Latest UK label industry news

Product labels do far more than display ingredients or instructions. They shape the first impressions of your brand, influence buying decisions and protect your reputation. As product ranges expand and customer expectations grow, many brands are taking a closer look at how their labels are made. 

The drinks aisle can be fiercely competitive. Whether you’re a long-established brewery or a newer RTD (ready-to-drink) brand, your label often only has a second or two to make an impression.

Customers have grown far more selective about the products they choose, which is why the information printed on a label can carry just as much weight as the item inside the packaging.

That’s why labels are no longer just a decorative finish. They’re a way for brands to show their values and connect with their customers. 

Seasonal releases are a great opportunity to refresh your brand and turn your product into a memorable, festive experience for your customers. With Christmas fast approaching - and spring/summer designs already in planning for 2026 - now is the perfect time to explore label finishes that add a touch of celebration or seasonal spirit to your packaging. 

Every label design starts with an idea: a logo, an image, a texture. The right printing technique turns that idea into something you can see and feel. Picture your logo glimmering in gold hot foil, catching the light like jewellery on a shelf. Imagine fine illustrations brought into focus with spot varnish, the contrast of gloss against matte giving depth to every line. Or a soft-touch finish that makes minimalist packaging feel effortlessly premium in your hand.

In the nutraceutical industry, a label is more than a list of ingredients or dosage guidance — it’s a mark of integrity. Every code, material, and design element signals to consumers that your product is genuine, traceable, and safe to use.

Your packaging tells a story long before a customer picks up your product or makes a purchase. Every detail, from the texture of your label paper to the colour palette, adds to the story your brand is trying to create. And while swing tags might seem small, they’re often the final touch that creates valuable curiosity and connection. 

When it comes to choosing a beverage, taste isn’t always the deciding factor. Long before the first sip, the decision often begins on the shelf. An eye-catching label can spark curiosity, and even prompt an impulse buy in seconds. That’s why, for both established brands and private label manufacturers, understanding the psychology behind label design is essential for standing out in a crowded market. 

 

With its stunning design elements, your product shines brightly on the store shelf, standing out among numerous other items. 

And while your label designs are enough to tempt someone to reach out for your bottle, imagine if you could go one step further. With innovative NFC technology, you can create immersive, meaningful connections through your label design. 

In tough industrial settings, a weak label can cost more than you think. 

Extreme heat, harsh chemicals, constant handling and moisture will quickly break down standard labels, carrying your most important information.

If your label looks average, your product might too.

Harsh? Maybe. True? Absolutely.

When I pick up a product these days, whether it’s a bottle of wine for the weekend or a new shampoo, I always check the label.

You've spent months, maybe even years, perfecting the recipe for your spirit. The botanicals are balanced, the barrel-ageing is just right, and the flavour is distinctive and unforgettable. 

Your product is the best on the market, and every element of your visual branding is designed to leave a lasting impression on customers. 

But what if a small mistake undoes all your hard work?

Whether your product sits on the shelves of a local boutique or a major supermarket, customers are faced with endless choices, making a strong market presence essential for any brand. 

Imagine you’re standing in a shop, choosing between two drinks. One brand has made a clear effort to use sustainable packaging and labels to reduce their environmental impact. The other? Standard packaging with no sign of eco-friendly practices. Which would you choose?

Your product label is the silent salesperson representing your brand, and they've been working for you so far. But with customer preferences constantly evolving, how can you be sure your labels have the same impact in 2025?

Stand out this holiday season with custom labels that capture the festive magic and reflect your brand’s story.

Discover the benefits of featuring embossed elements on your product label designs, helping your wine or spirit stand out.

Discover how using embossed printing techniques for your labels can bring your branding to life and boost the shelf presence of your product.

Discover how using embossed printing techniques for your labels can bring your branding to life and boost the shelf presence of your product.

Discover the importance of product label design for telling your brand’s story, and how Premier Labels can bring your unique narrative to life.

From branding to storytelling, discover the key elements that lead to the success of an alcohol brand in a competitive market.

Discover why premium label design is an essential part of your marketing strategy, ensuring your wine or spirits brand stays ahead of competitors.

