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Food and drink on the go used to mean one thing: convenience. Not anymore. Today it's fuel, treat, control, social occasion and often, all in the same week, sometimes the same day in busy urban areas.

Newly formed UK research company SHARCC Group has acquired a majority stake in Touchstone Partners & Shoppercentric, which provide shopper, consumer and experience research, strategic consultancy and data analytics services.

They may not ask for attention, but ignoring or stereotyping them has implications Photo by Titus Blair on Unsplash Silver Surfers, Golden Oldies, Boomers, Digital Seniors, Second Lifers, Empty Nesters - each label carries its own baggage. Language matters. It shapes and quietly limits how we design for, communicate with and prioritise this complex, but sometimes overlooked group. Their experiences, priorities, health, digital confidence, income and lifestyles can diverge dra

Five Shifts Shaping the Category’s Future For years, No/Lo has been viewed as a niché; an alternative for the designated drivers, dieters or those choosing total sobriety. But our latest research at Shoppercentric shows the category is entering a new phase. Consumers are shifting from seeing these drinks as just substitutes, towards seeing them as legitimate choices. No/Lo is now visible, available and increasingly socially accepted. Across in-depth interviews, accompanied sh

AI Slop is everywhere. AI ‘article’ Slop is equally prevalent. Even when people are going to point out any drawbacks in a particular element of AI usage, they seem to be obliged to start their commentary with ‘We know that AI is going to change the world etc etc’ (order bias anyone? If every argument starts by stressing the importance of AI, then any less positive commentary in the same article is bound to get lost). Much of the commentary seems to be led by people/organisati

How food, health and science are changing the healthy eating landscape /mindset. As each year begins, health and wellbeing are top of mind and 2026 is no exception. Food and health advertising is changing fast, with rules around HFSS tightening, and GLP-1 drugs dramatically reshaping consumer behaviour, manufacturers/ brands are looking to find ways to stay relevant and compliant. There’s also a growing trend towards a sustainable lifestyle approach, the ‘unjunking’ of foods,