20/10/2026
Winning in Convenience: Core SKUs, PMPs and the Power of NPD
The Wholesale Group and Rowan International attended the FWD Impulse Category Evening in London last night, where Talysis shared the latest insights into what’s driving growth in convenience.
Four key takeaways stood out:
🥤1. Soft Drinks Are Driving Impulse Volume Growth
Sport and Energy drinks now account for 49% of impulse soft drink sales, with the top 40 SKUs delivering 49% of category sales. With over 300 new soft drinks products launched this year, getting the right range is crucial.
📦 2. PMPs Are Key to Communicating Value
Confectionery impulse PMPs grew 14.1% in value, while standard non-PMPs declined by 1.6%, reinforcing the importance of clear value perception.
🚀3. NPD Is Gaining Distribution at Pace
🔹 Red Bull Pistachio 250ml increased its distribution from 0.9% to 54.8% in just three weeks.
🔹 Cadbury Twirl Mint sold over 150,000 units in a single week as store distribution reached 23%.
🔹 Wotsits Giants Crunchy reached 25% store distribution in just two weeks.
These examples highlight the importance of spotting emerging trends and getting innovative products into stores quickly to maximise their potential.
🎯 4. Visual Appeal Is Driving Impulse Purchases
35% of impulse purchases are driven purely by visual temptation, while 41% of symbol retailers want more information on NPD.
The Bottom Line:
Winning in convenience means getting the fundamentals right: securing distribution for core SKUs, prioritising PMP formats to reinforce value perception, and bringing high-impact NPD to market quickly enough to capitalise on shoppers’ appetite for newness.
