A quintessential Christmas

Avonmore Freshly Whipped Bailey’s Cream has all the convenience of Avonmore Whipped Cream and the unmistakable taste of Baileys

There are certain products that you just can’t do without at Christmas time and if you don’t have them stocked you will be turning away very disappointed customers

Brand Central

18 November 2011

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At a glance: Essentials

Sales of Avonmore whipped cream treble over the Christmas period with consumers stocking up for all their favourite festive treats
The Lakeshore Seasonal range includes Ham Glaze, Brandy Butter, Cranberry Sauce and Mincemeat
Cadbury Roses has a value share of 44.5% of Christmas confectionery (Nielsen Scantrack incl. Dunnes & Discounters, 12 w/e 26th Dec 2010)
Cadbury Wishes Gift pack contains 14 mini milk chocolate stars with a magical bubbly chocolate and truffle centre
Cadbury brands account for more than two thirds of the Selection Box market
McCain has 66% value share of the frozen oven chip market, and a 26% value share of the prepared potato market
Kraft Foods is launching a Team Ireland Selection box, in recognition of Cadbury’s partnership with the Irish Olympic and Paralympic teams competing in the London 2012 Olympics.
To celebrate the brand’s 75th birthday this Christmas, Quality Street 400g cartons and 1kg tins will feature an on-pack promotion giving consumers the chance to win presents every day for 75 days
Butlers 205g Ballotin features an assortment of 16 alcohol-free truffles and pralines in milk, dark and white chocolate, giftwrapped in white Butlers paper

Everything from chocolate to whipped cream to cranberry sauce needs to be in stock this month as your customers get ready to spend that little bit extra on those products that make Christmas feel like, well Christmas!

Confectionery is one of the most important destination categories at Christmas time and sharing and gifting are among the greatest purchase drivers during the season. Due to the face that many are on a budget this year, consumers are buying Christmas must-haves in stages to spread the cost so the earlier you have these key products stocked, the better.

Dreaming of a white Christmas?

Top of everyone’s shopping list this and every Christmas is Avonmore Cream. Ireland’s favourite cream has a wide range of products to suit every occasion over the festive season including traditional fresh cream, freshly whipped cream, light, double and flavoured whipped cream.

Avonmore Freshly Whipped Bailey’s Cream has all the convenience of Avonmore Whipped Cream and the unmistakable taste of Baileys

Adding a taste of Christmas to any desert, Avonmore Freshly Whipped Bailey’s Cream has all the convenience of Avonmore Whipped Cream and the unmistakable taste of Baileys. It is the perfect complement to Christmas pudding, mince pies and is a delicious topping on coffee. Equally popular, Avonmore Freshly Whipped Brandy Cream is an indulgent blend of fresh Avonmore Whipped Cream with the flavours of rich golden brandy. Spooned generously over mince pies and Christmas pudding it’s perfect for when family and friends come together this festive season.

Whipped cream dominates consumer usage during the Christmas period be it for mince pies, pudding or Irish coffees. Avonmore Whipped Cream is already whipped and ready to serve, providing consumers with added convenience at this busy festive time. Sales of whipped cream treble over the Christmas period with consumers stocking up for all their favourite festive treats.

Available nationwide, the Avonmore Cream range offers the great fresh taste shoppers expect in convenient formats and pack sizes suitable for today’s lifestyles. Avonmore continues to be the market leader in the cream category with 40% market share (MAT Oct 2011).

Lakeshore reveals its seasonal range

The Lakeshore Seasonal range has a luxurious, premium best selling range. The perennial favourites – Ham Glaze, Brandy Butter, Cranberry Sauce and Mincemeat are once again available. Each of these products is made to a traditional recipe using only the best ingredients, carefully sourced.

Available again this year is the very popular range of gourmet fats – ‘Goose Fat’ and ‘Duck Fat’. Both of these products appeal to the home chef, keen to add flavour to home prepared dishes and interested in using the finest ingredients in preparing their Christmas meals.

Lakeshore seasonal range also includes Lakeshore Hot Toddy Chutney, Lakeshore Cranberry Chutney, Lakeshore Mulled Wine Chutney and Lakeshore Redcurrant Jelly with Port.

Giovanni Di Fizenze olives has a range of flavours and stuffings including feta, garlic, pesto and Italian spices

Lakeshore continues to be supported by attractive trade promotions, tailored in-store point of sale and appealing press advertising.

Have an olivey Christmas with Giovanni Di Firenze

Sick of the usual dips and crisps for this year? Can’t stomach any more tins of sweets and biscuits? Why not treat your Christmas callers to a healthy alternative? The Giovanni Di Firenze olive range has a range of flavours and stuffings including: Feta, Garlic, Pesto and Italian Spices. They are excellent for snacks (either on a platter or in a salad) and are also useful as an appetiser before the main event of Christmas dinner.

