Retailers tap into growing demand for protein-enhanced products

Consumer demand for high-protein products continues to rise, prompting many retailers to expand their ranges—often through private-label sports nutrition lines. For example, Auchan has launched its own brand, Eat n Move, which includes products like isotonic drinks for hydration during workouts and whey protein for post-exercise recovery. Similarly, Aldi Germany has introduced its Aldi Sports line, featuring protein-enriched items such as whey powders, protein balls, snack bars, and even protein-infused coffee.

Protein remains a key growth driver across multiple FMCG categories. Once limited to dairy products, protein claims now extend into an increasingly diverse set of items, including bread, pasta, salads, cereal, meal solutions, snack bars, and even pancakes and coffee. Packaging often highlights the protein content, aligning with consumer perceptions of protein as a marker of health and an active lifestyle, particularly among Gen Z shoppers.

Retailers are clearly targeting a well-defined demographic: health-conscious, physically active consumers. To win in this space, FMCG brands and suppliers must ensure strong shelf presence, provide engaging recipe inspiration, offer sampling opportunities, and develop product ranges that include both plant-based and ready-to-drink formats.

Divorce averted: French Council annuls veggie burger name ban

The French plant-based sector reacted with relief to the decision of the Council of State to annul two decrees prohibiting the naming of products containing plant proteins with butcher, delicatessen and fishmonger terms like “steak”, “burger”, “lardon”, or “sausage”.

The Council of State deemed the French decrees of 2022 and 2024 to be illegal and contrary to European regulations. The fact that those decrees targeted only French producers was also considered particularly unfair and unacceptable. The case is closed now with a full victory for the plant-based advocates. The French government will pay €3,000 each to the parties that brought the case to court.

EU debate on genetic engineering likely to impact producers & retailers

In the European Union, member states have the right to restrict or ban the cultivation of approved genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within their territories based on environmental or health concerns. Many EU countries have chosen to opt out of growing GMO crops. Currently, only one GM maize is cultivated in the EU on a limited scale.

After a recent vote by member states in favour of easing the rules around labelling genetically modified foods, talks have begun in Brussels between the European Commission, Council, and Parliament on how to regulate genetic engineering in the EU. The focus now is on reaching a final agreement regarding the legal framework for what are known as "New Genomic Technologies" (NGTs), including tools like CRISPR/Cas, often referred to as “gene scissors”.

The European Commission has proposed splitting NGT plants into two categories:

NGT 1: Plants altered without introducing genes from other species. The Commission suggests these should be exempt from the strict GMO regulations.

NGT 2: Plants that do include genes from other organisms. These would still fall under the existing GMO laws.

However, some groups, such as Bioland (a large organic farming association), are raising concerns. It warns that even the latest gene-editing methods can significantly affect both crops and ecosystems. It argues that strong regulations, proper risk assessments, and clear labelling must remain in place.

From the association’s perspective, this is vital to protect non-GMO food production, ensure those responsible for any harm are held accountable, and preserve choice for consumers, farmers, and breeders when it comes to whether or not to use genetic engineering.

Researchers have called for the EU to allow new genomic techniques, such as gene editing, in organic farming. They argue this could help achieve the European Green Deal’s target of 25% organic agriculture by 2030, sparking renewed policy debate about the role of biotechnology in sustainable food systems.

China’s giant JD.com trials launch in UK under 'Joybuy' platform

JD.com, China’s largest retailer by revenue and renowned for its rapid same-day or next-day delivery, is trialling its entry into the UK market with a new platform called Joybuy. With a global customer base of nearly 600 million, the company is currently testing its website to offer British consumers a wide selection of products — from clothing and home furnishings to health and beauty, household essentials, and both chilled and frozen foods.

Although still in its early stages, JD.com confirmed that the platform is in a "testing phase" and is aiming for a full UK launch by the end of 2025.

What is particularly notable is that Joybuy appears to be working with UK supermarket Morrisons. A variety of Morrisons own brand items — including The Best range of pizzas, toiletries, and frozen fruit — are already available for purchase on the site, suggesting a strategic partnership is in place.

Joybuy is currently offering free shipping on a customer’s first three orders, as well as running limited time ‘flash sales’ with countdown timers to promote quick purchases. Speed and affordability are clearly part of its core strategy.

