FANS have been left fearing an iconic fizzy drink brand is set to be axed following a huge social media campaign.

Old Jamaica has uploaded a series of cryptic posts and videos online appearing to announce the end of its famous ginger beer beverage.

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A clip on the brand’s website shows an actor pretending to be a shelf-stacker revealing “it’s time for our beloved Old Jamaica Ginger Beer to bid farewell to its beloved drinkers”.

Multiple posts on its Instagram account also call on shoppers to “enjoy it before it’s gone” and stating “farewell Old Jamaica”.

The series of mysterious posts has left some customers convinced the classic fizzy drink is set to axed imminently.

One said on X: “They’re apparently discontinuing the Old Jamaica Ginger Beer… haven’t we suffered enough as a people?!”

“Old Jamaica discontinuing their Ginger Beer? I have nothing left to live for,” said another.

A third commented: “Old Jamaica ginger beer is being discontinued??? This is criminal.”

However, others have taken to X questioning whether the social media campaign is all a ruse to gain the brand some traction.

“So this Old Jamaica Ginger Beer farewell thing is just some fancy clickbait marketing campaign right?”, said one fan.

Another added: “‘Old Jamaica ginger beer ending better be some marketing gimmick thing because I can not go the rest of my life without the number one top tier soft drink!

“Worst thing to ever happen on this date if so.”

The Sun has approached Refresco, which manufactures the beverage in the UK, and Beliv Company, which owns the brand, for comment.

We have asked both companies to confirm whether the Old Jamaica brand will indeed stop being sold in the UK or whether it is undergoing a rebrand.

However, Hernán Cerdeiro, chief coordinating officer and campaign lead from SAMY Alliance, the creative agency behind the social media Old Jamaica campaign, told Media Shotz: “The chance to ‘retire a brand’ was something that we relished, simply because as far as we can work out, it had never been done before so publicly.

“We wanted to give Old Jamaica’s loyal customers one last chance to say goodbye, to take that final sip, and see the can ride off into the sunset.”

Multiple supermarkets are still selling the classic 330ml can of Old Jamaica Ginger Beer so it doesn’t appear the product has been axed yet.

Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s all have the can available to buy, although Tesco says it has run out of stock.

Old Jamaica Ginger Beer first launched in the UK in 1988 and is currently available in a range of flavours including Pineapple Soda and Grape Soda.

Old Jamaica joins list of axed drinks

Old Jamaica Ginger Beer is not the first drink to bid farewell to customers in recent months.

Brands and retailers often discontinue products if they aren’t selling well or to freshen up their ranges.

Ribena fans were left distraught last month after finding out it had axed sparkling blackcurrant drinks.

A spokesperson for Ribena said it was “always reviewing and evolving our drinks to make sure our range is right for our consumers”.

In Spring, Lidl confirmed it had axed popular sparkling mixer Freeway from shelves much to the disappointment of customers.

One said on X: “Why on earth have you discontinued the best drink EVER?!?! I am beyond gutted.”

And Tesco fans were left “gutted” after finding out a popular boozy drink was to be culled from shelves.

Fans posted on X disgruntled upon discovering the Finest salted caramel liqueur had been discontinued, with one saying “this really upsets me”.

In March, fans were left begging for the return of Pepsi Max Raspberry after it was discontinued to make way for other flavours at the end of 2023.

One said: “Why have you stopped doing the Raspberry Pepsi Max!? That was the best flavour!”

Meanwhile, another added: “After you discontinued Pepsi Raspberry, I stopped drinking Pepsi. I’m drinking Aldi’s Twisted Fruits.”

Why are products axed or recipes changed?

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ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.

Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.

They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.

There are several reasons why this could be done.

For example, government regulation, like the “sugar tax,” forces firms to change their recipes.

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Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.

They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.

For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.

It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.

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Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.

Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.

While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.

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Remote work offers an undeniable appeal for new business owners, including benefits like flexibility, access to endless markets, and virtually no overhead.

But as many new entrepreneurs quickly discover, running a remote business comes with its own set of hidden costs. And if you don’t plan for them, they can quickly drain your budget and disrupt your operations.

