The votes have been counted, so read on to see the winners of SLR’s Product of the Year Awards 2021…
by Gaelle Walker
As experienced retailers know by now, the survival, success and growth of the local retailing industry depends on all elements of the supply chain working in harmony. If retailers themselves are the heart and soul of the sector, then new products must surely be the lifeblood. Innovative new launches deliver a steady stream of great opportunities to grow footfall, sales and profits.
SLR’s Products of the Year awards 2021 celebrate the very best of these game-changing new products – the bright sparks that have helped to ignite growth in what was another challenging but successful year.
Crucially, the winners have been crowned by those who matter the most, local retailers themselves, with store owners’ thoughts, opinions and accounts having helped to shape every stage of the judging process.
So sit back, relax and bask in the glow of 2021’s most-prized new products, the tipples, treats and sweets that provided a welcome shot in the industry’s arm, setting it up for a healthier start to the year ahead.
The winners were decided exclusively by retailer vote. When there was only a small margin between the winner and the runner up, we have awarded Highly Commended status.
All products that were launched in the 2021 calendar year and were available in the Scottish local retailing channel, were eligible for entry.
The shortlist was curated from a list of every product that was carried in the print and digital versions of SLR and The Week In Retail and scored against a range of key engagement criteria including digital views, reads and clicks and offline retailer feedback.
All winners are entitled to showcase the special Winners logo on pack and in their marketing materials while all shortlisted entrants can display the special Shortlisted logo.
Meet the winners
Beer Cider and Low No Alcohol Beer
Winner: Guinness 0%
Biscuits and Cakes
Winner: Jaffa Jonuts
Highly Commended: McVitie’s Dessert Inspired range: Chocolate Digestives/Chocolate Hobnobs
Bread and Homebaking
Winner: Kingsmill 50/50 Multiseed/Kingsmill 50/50 No Bits Multiseed
Candy
Winner: Tic Tac Coca-Cola
Highly Commended: Haribo Sour Sparks/Haribo Starbeams (vegetarian)
Chocolate Confectionery
Winner: Cadbury Caramilk
Highly Commended: Ferrero Rocher Bars, White, Milk and Dark Chocolate 90g
Crisps and Snacks
Winner: McCoy’s Fire Pit range (including Flame Roasted Peri Peri, Flame Smoked Chorizo and Flame Scorched BBQ Ribs
Highly Commended: Quavers – Prawn Cocktail/Salt & Vinegar
Food-to-go
Winner: Quaker Porridge to Go (PMP)
Highly Commended: Rustlers Cook in Box Range (The Supreme Cheese Melt Burger and Sausage Muffin)
Free From
Winner: Rustlers Meatless Maverick
Highly Commended: Flora Plant Butter Spreadable
Gum
Winner: Extra Refreshers New Bottle Format and Tropical flavour
Hard Seltzers
Winner: 19 Crimes Seltzer Lime Bitters
Ice Cream
Winner: Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Twists Ice Cream –Rain-dough/ Dough-ble chocolate
Protein
Winner: Grenade Gingerbread Carb Killa
Highly Commended: Snickers Hi Protein White Chocolate Snickers Hi Protein White Chocolate Caramel and Peanut
Personal Care
Winner: Lifebuoy Multisurface Range
Highly Commended: Kleenex Protective Care range including Hygiene Mask and Antibacterial Wipes
Healthy Snacks/Breakfast bars
Winner: Graze Oats Boost – Cherry Bakewell/Chocolate Cookie
Pet Food
Winner: Cesar Natural Goodness Cans
RTDs
Winner: Rekorderling Pink Lemon Cider
Highly Commended: Beefeater new RTDs London Dry, Blood Orange, Pink Strawberry
Tobacco
Winner: Sterling Dual Capsule Leaf Wrapped 20s
Highly Commended: JPS Players Easy Rolling Tobacco
Smoking Accessories
Joint Winner: Swan Flavour Fusion cards Fresh Burst
Joint Winner: Swan Flavour Fusion Cards Menthol
Highly Commended: Gold Leaf Carnival Edition Papers
Vaping
Winner: Relx Infinity Deep Blue Device
Soft Drinks
Winner: Rubicon Raw – Raspberry & Blueberry, Orange & Mango, Cherry& Pomegranate
Spirits and No or Low Alcohol Spirits
Winner: Dead Man’s Fingers Banana Rum
Highly Commended: Smirnoff Raspberry Crush
Energy
Winner: Irn Bru Energy Big Can (500ml)
Highly Commended: Lucozade Zero Tropical
Squash
Winner: Capri-Sun Multivitamin Squash – Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant
Highly Commended: Robinsons Double Strength Blackcurrant
Wine
Winner: 19 Crimes Revolutionary Rosé
Own-label wine
Winner: Spar Seashell Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Sustainable
Winner: Absolute Vodka (Limited Edition Sustainable Glass Bottle)
Highly Commended: BrewDog Planet Pale
Chilled
Winner: Müller Corner Creations Diana Asher Smith
Grocery
Winner: Old El Paso Tortilla Pockets Smoky BBQ
