Soft drinks giant Carlsberg Britvic has pledged to ensure independent retailers aren’t left out ahead of the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in October 2027.
Speaking to Better Retailing at its annual Soft Drinks Review last month, the firm’s director of commercial sustainability, Tom Fiennes, said it was working closely with suppliers, trade bodies, retailers and the DRS scheme administrator.
He added: “We’re trying to cover all the different areas that include smaller independents as well. We are very conscious that you’ve got big and small players who have been involved in the conversation, and we don’t want to be seen as making decisions that are going to impact smaller players.
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“The scheme administrator was appointed last month and they’ll be making sure they are listening to everyone that needs to be involved. Retailers will absolutely be consulted, brought into the conversation and, most importantly, they will very much be considered in the process. You can’t leave people behind in this process and that’s why I talk about collaboration so much. Retailers, wholesalers, ministers and trade bodies have all come together to have these conversations.”
The company’s annual soft drinks review looked at how the category performed in 2024 and outlook for 2025. It revealed that at £21.1bn, the category was up by 2.2% compared to 2023, and outperforming beer. Within the convenience sector, soft drinks accounted for £186m worth of sales through the till.
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