Discover how the design of your product label can amplify your brand and the many business benefits of strong branding.

Discover how incorporating innovative NFC technology into your product label design can allow you to interact with your customers like never before.

Discover the importance of pharmaceutical labels and the repercussions you might face if products are incorrectly labelled. 

Discover the practices Premier Labels have implemented in their operation to ensure sustainable label production. 

Find out more about the importance of choosing the right materials for labelling your pharmaceutical products.

Premier Labels are specialist pharmaceutical label suppliers. Discover their labelling capabilities ensuring regulatory compliance and safety.  

Discover the business benefits of partnering with Premier Labels to support your one-off labelling projects.

Discover the multiple benefits of partnering with an established label supplier for your product labels. 

Every business owner is aware that great packaging is invaluable to the sale of their products. If you manufacture spirits, wine or beer, you might believe that your options are limited because all your packaging consists of is a simple label.

The UK’s alcohol industry is booming, so setting up your own winery could prove to be lucrative. Find out how to write a winery business plan.

 

At Premier Labels, we have always been committed to delivering the highest quality labels to our customers, and our recent investment will help us to take our services to the next level.

Sometimes it’s important to step back and enjoy some of the work you’ve done. 

As any business grows, existing label suppliers may start to struggle with growing demands.

When it comes to packaging an alcoholic beverage, especially wine, there are key pieces of information that you must display on the bottle.

Just as with any packaged item, pharmaceutical products need to have appropriate labels.

Great branding is one of the keys to sales, it gives customers a sense of your business and what it stands for, as well as the quality of the products you produce.

In the UK food sector, labels have to work hard – they need to comply with stringent food labelling regulations while enticing hungry customers, too!

Food labels are a legal requirement and are crucial for many reasons; not only do they help shoppers make informed choices about the food they buy, it helps them understand how to store it, when to eat it, and, most importantly, to know exactly what they are consuming. 

The law is detailed, and failing to comply could land your business in trouble – so let’s take a look at some of the key aspects now.

We all know the feeling – being disappointed that your favourite brand is out of stock, and feeling that other similar products are inferior (even if they’re just as good), but why is this?

So, you need a label that’s as distinctive as your brand, but you're not sure how to go about creating that je ne sais quoi that you need. Is durability is a key concern, or are you looking to give your products a silhouette that breaks the industry mould? Perhaps you just want to include more information than can fit on your average paper label.

When it comes to label design, some of our customers don’t know where to start – while others have artwork ready to print.

Do you want to add a shine to your product? Are you after a label that will last? Or do you want to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to sales?

Keen to boost your products’ shelf presence? Then you need designs that stand out from the crowd – literally. 

Every once in a while, new technology emerges that really deserves to be called revolutionary. And for the world of labelling, that’s near field communication, or NFC.

Are you serious about starting a distillery? While every drink is different and every brand unique, there’s a typical route you must take if you want to become a distiller and create a tipple everyone will love. 

With a surge in spirit sales, now could be a great time to enter the market and set up your own distillery.

Looking to launch your own wine? You've poured huge amounts of time and effort into creating an exquisite product, so you'll want to design a label that does it justice. After all, if it’s a brand new wine, that label on the bottle is responsible for grabbing the attention of shoppers and making sure it flies off the shelves!

We covered the legal requirements of labelling in this previous blog article, and touched upon some elements of label design here, too. So, for this blog, we thought we’d share some more unique tips when it comes to wine label design. 

The world is certainly not short of wine brands, but that shouldn’t put you off launching your own product if you’ve got the passion, dedication and resources to do so. You just need to make sure your wine is branded in a way that’s unique and different from your competitors – and in a way that inspires consumers to pick your bottle from the shelf.

As a company with plenty of experience in the field, here are some of our top tips for creating a winning wine branding strategy.

If you’re serious about setting up a craft distillery, one of the first things you’ll need to consider is the costs involved. Find out more.

Similar to packaged food products, alcohol bottles must make certain information clear to consumers on the labelling. A large portion of the details given on bottle labels will be a legal requirement here in the UK and in the EU – let’s explore this in more detail.

Every winemaker understands the importance of a great wine label, but you may be surprised about their origin. Learn more about the history of wine labels.