Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) has halted production on at least 31 Lucozade lines including its recent Blucozade products following a death at one of its factories.
Messages from wholesalers to stores, seen by Better Retailing revealed that it will take until September this year for all the lines halted to return to production, likely causing significant shelf gaps for both wholesalers and retailers.
Every line has ceased production except a core range of Orange and Original varieties of Lucozade Energy and Orange and Raspberry varieties of Lucozade Sport. Better Retailing understands most supplier-funded promotional activity through wholesalers has been cancelled.
The latest delays compound strikes and other issues that have caused poor availability on Lucozade and Ribena products since early this year. A spreadsheet from SBF GB&I seen by Better Retailing shows its new Blucozade products will be the last lines back in production, with an expected return date of September this year.
Blucozade bringing stores strong profits
The soonest expected to return are its price-marked Lucozade Energy (Original and Orange) and Sport (Orange and Raspberry) 500ml bottles. All other affected Energy and Sport lines were forecast to return in August .
Nisa even recommended that retailers stock up on alternative energy and sports brands including Red Bull, Monster, Boost and Powerade “due to the predicted long-term availability issues”.
A statement from SBF GB&I said it was “deeply saddened” by a fatality at its production facility in Coleford, Gloucestershire on 25 April. Gloucestershire Police are investigating a workplace incident at the factory on 22 April.
The Coleford site produces more than one billion bottles per year.
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