Fuel for learning
September is fast approaching and retailers need to be prepared for the back to school onslaught. The food and drink categories at this time of year are ripe with opportunities to drive sales forward and establish your business as the one-stop-shop for all essentials. Fiona Donnellan looks at some of the key products for the back to school season
Print10 July 2013
AT A GLANCE: BACK TO SCHOOL
- Over 75% of parents are concerned about rising utility and grocery bills (Source: Mintel, December 2012)
- Over a third of food purchases are influenced by children (Source: Mintel, December 2012)
- Burton’s Biscuit Company is Ireland’s number one cookie brand (Source: Kantar 52 w/e 12 May 2013)
- The natural cheese market is a valuable category worth €106 million – sliced and grated are worth €47 million
- Both the sliced and grated cheese markets are growing at 9% and 10% respectively
- The Peperami brand has been on the Irish market since 1997
- Hand held meat snacks are eaten at 14% of lunch occasions for adults and 38% for children
- Peparami Lunchbox Minis have 30% less fat than standard Peperami
- Tipperary Kidz has won nine International Gold Medals for taste, quality and excellence
Go all gooey for Maryland
Burton’s Biscuit Company is continuing to innovate and invest in its brands with the introduction of Maryland Gooeys; a new and innovative range of Maryland Cookies. Maryland Gooeys offer consumers a brand new eating experience.
The crunchy chocolate chip cookies are filled with a gooey chocolate centre. The range comes in three variants; Chocolate, Hazelnut and Triple Choc, and is available in 160g packs with 10 cookies per pack. Research by Burton’s has shown that Maryland Gooeys are very appealing to families and scored significantly higher than competitors.
The Maryland range includes the classic Maryland Choc Chip Cookie, Double Choc and Choc Chip and Hazelnut Cookies which are available in price marked packs (PMP) and non-PMP. The range also consists of Maryland Monster bags, available in Choc Chip and Double Choc, Maryland Big and Chunky Cookies; available in four flavours and mini Maryland Cookies snack packs. The introduction of Maryland Gooeys to the range will ensure that there’s something for everyone. Burton’s Biscuit Company, one of Kantar’s Master brands at Home*, will continue to invest in Maryland, one of its power brands and bring continued innovation to the biscuit category.
*(Source: Ranked 86 in Master Brands at Home compiled by Kantar Worldpanel 2013)
Holy Moly goodness
Now that Holy Molys has cemented its place on retailers’ shelves, the brand is growing from strength to strength. The tasty biscuit bars are gaining momentum in the public eye and are firmly part of many household weekly shopping lists. The bars are individually wrapped in a box of six, perfect for indulging with the family or on-the-go. With the bar’s unique features, the whole family is hooked. Kids love the funny holes in the biscuit bar as well as the crunchy taste, playful name and colourful packaging. The product is fast becoming a lunch box favourite as well as a not so guilty calorie counting treat.
To celebrate the brand’s success so far, Holy Molys is now offering 33% extra free. Customers can now get two bars free in every promotional box. Retailers should ensure that they are stocked up to avail of the promotional packaging available from August 2013. A major marketing campaign is accompanying the promotion with bus shelter advertising and ad boxes alongside sampling activities and consumer print advertising. Holy Molys is continuing to attract new customers to the biscuit aisle on a daily basis. For more information contact Flanagan Foods on 01 4506100 or log on to www.flanagansfoods.ie.
A firm family favourite
McVitie’s Penguin has been a family favourite for 80 years. This perfect lunch box treat offers parents the reassurance that they can give their children a balanced and convenient, value-for-money, chocolate biscuit bar that will put a smile on everyone’s face.
Over the years, the Penguin range has grown considerably and now includes cakes and wafer variants as well as a variety of flavours including mint, orange and toffee.
All Penguin products contain added calcium, no hydrogenated fat and no artificial colours or flavours.
Retailers can check out the range, update their Penguin knowledge and see what McVitie’s is doing to protect penguins on www.penguinbiscuits.com. Fans of the penguin can also watch Dublin Zoo’s 14 Humboldt penguins without them knowing on McVitie’s live webcam.
One-stop-shop solution
Swizzels Matlow is a leading manufacturer of children’s confectionery brands and is ideally positioned for back to school with a one-stop-shop solution for retailers.