According to the website, “Joybuy is JD.com’s European full-category online retail brand designed to bring customers a faster, more convenient, and cost-effective shopping experience. Offering same-day and next-day delivery across the UK, Joybuy combines speed, reliability, and affordability to meet the needs of modern shoppers.” At present, the service is only available in select areas of London, but JD.com plans to expand to more UK cities ahead of its full launch.

Several UK retailers hit by serious cyber-attacks

In the same April week, two important retailers in the UK, Co-op and Marks & Spencer, were hit by major cyber-attacks. The attacks on Co-op and M&S are said to have been carried out by the same hackers. Among others, the attacks disrupted supply chains leading to empty shelves.

In order to protect the company, Co-op had shut down some of its systems. According to insiders, the company narrowly averted being locked out of its computer systems during the attack. Nevertheless, the retailer confirmed that the criminals were able to steal private customer data.

Marks & Spencer also admitted that personal customer data was stolen in the hack, including dates of birth, household information, telephone numbers and ‘masked’ payment card details, the theft did not include any account passwords. The attack affected the company’s loyalty app, online orders and contactless payments as well as parts of the supply chain. Some of the M&S stores had to turn into cash-only.
A good two months after the cyber-attack, M&S had started taking some online orders again.

A law firm has prepared for a class action data lawsuit against M&S, it signed up over 350 claimants in one week. The theft of customer data, while not an immediate concern on its own, does open up customers to a greater risk of fraud and scams with people either posing as M&S or using the stolen data to feign knowledge of the customer.

The food and beverage industry has faced growing criticism for its inadequate preparedness against cyber threats, with experts labelling its defences as weak. This vulnerability was starkly highlighted by a Marks & Spencer head office employee, who revealed to Sky News that the company “had no business continuity plan” in place for a cyber-attack.

Jumbo's new launch targets gap between A-brands & PL

Jumbo customers live their lives per season, and they eat accordingly, says Tim Hehenkamp, the retailer’s director of category management. Therefore, the company adapted its offer to not just sell products, but also solutions.

In the Netherlands, the price difference between A-brands and private label has increased to 54% overall, according to the consumers’ association. To capitalize on this gap, Jumbo, the Netherlands' second largest retailer, launched a new private label line called “Jumbo’s”.

According to the company, it is a unique approach, with great products at an affordable price between A-brands and traditional private label products. In particular, young consumers are open to upgraded private labels: 61% of millennials and 58% of Gen Z say that private labels are good alternatives to manufacturers brands.

The newly introduced line has an eye-catching design, not one single design grid but something to look at for each single category, explaining on the label why they launched the products. The retailer will innovate and build new categories. The target is to have 500 items by the end of this year. Hehenkamp explained the launch at PLMA’s pre-Trade Show seminars on 18 May at the Amsterdam RAI.

Danish non-food chain accelerates expansion

Søstrene Grene had its strongest financial result in the company’s history in the latest financial year, according to its CEO, Mikkel Grene. The Danish company increased sales by 22% and profit went up 15%.

Its stores offer a wide assortment of home interiors, kitchen items, hobby articles, beauty, travel items, party supplies, gift wrapping, stationery, toys as well as seasonal items. Every week, new products land in stores. Prices are low, most products are sold under 10 euros.

The concept is different from other non-food discounters in that the atmosphere in the stores is special, focused on aesthetics and ambience, appealing to the customers’ senses. Goods are on wooden shelves and wicker baskets, with warm light and delicate colours. The layout draws the consumer into the depths of the store, while the sense of time is quickly lost. Almost all the items in the store are own brands.

After the strong results of the past 52 weeks, the company now wants to take the opportunity of the momentum and expand its network of over 300 stores to a targeted 500 stores within the next three years. The company operates stores and web shops in 16 European countries.

Countries, big brands strike out at popular Nutri-Score

Despite its widespread appeal, Nutri-Score has faced pushback in several countries, including Italy, Romania, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Authorities in these nations argue that the system unfairly penalizes traditional products, such as those commonly found in the Mediterranean diet. Critics contend that Nutri-Score oversimplifies food evaluations by focusing on select nutritional factors, which can distort consumer understanding of a product’s overall health value.

