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Food & Drink, News

Altrincham based Hip Pop expands functional drinks range in Booths

A Cheshire based drinks business has increased their product selection in renowned food and drinks grocers, Booths, less than two years after securing their first retail listing.

Originally stocking four products from Hip Pop’s range of functional kombucha, consumers can now browse up to 10 products, soon to be 12, including their recently launched Living Soda, infused with apple cider vinegar and living cultures.

Hip Pop products have also been moved from the back of the store to the front, now including multipacks consisting of four cans in each pack.

Hip Pop’s co-founders, Emma Thackray and Kenny Goodman, secured the brand’s first major retail listing with Booths in the summer of 2021, following an impressive period of online growth. Their second retail listing was secured in 2022, with London’s leading department store, Harrods.

On the expansion, Emma said: “We are always looking for new ways to grow our business and achieve more brand recognition. One of the best ways we’ve been able to do this is by working directly with leading retailers, such as Booths.

“Our product range has grown substantially over the last 12 months, and we are excited to see an increasing number of Hip Pop products on the shelves.

“With new products in the pipeline, as well as moving into a larger brewery later this year, we hope this will open doors to further discussions with other retailers as our production capacity increases, allowing us to build long lasting relationships.”

Originally founded in 1847, Booths is now a leading grocery chain with 27 stores located across Northern England. Having secured second place in the list of the World’s greatest Food Retailers, the firm prides itself on working closely with British suppliers.
Based in Altrincham, Hip Pop’s team has grown substantially, and they now employ a team of 16, including Juliet Barratt, co-founder, and previous chief marketing officer of Grenade.

In the latter half of 2022, Hip Pop permanently slashed their prices by up to 50% to support new and existing customers throughout the cost-of-living crisis, and cemented a partnership with Manchester homelessness charity, Lifeshare, with one meal donated for every 24 cans sold.

The brand has received several industry accolades, including two stars at the Great Taste Awards, and the title of ‘Independent Drinks Producer of the Year’ at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival in 2022.

For more information, visit: www.drinkhippopr.com

News

Fast-growing kombucha brand slashes prices by up to 50% to support customers during cost-of-living crisis

Functional drinks brand, Hip Pop, has dramatically reduced product prices for the foreseeable future, following their recent Black Friday sale.

Putting customer happiness at the forefront of their business, the Manchester based brewers have cut prices by up to 50% on their award winning kombucha and apple cider vinegar infused beverages.

As well as supporting their customer base, Hip Pop have also increased their partnership with Manchester homelessness charity, Lifeshare, by donating one meal for every 24 cans sold.

In October 2022, the annual rate of inflation reached 11.1%, putting cost-of-living in the UK at a 41 year high. The crisis has affected affordability of goods and services for households, with growing concerns for further inflation during 2023.

With factors such as the rising cost of goods, underpinned by consumer demands and supply-chain bottlenecks, food and energy prices have risen sharply throughout the last year, partially due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In order to support new and returning customers, Hip Pop made the decision to keep their reduced prices following a successful Black Friday sale, ensuring consumers can still enjoy their products without worrying about higher prices. Whilst a case of 24 x 330ml cans previously cost £49.99, it is now £29.99 with free UK mainland delivery.

Kenny Goodman, co-founder of Hip Pop, said: “As a small business, our customers are extremely important to us, and we want to show our support during the cost-of-living crisis wherever we can.

“While many brands have decided to raise their prices to offset supply chain demands, we have taken steps to reduce ours. For example, we have made more sustainable changes to our packaging, which have allowed us to keep costs low for consumers during these difficult times.

“We want to ensure new and returning customers can continue to enjoy our products without worrying about rising costs, while increasing our partnership with Lifeshare to support those less fortunate.”

Launched in 2019, Hip Pop as grown substantially over the last 12 months, not only in the UK, but also on a global scale. Their functional drinks are now available in 42 of 50 American states, as well as in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman.

Now employing a growing team of 16, Hip Pop has received many accolades, including two stars at the Great Taste Awards, and Independent Drinks Producer of the Year at the renowned Manchester Food & Drinks Festival earlier this year.

For more information, visit: www.DrinkHipPop.com.