Rob Brown
Rob Brown is a freelance journalist for The Grocer.
ReportsHow flagging Rockstar is seeking a career revival
It must hurt being the only top 10 brand in decline when energy drinks have made an extra £218.2m in the past year
- Reports
Boost pours jet fuel on Barr energy ambitions
Boost has built a booming business in the independent retail channel
- Reports
How does energy drink consumption change across age and sex?
Almost double the number of men drink energy drinks as women
- Category Report
Can video games keep energy sales booming?
Red Bull and Monster reckon video game tieups will keep energy drinks flying off shelves. Could they also broaden their appeal?
- Category Report
Has HFSS made snacking more virtuous? Healthy snacking category report 2023
Seven months after the implementation of HFSS rules to cut sales of unhealthy food, how has snack merchandising changed?
- Reports
How dairy snacks are tapping up the health opportunity
The likes of Babybel, Laughing Cow and Dairylea have all been launching cheese snacks and seizing on impulse space
- Reports
Can healthy snacking have its cake and eat it?
Three in four shoppers say they are happy for food manufacturers to change snack recipes to make them healthier
- Category Report
The healthy snack incubator: category report 2023
Supermarkets and investors are pushing incubator schemes that encourage health credentials. What are the benefits on offer?
- Reports
How HFSS rules are inspiring kids’ snacks
British children have a weight problem. By the time they get to primary school, 22.1% are either obese or overweight
- Reports
Brands, incubator schemes and why they work — or not
Of our four examples, one folded just six months after launching into retail
- Reports
How the fizz went out of totally tropical Lilt
The pineapple & grapefruit pop was canned in February after nearly 50 years on sale
- Category Report
Why soft drinks brands are reaching for the stars: category report 2023
Coca-Cola has bet on limited editions in the past year, and it’s not alone. So why are soft drinks brands taking so many moonshots?
- Reports
Why did BrewDog’s POP Soda fall flat?
BrewDog declared revolution in typical self-aggrandising style on launching POP Soda in 2022
- Category Report
What can challengers learn from Prime? Soft drinks category report 2023
Prime has racked up explosive sales thanks to its celebrity status. Does it hold any lessons for other up-and-coming drinks brands?
- Category Report
Could looming inflation squeeze soft drinks? Category report 2023
While hedges have helped keep inflation down in soft drinks, some are warning of impending pressure on the cost base
- Reports
Can keto snacks defy the HFSS regulations?
Keto snack bars typically contain next to no carbs or sugar but around 25% fat
- Category Report
Why snack bars are in great shape: category report 2023
While rules on in-store merchandising have taken the wind out of HFSS snacks, makers of cereal and protein bars are fighting fit
- Category Report
How snack bars are becoming gold bars: snack bar mergers category report 2023
Healthier snack bar brands have become a key target for M&A. How can investors be sure to back a golden opportunity?
- Reports
Picard shows Brits the way forward on frozen food
French brands are deigning to show Brits how it’s done via some gastronomic delights in the frozen aisle
- Category Report
Why inflation is a fork in the road for frozen: frozen food category report 2023
As shoppers suffer from ‘till shock’, frozen stands to benefit from its value credentials. Will this change the direction of the sector?