In addition to governmental objections, major brands like Danone, Heineken, Unilever, and Arla Foods have expressed reluctance to adopt Nutri-Score on their product packaging. These companies argue that the algorithm used to calculate the scores doesn’t align with their national dietary guidelines, or that recent changes to the system have downgraded their products to lower categories, resulting in what they believe to be unfairly low scores.

Nutri-Score, a front-of-pack label (FOPL) system, uses a color-coded, traffic-light-like design to rate the nutritional quality of packaged foods based on their fat, sugar, salt, and calorie content per 100 grams or millilitres. A “Green A” signals the healthiest option, while a “Red E” represents the least nutritious.

Recent revisions to the Nutri-Score system have reclassified dairy and plant-based beverages. For example, solid yogurt, considered a meal food, is classified differently from drinkable yogurt, which is viewed as a beverage often consumed between meals, moving it from the general food category to the beverage category. This shift had a significant impact on product ratings, as the algorithm applies different nutritional criteria depending on the product category. As a result, certain dairy products that previously held high ratings of “A” or “B” dropped to lower ratings of “D” or “E,” largely due to their sugar content or the use of alternative sweeteners.

In the beverage category, only water maintains the top rating of a “Green A.”

Packaging at crossroads

The forthcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to reshape the packaging landscape across Europe. The new legislation aims to drastically reduce packaging and packaging waste and will be implemented gradually starting mid-2026. It establishes ambitious goals for manufacturers and retailers, impacting both branded products and private label.

A turning point for packaging! A new era for packaging! Revolutionary! Game-Changing! Experts keep on finding new words to express what an immense change this law will bring. The final version of the law is expected to be published before the end of this year, officially setting the timeline for implementation. So, how will the PPWR impact the private label sector? The answer is clear: it will significantly alter how packaging is designed, consumed, and disposed of throughout the entire EU value chain. Businesses need to be ready.

As part of the EU Green Deal, the regulation has three core objectives: to reduce packaging waste, promote high-quality recycling, and establish uniform rules across all member states. While there was previously an EU directive on packaging waste, it allowed individual countries considerable flexibility. Now, with this regulation, standardized guidelines will apply across the board, with stricter enforcement.

To address these changes, PLMA will hold an in-depth conference on all aspects of packaging on 30 January 2025. The event will not only focus on the new PPWR legislation, but will feature a diverse range of packaging related presentations, covering topics such as private label packaging trends, innovation, creative design, sustainability, a look into the future, and consumer perception. It is a must-attend for anyone in the private label industry. For more information, click here.

Come and go in Everest Alliance: Aura Retail in, Super U out

In a surprising turn of events, Cooperative U, operator of the Super U supermarket chain, is set to part ways with the international purchasing alliance Everest, as well as the Epic alliance. The retailer joined the alliance only two years ago, partnering with the other members Edeka, Picnic and Jumbo. The split is reportedly due to internal disagreements among the partners, potentially around strategic approaches or negotiations. Everest negotiates purchasing prices for its partners with more than 50 multinationals. Epic Partners includes Edeka, Jumbo and Picnic, as well as Migros Group, Jerónimo Martins and Esselunga. Epic negotiates with major suppliers for top-quality conditions for international marketing campaigns.

Just days after Cooperative U’s departure was announced, Everest and Epic welcomed a significant new member: Aura Retail, a French food purchasing powerhouse. Aura Retail stated that it wants to negotiate the best pricing conditions with the biggest multinational manufacturers, thus allowing more advantageous prices for its customers. With Aura Retail now onboard, Everest is expected to rival the size and influence of Eurelec, a key alliance between E. Leclerc, Rewe, and Ahold Delhaize.

Meanwhile, Aura Retail, Everest’s new partner, recently published details of this new partnership forged between Intermarché, Auchan and Casino. The French alliance comprises five operational structures offering purchasing partnerships between the three groups for an initial period of 10 years. For food purchases, Aura Retail will be made up of three central purchasing units managed by Intermarché. For non-food purchases of national brands, two structures have been set up by Aura Retail and managed by Auchan. Private label is part of the portfolio of the alliance.

With the departure of Cooperative U and the entry of Aura Retail, Everest is undergoing a significant transformation. The evolving makeup of these international purchasing alliances reflects the increasingly complex and competitive nature of global retail. As large retailers seek to enhance their negotiating power with multinational suppliers, these alliances will continue to shift in response to both internal dynamics and external market pressures.