Now Scotland's No.1
Selling Confectionery Brand
English Retail
New National Listings
Premiumised
Appeal for consumers
BUCHANAN'S OF SCOTLAND
NOW Scotland's No.1 and finally on shelf in England
Buyers had been telling Buchanan’s the same thing for years. The product was right. The pack was the reason they could not get into English retail.
The Challenge
Despite strong product quality and long-established heritage, Buchanan’s had spent years trying to break into English retail without success. Buyer feedback was consistent: the packaging felt too old-fashioned and too closely tied to regional Scottish cues to work outside Scotland, limiting the brand’s appeal with every buyer conversation south of the border. The ambition was to carry 170 years of heritage on shelf without it acting as a ceiling on where the brand could grow, without losing the familiarity and trust that existing customers had built over generations.
The pack needed to open doors it had been closing for decades.
BEFORE
AFTER
The truck stayed. The thistle came out. One decision that changed every buyer conversation that followed.
What we did
Drawing on our long-standing partnership with Buchanan’s, we rebuilt the brand around what would work commercially on a national shelf. The brandmark was rebuilt: the truck and typography stayed because they are earned, while the thistle came out and navy and gold replaced the old colour system, communicating quality and confidence without any geographic limitation.
We strengthened both front and back of pack with clearer storytelling, stronger photography and simpler navigation. The system was then rolled out across every major touchpoint, from in-store and exhibition to digital retail content and campaign assets, creating a fully connected brand experience.
The ResultS
The results have exceeded expectations. Kantar confirmed Buchanan’s as Scotland’s number one confectionery brand by Sales Turnover in December 2024, for the first time in years, with new listings secured in major national retailers across the UK.
Most significantly, the English market opened. Something buyers had been saying for years simply was not possible with the old brand.
The success led directly to the expansion of the range, including the launch of Recovery & Revive in 2025, and continues to deliver strong performance across retail and online today.
Coming Soon
If your buyers have told you the pack is not working, let's talk.
Book a 30-minute Confident to Shelf™ discovery call.
Bring your current packaging, tell us what’s not working, and we’ll share our honest assessment.
Prefer email? hello@gouldingmedia.com
Call 01242 350 359