Olives Olives are a perfect fit for a low carbohydrate diet and are loaded with healthy monosaturates which can contribute to the reduction of cholesterol and heart disease.

Giovanni Di Frienze has been bringing the best of authentic Mediterranean food to Ireland for the past decade. The brand is perhaps known for the range of attractive spice grinders which add a touch of Italy to each and every meal – the range includes: 4 Seasons Pepper Corns, Black Pepper, Mediterranean Sea Salt, Garlic and Chilli.

This Christmas why not choose the healthier options – look out in your local Supermarkets for our full range of Giovanni Di Firenze products and bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your festive fare.

Cadbury Roses have been helping to drive Kraft Foods growth and Kraft Foods accounts for a 46% value share of total Christmas Confectionery*

Coming up Roses

Confectionery is one of the most important destination categories at Christmas time and sharing and gifting are among the greatest purchase drivers during the season. Cadbury Roses is an iconic Christmas confectionery brand and assortments remain the dominant format with a value share of 44.5% of Christmas confectionery (Nielsen Scantrack incl. Dunnes & Discounters, 12 w/e 26th Dec 2010). Cadbury Roses have been helping to drive Kraft Foods growth in this segment, and Kraft Foods accounts for a 46% value share of total Christmas Confectionery (*Nielsen ROI Scantrack inc Disc & Dunnes, 12 w/e 26th Dec 2010). Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Cadbury Roses – stock the seasonal range in a high-traffic ‘Christmas zone’ in-store for maximum sales. Kraft Foods also has a pre-filled hod available and impactful point of buying displays, including a gift shop unit for assortments.

To celebrate the partnership and further support Make-A-Wish, Cadbury is introducing a new addition to the wishes brand – The Cadbury Wishes Gift pack

Chocolate for a good cause

As shoppers buy confectionery at Christmas for gifting and sharing, it’s a perfect time for the category to tap into the spirit of giving during the season – and Kraft Foods has done just that. Cadbury is continuing to support Make-A-Wish Foundation this Christmas by helping them to grant more magical wishes to children and young people fighting life-threatening illnesses. To celebrate the partnership and further support Make-A-Wish, Cadbury is introducing a new addition to the wishes brand – The Cadbury Wishes Gift pack. The Wish Pack contains 14 mini milk chocolate stars with a bubbly chocolate and truffle centre. Each star is flow wrapped with a message that begins on the wrap and continues onto the star itself. Most magical of all, 10% of the profits from sales of the Cadbury Wishes Gift pack will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Ireland. Cadbury wishes are an ideal sharing format for the festive season.

Christmas No. 1s from McCain

McCain, Ireland’s biggest brand in frozen potato, continues to add value to the category – with a tasty 66% value share of the frozen oven chip market, and a 26% value share of the prepared potato market.

Always big hits at Christmas, the McCain range of frozen potato products are on everyone’s shopping list with many consumers looking for high quality, tasty and convenient food that allows them to spend more time with the family and less time in the kitchen. McCain has something for everyone and every occasion this Christmas.

Holding firmly to its number one position amongst Irish consumers at Christmas, McCain Roast Potatoes, formerly known as McCain Home Roasts, are a real family favourite and a must-stock product for any retailer during the busy festive period.
And with celebrity chefs promoting goose fat as a key ingredient for the perfect roast, sales for McCain Gorgeous Goose Fat Roasts increase dramatically at Christmas as consumers trade up. Not to mention everyone’s Christmas favourites – McCain Chunky Croquettes. The wedges category is also a strong performer leading up to and during the Christmas party season, with consumers entertaining more at home and looking for a variety of party food ideas.

The McCain Christmas range will be supported with heavyweight media activity including radio, outdoor and press, and reinforced in-store with strong promotions and point of sale materials.

Yule benefit from Nestlé Ireland’s Christmas Range 2011

2011 has already been a hugely innovative year for Nestlé Confectionery with the introduction of a range of new product choices and Christmas is no exception. New for Christmas this year is the Aero Christmas Tree – a uniquely moulded novelty tree figure, filled with bubbly peppermint Aero. This month also sees the launch of Quality Street “My Purple Bar”, created to celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary, offers four classic Quality Street giant purple sweets in an indulgent bar format. Available for a limited time only, the bar encases the “Purple Ones” signature creamy caramel centre, whole hazelnut covered in smooth milk chocolate.

