers the outstanding wages, with £4m returned to workers, according to the Department for Business and Trade. The firms have also been issued penalties worth £7m. The list of 658 businesses includes shops, restaurants, nurseries, social care providers and a handful of NHS trusts. The period of underpayments covered by the list varies depending on the employer, but overall spans from 2013 to 2025. Minimum wage is £12.71 for staff aged 21 and over. For 18 to 20 year olds the rate is £10.85, and for under 18s and apprentices it is £8. B&Q underpaid 4,530 workers a total of more than £456,000, according to the government. The list marks the first "naming round" since the Fair Work Agency was set up in April under the Employment Rights Act. As well as enforcing the minimum wage, the agency also will soon tackle practices of denying workers holiday and sick pay.

BBQ - What is the impact for the businesses for this?

Minimum Wage

Ikea Cuts Prices

 

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is cutting prices across hundreds of products in Europe to woo customers struggling with deepening cost-of-living pressures. Ikea has seen revenue decline over the past two years as the rising cost of living reduces people's ability to invest in new furniture and home renovations. The company is spending €1.2bn (£1bn) on the price cuts to items including the Billy bookcase and Kallax storage units, with reductions of up to 28% on certain products. Ikea said it could make the cuts by making savings throughout the supply chain, such as packaging costs, but acknowledged profits may take a hit. Ikea has reduced its prices several times in recent years, even as it caused a hit to the company's revenue and profit in its most recent earnings report. The latest specific reductions vary slightly by country. Price cuts for British customers include the Kallax shelving unit going from £60 to £49 and the Billy bookcase being cut by £10 to £25.Ikea is also trying to attract new customers by opening smaller stores in central areas, such as London's Oxford Street and Churchill Square in Brighton.

BBQ - Is cutting prices a better strategy to increased advertising to increase demand?

Ikea Price Cut

Sweet Inspired Fragrance

 

An unusual twist from sweet maker Swizzels and Spanish home fragrance producer Cristalinas has been announced. The pair have teamed up to launch three new sweet-scented diffusers and room sprays inspired by Swizzels’ Squashies Bubblegum, Squashies Strawberries & Cream, and Lemon Refreshers. Starting from an RRP of £1.99, the range includes 25ml and 35ml reed diffusers and 250ml room sprays. Developed to help retailers benefit from the continued growth of the home fragrance category, the collection will appeal to “shoppers seeking nostalgic, sweet-inspired scents,” Swizzels said. With strong brand recognition from Swizzels and an accessible price point, the range offers an opportunity to encourage impulse purchases and attract both confectionery fans and home fragrance shoppers. The partnership brings together two brands that share a commitment to creating sensory experiences. Cristalinas has long received positive feedback from consumers who state that its fragrances evoke the scent of confectionery, making the collaboration a natural fit. As one of the UK’s most trusted confectionery brands, Swizzels has built a strong legacy through its much-loved products, while Cristalinas has established itself as one of the UK’s fastest-growing air care brands.

BBQ - Can you think of any other brand extensions for Swizzles?

Swizzles Fragrance