A Month of Events
February 2026
Welcome to the February edition of F&BM’s Retail Bites!
This month, we explore a major collision of occasions as Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day, and Ramadan battle for shelf space. From unexpected F1 sports partnerships to a shift in Tesco’s POS guidelines and hard-hitting market stats, discover who is winning the battle for attention this season.
Next month we will be sharing the best Easter activations by brands and retailers.
A Marvel-ous Twist
“This collaboration succeeds by blending collectible culture with playful product innovation. Limited-edition embossments drive discovery, while the colour changing creme creates a magic moment shoppers can’t resist. Strong shelf impact, cross-generational fandom and digital extensions turn a simple purchase into an immersive, conversation worthy retail experience for audiences.” – GC View
Oreo has teamed up with Marvel for an epic collaboration featuring 32 unique cookie designs of iconic heroes. The campaign debuts a ‘Color-Changing Creme’ that allegedly changes colour when licked. A digital presale drives fans to oreo.com, merging collectability with product innovation to target both snackers and super-fans
NOW That’s What I Call Snacking
“ With the undeniable draw of nostalgia this is a fantastic brand pairing producing a music-themed instant win experience. Cash is king as always with 245 x £100 prizes on offer along with a number of NOW albums and merch. A final mop up draw is also in place to soften the blow of a lose.” – GC View
KP Snacks hits a high note by partnering with ‘NOW That’s What I Call Music’ for a massive on-pack promotion across its Heritage range. The nostalgia-fueled campaign features the return of limited-edition fan-favourite flavours, thousands of cash prizes, and a £25k retailer incentive; all backed by vibrant, music-themed in-store POS.
A Spicy Pit Stop
“ This campaign delivers a masterclass in simple gamification through tiered prize choices. Using Jenson Button to bridge the retail / F1 gap via the scanning challenge is a genius way to drive in-store engagement and media buzz. I also love the new golden sriracha flavour with its nod towards winning.” – GC View
In Doritos’ F1 partnership with the ‘Race to Win’ promotion. Fans can choose ‘Race 1’ for hourly merch wins or ‘Race 2’ for a chance at £10,000 and British Grand Prix tickets. The campaign was amplified by a ‘Scan Grand Prix’ event, where F1 legend Jenson Button was beaten by a supermarket cashier in a high-speed scanning showdown.
Take a VIP Break
“When two global icons collide, shelf space becomes showtime. KitKat x Formula 1 isn’t just a partnership, it’s a full-throttle retail moment. From the insanely cool 3D chocolate F1 car mould to race-ready packs and VIP Monaco dreams, it brings track energy straight to trolley. Fast. Fun. Totally unmissable. That’s how you turn fandom into sales.” – GC View
KitKat’s F1 promotion offers consumers the ultimate break: a pair of Paddock Club tickets to the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix, plus travel & accommodation. Weekly draws also give away British Grand Prix grandstand tickets. Exclusively for Tesco shoppers, uploading a receipt when entering grants double entries.
Turning Game Day into Growth
Stout Scrummage
Murphy’s playfully challenges Guinness’s rugby dominance with an unofficial Six Nations push. Leaning into the rivalry via clever On-Trade creative, the brand taps matchday buzz without the sponsorship fee.
A Refreshing Conversion
Thatchers tackles the Six Nations with a high-impact store displays and promo. The prize is a UK trip with a ‘Rugby Legend’, plus match tickets. Aligning Thatcher’s with the tournament in an unofficial capacity.
Bowling Over Retailers
Pringles and Cheez-It team up for a cricketthemed trade promo. Retailers buying qualifying packs can win VIP hospitality tickets to Emirates Old Trafford, including a meet-and-greet & premium lounge access.
Retail’s Love Language
A Tale of Two Margs
For Valentine’s, MOTH and Franco Manca teamed up for a £14 ‘Spicy Margs x Spicy Margs’ deal, boxing a Scotch bonnet Margherita and a MOTH Margarita together in a heart-shaped box.
Rewarding Romance
Lindt and Tesco launched a text-to-win campaign perfectly timed for Valentine’s gifting. By purchasing a 200g box of LINDOR, shoppers can win a £100 e-gift card daily; positioning the brand as the ultimate sweet treat.
Love Sweet Love
Pepsi’s ‘Treat Yourself’ Valentine’s campaign champions self-love with Strawberries & Cream and Cream Soda flavours, supported by high-impact POS and Y2K-inspired creative and activations.
Aisle Be Your Valentine
Asda is playing cupid with ‘Singles Baskets’, swapping its iconic green for red to help unattached shoppers spot each other in the aisles. It’s a playful, low-cost stunt that turns a routine shop into a Valentine’s date opportunity.
Ramadan in Retail
Stacks of Love
Bonne Maman elevated Pancake Day with a chance to win limited-edition branded aprons. By positioning its range as the ultimate topping, the campaign turned a key seasonal moment into a high-affinity win.
Spread the Love
Nutella reinforced its status as the ultimate pancake topping with highimpact ‘Pancakes Love Nutella’ displays. Eye-catching off-fixture units acted as a powerful point-of-purchase prompt.
One-Stop Stacks
Iceland launched a one-stop Pancake Day shop, providing everything from batter to toppings. The standout feature was a pancake pan kit in partnership with Tate & Lyle, streamlining the seasonal shop for maximum convenience.
From Standard to Standout
After spotting this innovative bottle-shaped quarter pallet in Tesco, we initially viewed it as a brand-exclusive win.
However, seeing Jameson’s follow suit suggests Tesco is relaxing its rigid display rules.
This shift toward allowing creative flexibility is exciting; we love trying to push out there POS concepts that break the mould and drive genuine shopper engagement.
Food for Thought…
Dining In or Out?
49% of shoppers specifically sought out premium supermarket meal deals to enjoy for Valentine’s Day this year, with over three-quarters of couples choosing to celebrate at home.
Grocery Gazette
Protein Pancakes
Consumers are leaning towards functional-led treats, with Waitrose reporting a massive 95% surge in the number of searches for protein pancakes ahead of this year’s Pancake Day.
John Lewis
Fasting & Feasting
Ramadan has become a major grocery event, with UK Muslims spending an average of £1,500 per household on food and gifts during the period and injecting £1.3bn to the UK economy.
The Grocer
Pricing Power
Price remains the top driver for switching: 74% of shoppers would swap brands or retailers for a lower regular price over f luctuating special offers, favouring consistent value.
Capgemini
Value of Wellness
Wellness is a non-negotiable: shoppers are willing to spend 4x more on health drinks with functional benefits (£4.69/L) than standard soft drinks.
Worldpanel