To further celebrate the brand’s 75th birthday this Christmas, Quality Street 400g cartons and 1kg tins will feature an on-pack promotion giving consumers the chance to win presents every day for 75 days. There will be 75 presents to be won daily from a prize fund including laptop computers, televisions, bicycles, mobile phones, game consoles and more. Consumers just need to find the unique code printed inside their pack and enter it on the Quality Street website to be told instantly if they have won. Their present is then ‘unwrapped’ online and revealed to them.

Nestlé Confectionery’s selection of giant tubes also make a welcome return this Christmas. Always a firm favourite, the range includes Milkybar, Rowntrees, Smarties and Rolo and this Christmas Nestlé is introducing a new Munchies giant tube to further enhance the choice. Our entire range has no artificial, colours, flavours or preservatives. Featuring such a wide selection of brands, our giant tubes are an ideal stocking filler and should be displayed from September to benefit from repeat purchase across the season.

Novelty products are also vital to driving Christmas confectionery sales. This year, Nestlé has developed the perfect gift solution for ‘hard to buy’ men of all ages with its new Yorkie Monster Truck. A moulded monster truck made with men’s favourite Yorkie milk chocolate – it is sure to be a driver of incremental sales. The Yorkie Monster Truck will join the Smarties Chocolate Penguin and the Milkybar White Chocolate Polar Bear as unique novelty items for Christmas 2011.

Following the launch of the Rowntree’s heritage gift cartons last Christmas, Nestlé is introducing the hugely successful Randoms brand into the range. The new Rowntree’s Randoms carton will capitalise on the success the brand has enjoyed since launch and is an ideal novelty gift choice for family or friends.

Butler’s gets into the spirit

Butlers 205g Chocolate Ballotin will be featured as the sweets portion of the National Lottery’s new Hampers, Sweets and Treats Scratch card game, going on sale at the beginning of October.

Butlers 205g Ballotin features an assortment of 16 alcohol-free truffles and pralines in milk, dark and white chocolate, giftwrapped in white Butlers paper, beautifully finished with a festive red ribbon and descriptive swing tag. The selection includes; Coconut, Salt Caramel, Almond Praline, Latte, Hazelnut Praline, Dark Cocoa, Lemon Heart and Milk Truffle. The ballotin will be distributed by Richmond Marketing (email sweets@butlers.ie for more details or to place an order).

Butlers ever-popular chocolate assortments, solid chocolate bars and Hot Chocolate at Home are also distributed through TSNs, symbol groups and multiples by Richmond Marketing. Butlers Chocolate Collection and Chocolate Selection have an excellent track record as premium chocolate assortments at attractive price points; with retails starting from as little as €6.50. Each Butlers Chocolate assortment features a lavish collection of luxury chocolate truffles and pralines in milk, dark and white chocolate. Beautifully presented in stylish packaging, Butlers Chocolates make a striking on shelf display, which is sure to maximise retail sales.

Butlers innovative Hot Chocolate is the perfect winter treat for adults and children alike. Retailing at just €3.95, Butlers Hot Chocolate is supplied in handy point of sale merchandising boxes and has a striking visual appeal on shelf.

Email chocolate@butlers.ie for more information or see www.butlerschocolates.com.

Shane Guest, senior brand manager, Gifting & Seasonal Portfolio, Kraft Foods

Cadbury Q&A

Q. What are Cadbury’s best-selling products during the Christmas season?

A. Kraft Foods’ Christmas range continues to be the preferred range at Christmas and Kraft Foods is the only manufacturer to have built percentage spend loyalty during this key season. Cadbury brands account for more than two thirds of the Selection Box market and Cadbury is the key brand driving growth within this format.

Assortments are the strongest segment within Christmas confectionery, with a 44.5% share. Popular brands such as Cadbury Heroes, Cadbury Roses and Cadbury Milk Tray drive growth within assortments, while other Kraft brands such as Toblerone and Terry’s Chocolate Orange are also very popular for Christmas gifting and sharing.

Q. What are the latest trends and developments in the seasonal confectionery sector and how have you capitalised on these in order to meet consumer demand?

A. Every year we undertake consumer and shopper research to understand their motivations and every year shoppers state that the biggest factor for them when choosing confectionery at Christmas is “brand choice”. Cadbury is by far the most loved chocolate brand at Christmas. In a Hall & Partners study conducted in January 2011, 87% of consumers claimed that Cadbury is a brand they “would choose ahead of others” and a brand they “would definitely consider.” Kraft Foods continues to innovate and create interesting variants of Irish shoppers’ favourite confectionery brand, so that it continues to excite and remain top of their list when it comes to confectionery purchases.

