With a new month underway, we take a look back at the biggest headlines in the FMCG sector over the past five days.
Read what happened this week in Inside FMCG.
Aldi’s customer satisfaction win
German discount grocer Aldi won the Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customers Award for 2019. It was recognised for offering products with great value for money, as well as its Special Buys and Super Savers. It
was the only retailer to get five stars for its private labels. Metcash-owned IGA came in second place in 2019 with a five-star review for customer service. Supermarket rivals Coles and Woolworths scored identical star ratings across all categories.
VB brewed up a storm in a teacup
Australian beer brand Victoria Bitter (VB) has created an alcohol free option for cricket fans who will be watching Australia take on England at all hours of the day. VB Tea is a new tea blend, made from the beer’s iconic Super Pride hops and premium black tea leaves, to create a “quintessentially Aussie cuppa” that smells and tastes like the classic beer. Victoria Bitter marketing director Chris Maxwell said Aussies should be rewarded for “their hard work in supporting Australia by creating the perfect alternative to English Breakfast to sip on, as we go to battle with the Poms in what’s sure to be a hard-fought series”.
P&G and Unilever dominate Australian shampoo market
Major FMCG brands Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Unilever are dominating the local shampoo market with Head & Shoulders leading the pack. Roy Morgan reported over 15.7 million Australians buy shampoo in an average of six months, up from 14.9 million four years ago. Roy Morgan found that P&G brands, including Head & Shoulders, Pantene and Herbal Essences (Clairol), are bought by nearly a third of shampoo buyers (32.4%). Unilever is the second most popular manufacturer with 23.7 per cent of the market for its brands Alberto, TRESemmé, Dove and Sunsilk. In third place sits L’Oreal on 13.7 per cent with brands such as Garnier Fructis.
ACCC appealed court decision on Kimberly-Clark wipes
Australia’s consumer authority appealed the Federal Court’s decision on the flushability of Kimberly-Clark wipes. In late June, Justice Jacqueline Gleeson dismissed the action taken by the ACCC. It claimed that the FMCG giant mislead consumers in the advertising of its Kleenex Cottonelle ‘flushable’ wipes. Gleeson found the “flushability” representation was not false, misleading or deceptive. The ACCC said it is appealing the decision as it believes the Court made an error in the case. Kimberly-Clark ANZ managing director, Doug Cunningham, said to Inside FMCG that the company is “disappointed” in the ACCC’s decision to appeal the Federal Court’s ruling.
Cadbury launched Dairy Milk with 30 per cent less sugar
Confectionery giant Cadbury launched a new version of its classic Cadbury Dairy Milk with 30 per cent less sugar. The new bar hit shelves in the UK last week alongside the original bar, after three years in the making. Cadbury said on its website that “our team of scientists, nutritionists and chocolatiers have been working away to achieve the much-loved Cadbury taste, with 30 per cent less sugar, no increase in calories, and absolutely no artificial sweeteners”.
That’s it for this week. Inside FMCG will be back on Monday morning!