Since the company was established in the 1920s, Swizzels Matlow has been recognised as a catalyst with regards to the production of nostalgic children’s confectionery products. The company also continues to produce new and innovative products across many categories. The firm has a wide range of products for all ages within its portfolio.
The countline range includes the Stinger Bar, Refresher Bar, Refresher Rope and the Love Hearts roll. There are several products in the pocket money packs including Squashies 45g and Fun Gums while the novelty options consist of Double Dip, Candy Whistles, Beads and Watches. There is a range of retail bags available including One Direction Love Hearts and the Loadsa Range.
With a significant swing towards retro products in the Irish confectionery market, Swizzels Matlow has enjoyed significant growth across all brands in recent times. Back to school is a key period for the company. Retailers and wholesalers continue to feature in the firm’s range throughout this busy period.
Ensuring strong visibility at retail level is essential. With recommended retail prices varying from 7c to 50c across the countline range, the brand offers significant margin to retailers. Simon Demery, general sales manager, Ireland, says: "The key driver to our on-going success is producing confectionery products that kids of all ages continue to enjoy, at affordable prices." For more information regarding the Swizzels Matlow, contact 01 4517642 or email sales@swizzels-matlow.com.
Meaty options
The Peperami brand has been on the Irish market since 1997 and is enjoying success. Peperami is a 100% spicy pork salami that delivers a big flavour kick and is a tasty and convenient hand-held product. The core target market is adult males and mums with children. Peperami comes in three different flavours; Original, Hot and Firestick. There is a 25g Single Stick, a five pack of Single Sticks (5 x 25g) and Peperami Lunchbox Minis.
The decline in economic confidence and consumer confidence has prompted a return to the lunch box as families look for value-for-money, variety and convenience. Hand-held meat snacks are eaten at 14% of lunch occasions for adults and 38% for children. These products should therefore be highlighted in store to maximise sales. Lunch is a lucrative opportunity for retailers who want to take advantage of consumers looking for products that fulfil their need for enjoyment while also fitting in with today’s hectic lifestyles.
Peperami Lunchbox Minis, which have 30% less fat than standard Peperami, are perfect for lunch boxes and come in a convenient 10 pack. The snack-sized product is ideal for sharing and for anyone who is taking a packed lunch to school or work and would like some variety.
Collection opportunity
Capri-Sun has themed up with the family movie of the summer Smurfs 2 to offer customers the chance to win prizes
Ireland’s number one on-the-go juice drink is teaming up with the family movie of the summer, Smurfs 2. Kids love collecting all sorts of things and the in-pack mechanic gives families an instant reward with one of five unique Smurfs 2 sticker sheets in every pack as well as limited edition Capri-Sun Smurfs 2 pouches*.
With the special packs only available for a limited time they are sure to drive frequency of purchase with customers.
The promotional packs will be supported with an extensive media campaign including a TV partnership with Ireland AM where it is giving away a fantastic family holiday to Paris, the setting for the Smurfs 2 movie, as well as outdoor, event and digital support such as sponsorship of the popular Mummypages website.
The Smurfs 2 is in cinemas from 31 July.
The promotion will run on all Capri-Sun Orange 200ml and Tropical 200ml 10 packs and are available now from your local wholesaler, DBC or by contacting Grocery Brand Solutions on 01 835 8312.
*(Limited edition pouches available in Orange 200ml 10 pack only)
Perfect for packed lunches
A must stock brand for this year’s back to school period, Tipperary Kidz water is an ideal water for packed lunches and for quick re-hydration throughout the day.
Designed especially for kids, Tipperary Kidz water comes in an easy to hold bottle with a flip cap for instant refreshment. Not only is it fun for kids, but parents can be happy too in the knowledge that water is the healthiest option for their children. Tipperary Kidz continues to lead the way in the children’s water category. It is a pure, natural mineral water, winning nine International Gold Medals for taste, quality and excellence. Parents can rest assured that their little ones are only getting the very best.
Tipperary Kidz is available in a variety of packs including two innovative flavours; Fruit Blast and Tiger Juice. The standard Tipperary Kidz is also available in a handy six pack. Retailers should be on the look out for promotional activity during the back to school period, including a ‘15 for 10 pack’ and a €2.99 price flashed 10 pack. All promotional packs will be supported with full POS in-store.