Q. Have you introduced NPD for the festive period?

A. Based on the success of the Cadbury Wishes launch in 2010, 10% of the profit of which goes to Make-A-Wish Foundation Ireland, Kraft Foods are introducing The Cadbury Wishes Gift pack for the Christmas season in 2011.

Also new this year from Terry’s Chocolate Orange – the classic stocking filler – is Honeycomb Crunch, a milk chocolate variant flavoured with real orange and crunchy honey flavoured caramel bits.

In addition, the Selection Box range has been revamped for Christmas 2011. A new Character Bag, shaped like Santa Claus or Rudolph the Reindeer and filled with 10 treat-size favourites, has replaced the large selection box format. Finally, Kraft Foods is launching a Team Ireland Selection box, in recognition of Cadbury’s partnership with the Irish Olympic and Paralympic teams competing in the London 2012 Olympics.

Q. What can retailers do to maximise sales in-store?

A. In order to maximise sales during the Christmas season it is vital to stock the right range of products for each and every need, from gifting to sharing and treating. Retailers should make sure they carry all their shoppers’ favourite brands for these occasions, in different formats to cater for different needs, and stock them in a high-traffic ‘Christmas zone.’

PostPoint delivers … at Christmas

At PostPoint we strive to supply our retailers with unique and practical products, ones which make customers’ lives a little bit easier. This is never truer than at Christmas time when PostPoint retailers can exclusively offer their customers the hugely popular One4all Gift Card and the essential Christmas stamp booklet.

Other PostPoint products, such as BillPay, also experience massive growth around the festive period. With over 140 billers, PostPoint has the most extensive BillPay suite in Ireland. Through PostPoint retailers, customers can pay major household bills, local utility bills and waste management payments.

Online Gift Card

One of the most exciting products to be added to the PostPoint portfolio this year has been the new One4all Online Gift Card. This card offers your customers the ultimate in convenience as it can be spent at any of One4all’s 4,500 retail partners or selected online retail partners.

For a small service fee, the One4all Online Gift Card can also be used to buy a Virtual Visa Card. This gives customers the freedom to make purchases from online shops located all around the world.

So, no matter where the lucky recipient lives or what their interests are, they are guaranteed to find something they really want with the One4all Online Gift Card, whether it’s through traditional retail stores or in the virtual marketplace.

The One4all Gift Card is Ireland’s leading multi-store electronic gift card and is exclusively sold through Post Offices and PostPoint outlets. Research reveals a 3000% surge in One4all sales during the final week leading up to Christmas. It is the perfect Christmas gift for your customers, enabling the lucky recipient to purchase products or services in over 4,500 retail outlets nationwide.

The moment you send a card, it’s Christmas!

Luckily for PostPoint retailers, with every single card sent this Christmas, customers will also need a stamp. Research shows that stamp sales increase by over 300% in the weeks leading up to the festive season. The first two weeks of December are particularly busy as last dates of posting loom large on many customers’ minds.

How to order One4all Gift Cards or Stamps?

It’s easy! Simply call the PostPoint Help Desk on 1890 20 42 20 or go online to www.postpoint.ie/retailer and place your order. One4all Gift Cards are free to order so why not place your order today?

Driving home sales for Christmas

Stamps and One4all Gift Cards are key products sold through PostPoint retailers over the festive season. However, PostPoint’s other products also see huge growth during December. Mobile top up, billpay, waste management, international calling cards, tolling and parking solutions are necessities for customers all year round; however, demand for these products substantially increases at Christmas time.

So, whether customers are sending their first greeting card of the season, searching for that ideal gift, calling a loved one abroad, sorting their bills before the New Year or driving home for Christmas, PostPoint retailers will be at the heart of it and will be there to offer that perfect solution.

PostPoint would like to wish all our retailers and readers of ShelfLife a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Maximise your in-store bakery sales this year with the Cuisine de France range

Tips for success…

For an optimal consumer offer, stock the full range of festive delights from Cuisine de France
Manage your baking throughout the day, the smell of freshly baked Mince Pie’s in-store will create an appetising aroma and will maximise your sales!
Use the unique Cuisine de France Festive Delights secondary display unit to ensure availability of the range, whilst not impacting your regular in-store bakery sales
Place the Cuisine de France Festive Delights secondary display unit in a high footfall location, either at front of store or at the entrance to the fresh food area
Ensure POS material is on display in all locations, this will create theatre in-store and correctly priced product always encourages consumers to shop the area
Keep the Cuisine de France Festive Delights display full, an abundant display means you will never have a lost sales opportunity
And finally, by following our 6-step approach you can enjoy seasonal cheer and the sound of your tills ringing right up to Christmas!

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