The Goods UK: Pour decisions
Welcome back to The Goods UK! This week we’re chatting about the impact of out-of-stock products, why we all may be ‘mermaiding’ this summer and whether crying over chopped onions could soon be a thing of the past.
Fun stats of the week
- 50: The number of speakers at this week’s LIVE 2026: Retail Week x The Grocer. Check out the round-up of key themes discussed in this article.
- 19.5g: The amount of sugar per 100g in Waitrose Essential No Added Sugar muesli – the equivalent of almost two Original Glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts (Daily Mail).
- £33m: The cut-price sale of Brewdog to a US private equity firm, leaving 220,000 “equity-punk” investors who crowdfunded the business empty-handed (The Telegraph).
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Pour decisions: Restaurant wine prices have shot up nearly 40% since 2020, and wallets are quietly wilting under the pressure. Owners blame a “pinot-perfect” storm of rising wages, climate-hit harvests and eye-watering tax hikes that have pushed UK alcohol duty to the top of the European league. The result? Fewer affordable bottles, more tap water orders, and a whole lot of sticker shock (The Times).
- Shot of the moment: From the introduction of new protein ranges to growth in the resale clothing market, Ozempic’s impact is going far beyond the scales. Revenues at Holland & Barrett have surged 11% to nearly £1bn, with execs claiming weight-loss jabs are directly driving the demand for healthier snacks, muscle-retention supplements and gut-friendly products (The Grocer). Meanwhile, the newly dropped Ozempic Effect documentary is needling its way into Netflix’s Top 10, reminding us GLP-1 is a craze that’s showing no signs of slimming down (Netflix).
- Aisle be damned: Nothing kills a supermarket loyalty card faster than an empty shelf. New research reveals that out-of-stock products are putting a whopping £2.1bn of grocery sales at risk, with one in five shopping trips ending with at least one item missing from the basket. Turns out, we don’t just want items to be cheap – we want them right here, right now (Retail Gazette).
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week we explore dash-home dinners, fin-first experiences and pre-loved power.
- Forever fashion: Young people are helping charity shops out-sew the wider retail sector, thanks to platforms such as Vinted and Depop stitching second hand style into the mainstream (The Guardian). Research from payments network firm Affirm echoes this thread, with nearly 80% of 25-34-year-olds now weighing up “cost per wear” and sidestepping impulse splurges (Retail Week). The figures point to a broader reset in fashion habits, with younger generations ensuring that sustainability, reuse and long-term value stay in season.
- Making a splash: Travel lovers may already be taking part in LARPing weekends and salvaged stays, but what about ‘mermaiding’? Boosted by conventions such as MerMagic Con, the aquatic fitness trend sees enthusiasts swim and perform in full mono-fin fantasy. Hotels and tour operators are catching on, offering classes, photoshoots and scenic aquatic backdrops. It’s certainly making waves and takes immersive escapes to a whole new depth (BBC).
- From desk to dinner: As hybrid working patterns evolve, over a third of employees are spending more days in the office than last year (HR News). The knock on effect is a squeeze on evening time, with workers looking for fast fixes to get dinner on the table. Recipe box company HelloFresh says orders of its 15 minute meals are up 30% year-on-year and have surged almost five-fold since 2022 (The Times). The company ties this to a shift in daily eating habits – as more people grab lunch in the office, dinner is becoming lighter, later and more convenient.
Making moves: industry changes & innovation
|
- Stomazing support: Retailers are increasingly adapting products and stores to better accommodate for the UK’s stoma community, affecting an estimated 200,000 people across the country. Backing calls from campaigners, B&Q has rolled out upgrades to the disabled toilets at all of its locations, including shelves for medical supplies and a mirror so users can see their stoma and bag when changing (BBC). Elsewhere, M&S has become the first UK retailer to launch stoma underwear for children, designed to provide support and keep stoma bags securely in place (FashionUnited).
- More than meets the eye: London Fashion Week is rethinking the traditional catwalk experience, with designers like Chet Lo introducing touch tours, audio descriptions and fabric swatch booklets to make shows more accessible for blind and low vision guests. The shift reflects a broader industry move towards more inclusive, multi-sensory experiences that go beyond a purely visual spectacle. As brands recognise the £274bn “purple pound”, accessibility is increasingly being reframed not just as social good, but as smart innovation (The Guardian).
- Stop crying your tart out: After 20 years of research, Japanese scientists have discovered that bashing onions with heavy-ion beams can eliminate the properties that make us cry. Cultivated on the island of Hokkaido, the Smile Ball boasts the texture and taste of a regular onion but without its lachrymose attributes, meaning tears before dinner may soon become a thing of the past. With 180 tonnes expected to be sold in Japan this year, it remains to be seen how soon the UK can get its hands on this culinary miracle! (The Times)
For more information about FTI Strategic Communications Retail & Consumer Products sector service offerings and expertise, please contact [email protected] and [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of FTI Consulting, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, or its other professionals.
©2025 FTI Consulting, Inc. All rights reserved. www.fticonsulting.com