Freddy Fyffes bananas have been specifically developed for primary school children
Sustained energy release
Freddy Fyffes bananas are a convenient, healthy, hassle-free addition to the lunch box. The fruit contains around 95 calories, has very little fat and is brimming with vitamins and minerals making it the perfect snack of choice for today’s children. Freddy Fyffes bananas provide a sustained energy release, which is why they are a brilliant choice for children’s lunch boxes as they help to keep children sharp and alert during school hours. Supplied in its own biodegradable packaging, parents can just simply pop it into the lunch box and that’s it.
The Freddy Fyffe bagged banana product was developed specifically for primary school children with small bananas being specially selected for children. They are also just the right size to fit into a school lunch box, making it an easy choice for parents. The attractive packaging and the use of the engaging Freddy Fyffes banana character has made the product a firm favourite among children. Recent promotional activity with Dublin Zoo and the launch of the Freddy Fyffes website, www.freddyfyffes.ie, has helped to further drive preference for this product. Retailers should be sure to include Freddy Fyffes bananas on their shelves for this back to school period.
Convenience for the whole family
Avonmore Cheese, a long standing family favourite, has recently undergone a revamp with a fresh new design and new improved packaging. This new redesign uses a fresh green background to create a stronger impact and stand out on shelf. The new packaging also uses serving suggestions to create usage and appetite appeal. The serving suggestions are simple, yet accessible, and reflect some of the many uses of cheese throughout the day; be it in a tasty sandwich or bagel or on baked potatoes, pasta or nachos.
The beauty of the Avonmore range lies in its convenience for the entire family, its versatility and its many uses throughout the day. Each variant is colour-coded to ensure consumers can easily distinguish between variants and shop in the cheese category easily. The new redesign mirrors the Avonmore Soup design therefore giving a fresh, new and integrated look across the Avonmore Soup and Cheese range for stronger brand impact and consumer recognition. As part of the re-launch, Avonmore Grated Cheese has introduced a new block bottom bag with a re-closable zip to help ensure the pack is sealed correctly. In addition to packaging changes, Avonmore is transitioning its cheese from a mild cheese to a medium cheese for better flavour and texture. The redesign, combined with the packaging and product changes, will enhance the look and feel of the Avonmore range significantly thereby ensuring much stronger stand out on shelf as well as delivering strong consumer benefits in terms of taste and fresh seal packaging.
The entire Avonmore range, with the exception of the Mozzarella variants, will carry the well recognised Love Irish Food logo. The range encompasses both grated and sliced formats in red and white cheddar, mozzarella, cheddar and mozzarella mix and light cheddar. The natural cheese market is a valuable category worth €106 million, of which sliced and grated are worth €47 million. Both the sliced and grated sectors are growing strongly at 9% and 10% respectively. Back to school is a key time to stock up on both variants of Avonmore for lunch box solutions, after school snacks and family mealtimes. Avonmore Cheese is a long standing family favourite, a highly recognised and trusted Irish brand. As a household staple in many homes across the country, Avonmore Cheese believes it offers a must stock item for retailers nationwide.
Bread basics
As September approaches and back to school is on the mind of every parent, retailers need to remember to stock up on the great tasting Cuisine de France French bread range which is perfect for children’s lunches and quick snacks. The Cuisine de France white French bread is loved by all ages from teenagers to adults and it makes great sandwich carriers for delis or as a take home option. The Petit Pains will keep the kids happy and are a perfect size for a lunch box. Cuisine de France also has a wide range of Demi Baguettes including Triple Grain, Malted and Poppy Seeded to add a bit of variety to a retailer’s fresh in-store bakery offer.
Cusine de France’s French bread is extremely popular with all ages, from children to adults
Cuisine de France Bake at Home Petit Pains and Demi Baguettes are the perfect option for consumers who want to turn their kitchen into a boulangerie. Customers can enjoy the aroma of freshly baked breads in their own home while giving their children great tasting Cuisine de France bread, straight from the oven to the lunch box.
Retailers can talk to their Cuisine de France category specialist who can offer advice on how best to prepare, bake off and display the French bread offering in-store as well as how best to display the Bake at Home range.
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