Let’s take a closer look at the hidden costs of remote work that new business owners tend to miss, and how you can plan for them upfront.

Business formation costs

As a new business owner, one of the first things you need to consider is how to structure your business. 

A common choice for remote startups is an LLC (Limited Liability Company) — but forming one (or choosing another business entity) comes with a range of state-specific requirements and costs.

For example, setting up an Illinois LLC involves more than just filing paperwork. While Illinois has one of the largest economies in the world (with a GDP of approximately $3.5 trillion), it also imposes relatively high taxes and fees. 

As an aspiring business owner, it’s essential to factor these in before planning your launch date.

Learning about business formation costs and details also helps you fully understand your tax obligations so you can remain compliant with state regulations. This is a foundational step that can save you from unexpected expenses down the line.

Website creation and maintenance fees 

A commonly overlooked cost of remote work is the fees involved when creating your own website. 

As a new business owner, your website will help you establish an online presence, showcase your products or services, and facilitate customer interactions.

But your expenses don’t stop at domain registration and initial design. 

Ongoing costs include website hosting, regular updates, security measures, and SEO optimization.

It’s also important to factor in the costs of hiring professionals for technical support and content creation. Since you’ll depend on your online presence to attract and retain customers, investing in these services is an invaluable routine expense. 

SaaS subscription fees 

You’ll also need a tech stack to help you run your remote business operations.

But endless SaaS (software-as-a-service) options are available on the market — from communication tools to team collaboration software to time trackers and beyond. This makes it easy to overspend on options you may not need.

That’s why it’s important to be mindful when building your tech stack. Choose tools that make the most sense for your specific business. 

For instance, if you are hosting or attending virtual meetings often, investing in AI meeting note-takers could help you record what’s discussed so you’re always on the same page with your clients and employees. 

Or, if you are running a remote team, having employee monitoring software can help you understand your employees’ work patterns so you can help them level up where needed.

Our advice? 

Outline your core work activities and operational scaling goals — and then find tools that can help you manage them as efficiently as possible. 

From there, look to G2 or Capterra for product reviews and ratings. Then, sign up for free trials to see how these SaaS products work in the “real world.” This can help you ensure they’re worth the cost before signing up for a monthly or annual plan.

Cybersecurity fees  

You may not have a large office building with equipment to protect, but as a remote entrepreneur, a lot of your sensitive company data will live online. 

Plus, if you’re running a team, your remote workers will also access sensitive company data from personal devices in various locations. This setup increases your exposure to cyber threats, data breaches, and system vulnerabilities. 

And cybersecurity breaches can be incredibly costly to resolve.

Enter Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). CSPM helps secure cloud environments by automatically scanning for security vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. 

For startups, this tool is a lifesaver. By catching and fixing security issues before they escalate, you can prevent costly breaches that can result in both financial losses and reputational damage.

Unfortunately, many startups fail to set aside money in the budget for cybersecurity from the start — mistakenly thinking they’ll deal with it later. However, proper cybersecurity measures are essential for any remote business, and neglecting them can lead to bigger and more expensive problems down the line.

Consider these from the get-go so you can start your business with peace of mind.

Home office setup costs

Finally, don’t forget about your home office setup costs. 

You’ll need to set aside funds for a comfortable and functional workstation at home (or pay for a setup at a coworking station or private office). The costs for a quality chair, large desk, and computer can quickly add up — and you don’t want to skimp on these and create a setup that’s not comfortable. Or have a laptop that doesn’t give you what you need. 

Be sure to also factor in the cost of reliable high-speed internet and any upgrades you might need if you’re in an ultra-remote area. 

If you travel often, you may also need to consider paying for portable WiFi so you can work from anywhere worldwide.

Wrap up 

While remote work offers many advantages, it also comes with a series of hidden costs that a new business owner may overlook. 

The costs can stack up from business formation fees to cybersecurity expenses if you’re not careful.

Planning for these upfront and making strategic investments in the right tools and services is key to creating a more sustainable remote business model.

