Unilever and Co-op have teamed up to launch two refill packaging store trials, with the aim of gaining more understanding of consumer behaviour towards refillable and reusable packaging in convenience stores.
The trial will test two refill models – ‘Refill on the go’ and ‘Return on the go’ – and involves some of Unilever’s leading brands, including Persil, Simple, Radox, and Alberto Balsam.
Unilever’s ‘return on the go’ scheme – which is being trialled near Wolverhampton – allows shoppers to pick up pre-filled stainless-steel bottles and return in-store once used. Meanwhile, the ‘refill on the go’ approach – trialled in a larger Co-op store in West Yorkshire – allows shoppers to purchase and refill re-useable stainless-steel bottles using a standalone refill machine in-store.
Co-op’s Head of Format Development, Ian McCutcheon, said: “The refillable packaging trials with Unilever are designed to test and, learn from consumer behaviour, while providing easy and quick ways for shoppers to cut their plastic consumption.
“We are facing into a climate and environmental crisis, and we need to act now to support consumers in making ethical purchasing decisions – by making it easier for shoppers to make small changes to their lives, together, we can make a big difference to our environment.”
Unilever UK & Ireland General Manager, Sebastian Munden, added: “Our trials with Co-op include our first test of refillable products in a smaller convenience store setting, helping us to further build our understanding of how refills work in different store sizes, locations and shopping missions.
“There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ for reuse and refill. Offering a range of our trusted brands and products in refillable stainless steels bottles, we continue to test different models, store formats and locations across the UK to see how shoppers respond, what works best, and what we need to adapt and change. Working closely with partners like Co-op, we can help people to make more sustainable choices every day and reduce the single use of virgin plastic with the speed and urgency needed.”
Unilever has also been testing its refill system in larger Asda stores.
