The UK market represents an incredible opportunity for international food and drink brands. With discerning consumers, a sophisticated retail landscape, and strong demand for brands with provenance, it’s no wonder the UK is viewed as a priority market to support global brand expansion. However, what works brilliantly in Milan, Barcelona, or Copenhagen doesn’t always translate seamlessly to Manchester, London, or Edinburgh.
Almost a third of people taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications have changed how they eat out. That’s not a niche trend. It’s a reset of purchase behaviour that marketing directors can’t ignore.
Since 5th January 2026, the UK food and beverage advertising market has fundamentally shifted. New restrictions on Less Healthy Food and drink (LHF) advertising are now in force, sitting alongside existing HFSS (High in Fat, Salt or Sugar) rules and long-standing protections for children. If you’re a food and beverage brand with LHF products, you’ve likely felt the headache.
Consumer desire may drive brand love, but shopper decisions drive revenue, and they don’t always belong to the same person.
For years, brands have obsessed over the consumer: the flavour fan, the brand loyalist, the category enthusiast. But shopper marketing lives in a different reality: the consumer and the shopper aren’t always the same person, and even when they are, they think differently at different moments.
If you still think in grocery aisles, Gen Z has already moved on.
Dentsu’s Generation Flex report, covered byThe Grocer this summer, shines a light on a generation that doesn’t see categories, only possibilities. For them, protein bars can be treats, bubble teas can be pick-me-ups and sustainability isn’t a choice – it’s a given.
Shopper marketing has always been about meeting people where they are. In 2025 that’s becoming more literal than ever. Smaller store formats, quick commerce and dark stores are reshaping the way we shop. For food and drink brands the battleground is no longer the aisle, it’s the last 100 metres before purchase.