To get ahead of these hidden costs, list them out, review your initial business budget, and decide if you need to set aside more money beore launching. Be realistic about what you can afford. 

*Pro Tip: Set up informational interviews with other entrepreneurs in your target industry. Ask them how much their costs were when they first got started. (And what their monthly, quarterly, and annual expenses look like now.)

And if you find that you need to build up more of a savings first — that’s okay! 

It’s better to start your business when you have all of the cash you need to set it up just right. 

For more money resources, check out finance-monthly.com. 

Advise Wise has upgraded its platform to enable advisers to input clients’ medical information using metric units for height and weight.

Additionally, advisers can now view clients’ Body Mass Index (BMI) directly within the system as an indication of whether it will affect rates.

The later life lending platform said entering accurate medical details is crucial in getting individual base pricing and in identifying the best plans for clients.

Common health conditions such as high blood pressure can impact potential interest rates or allow for a larger release amount.

Currently, over 40% of advisers use the platform to enter client medical information, highlighting that nearly 60% of customers may be missing out on better plans by not including their health data.

Advise Wise said the updated feature aligns with its mission to empower advisers in reaching more by simplifying the client assessment process.

Benjamin Wells, head of product and development at Advise Wise, said: “We’ve seen first-hand how providing detailed medical information can significantly affect the financial outcome for customers.

“Interest rates can drop by over 1% for certain medical conditions, and some customers can release more than 10% extra of their property value. Our goal is to make the journey as seamless as possible, using technology to deliver the best outcomes for advisers and their clients.”

Last month, Advise Wise introduced its latest API integration with Canada Life. The partnership allow users to connect to Canada Life’s portal through their Advise Wise account.

The integration will save advisers time by not having to log into the lender’s portal and re-key all the client case details for each KFI request and application submission.

A MAJOR DIY chain has launched a huge closing down sale at several of its stores, which are set to close before Christmas.

Homebase is set to close six stores in December, and shoppers can now take advantage of discounts worth up to 60% at these shops.

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Stores in Sutton Coldfield, Bromsgrove, Cromer, Fareham, Newark and Rugby will also close over the busy festive period.

Shoppers visiting the affected stores can now get hefty discounts on everything from kitchens to furniture and homeware.

Shops are now brandishing huge “Store Closing. Everything Must Go” signs.

As far as discounts go, Homebase’s Bromsgrove store has slashed the price of new kitchens by 60%.

Shoppers can also get 40% off radiators and solar lighting and 25% off furniture, tiles and wallpaper.

All six stores listed above will close before Christmas in December, though exact dates have yet to be confirmed.

Three more Homebase sites in Derry/Londonderry, Inverurie, and Omagh are also set to close in the coming months, but Homebase hasn’t confirmed when this will occur.

All 10 stores were sold to Sainsbury’s after the company agreed to acquire them from the DIY chain in August.

Once all stores are closed, Sainsbury’s will convert the units into new supermarkets.

The conversion of these sites is anticipated to create approximately 1,000 new jobs.

The acquisition of the stores and refit programme to follow is expected to cost Sainsbury’s £130million.

Once they are converted, the shop floor area of the stores will range from approximately 15,000 to 40,000 square feet and will add a total of around 235,000 square feet to its supermarket trading space.

Sainsbury’s plans to open the first of these new stores by next summer, marking a significant expansion for the supermarket chain.

Simon Roberts, chief executive officer of Sainsbury’s, said last month: “Sainsbury’s food business continues to go from strength to strength as we push ahead with our Next Level Sainsbury’s plan.

“We have the best combination of value and quality in the market and that’s winning us customers from all our key competitors and driving consistent growth in volume market share.

“We want to build on this momentum, which is why we are growing our supermarket footprint.”

UP FOR SALE

The sale of these stores follows reports that Homebase’s owner is looking to sell the company. 

Hilco Capital, which purchased Homebase from Wesfarmers in 2018 for £1, was believed to have started a formal sale process after being approached by The Range.

Other retailers that have previously shown an interest in Homebase include B&M, the London-listed discount retailer.

It’s understood that this sale process is still ongoing.

Homebase currently operates around 144 locations across the UK.

The DIY chain was founded by the supermarket giant Sainsbury’s and Belgian retailer GB-Inno-BM in 1979.

The first store opened in Croydon in April 1981 and was located on the Purley Way.

The company steadily grew and, in 1989, opened its 50th store in Norwich.

By 1995, Homebase had 82 stores, and Sainsbury’s acquired 241 Texas Homecare stores, which were soon converted into the Homebase format.

Homebase then operated as a subsidiary under the Home Retail Group from October 2006 until 2016.

Australian retailer Wesfarmers and owner of the Bunnings brand purchased Homebase for £340million in February 2016.

However, by February 2018, Wesfarmers reported losses relating to the takeover of £57million in the year to June 2017, and soon decided to implement a review of the business.

In May 2018, Hilco bought the hardware store chain for just £1.

Prior to the Hilco takeover, Homebase had 250 stores at its peak and 11,500 staff.

However, the brand soon returned to profit after it entered a CVA agreement and restructured its business.

Homebase has closed 106 stores since it was taken over by Hilco Capital in 2018.

HOMEWARE CHAINS STRUGGLE

It has been a tricky time for home improvement chains, both large and small.

This is because shoppers have been cutting back on spending following the pandemic.

Plus, the recent turmoil in the housing market has meant that homeowners aren’t as focused on DIY projects as they once were.

In the spring, Kingfisher, which owns B&Q and Screwfix, revealed that annual profits had slumped by more than a quarter.

The company reported a 25.1% drop in underlying pre-tax profits to £568million for the year to January 31, 2024.

Window and door specialist Everest called in administrators in April, leaving customers in the dark about their orders.

Last year, the group had previously cautioned profits would slip after a 36% drop in pre-tax profits from £1billion to £611million in the 12 months to January 2023.

Rival Wickes also reported a 31% fall in profits to £52million on flat revenues of £1.55billion for 2023.

Windows and doors company Safestyle collapsed into administration in October last year.

The company has a manufacturing site in Wombwell, near Barnsley and 42 sales branches and depots across the country.

Flooring retailer Tapi recently struck a multimillion-pound rescue deal to save the Carpetright brand and dozens of stores in July.

Tapi purchased 54 of the chain’s stores and two warehouses in a pre-pack administration deal that saved 300 jobs.

However, the deal did not include 200 other stores which all closed their doors.

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Schroders Capital has received regulatory approval for a UK Wealth market focused Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF).

The firm described the approval as a “significant milestone”.

The LTAF will be managed by Schroders Capital head of global private equity portfolios, Benjamin Alt.

The LTAF is a category of open-ended authorised fund designed to invest efficiently in long-term assets – with the first being launched in March 2023.

The Schroders Capital Wealth Solutions LTAF has been designed as an Open-Ended Investment Company (OEIC), allowing it to be made available to the UK Wealth market.

The fund is focused on small-mid market buyout and growth investments globally.

Earlier this month, Schroders Capital announced a market first after receiving approval for the first LTAF dedicated to UK venture capital.

Schroders director private markets James Lowe said: “This is a significant step forward; we believe that for the UK wealth community LTAFs will provide another access point to private markets and we expect this LTAF to be a complementary tool to existing private markets structures – like investment trusts – offering new flexibility in how UK investors will be able to meet their objectives via private market investments.”

Alt added: “We are now able to bring the best of our expertise in private equity to UK private clients in a UK approved structure.

“This means access to the most attractive segments of private equity markets globally through a well-established fund with a proven track record.

“Private equity enables investors to access different parts of the economic ecosystem, bringing the potential for robust investment performance and the benefits of diversification.”

In February 2024, Schroders Greencoat announced the launch of its Global Renewable+ LTAF.

The specialist renewables and energy transition infrastructure manager of Schroders Capital said this is the first LTAF exclusively dedicated to renewable energy and energy-transition infrastructure.

The fund will target infrastructure supporting energy transition across the UK, US and Europe and will “deploy capital across wind and solar assets, as well as a range of energy-transition assets including hydrogen, heating and storage”.