As we approach the cold winter nights, the concept of a Big Night In is as appealing as a night out and whether it’s a night in with the girls, or watching a football match on TV, Big Night In sales are higher than ever.
by Émer O’Toole
Big Night In is a key opportunity as retailers begin to accept ‘mission’ as opposed to ‘catgory’ shopping. As winter approaches, more socialising is being done within the home, where people can be sure they’ll stick to their allocated budget instead of overspending. So how can retailers maximise sales of the Big Night In shopping mission?
Snacks is an obvious place to start, with evening snacking worth £5.2bn. Stock bitesize and candy confectionery ranges in hanging bag formats as well as those available in single countlines.
Consumers like to replicate ‘out-of-home’ experiences, like going to the cinema, and this results in them choosing large bags of popcorn, crisps and sweets for their night in. With overall sales up by 29% over the last year, popcorn is a fast-growing and important part of the snack market. Last year, Phileas Fogg launched American Style Popcorn in four flavours: Californian Tangy & Tasty Cheese, New Orleans Cajun Spice & Smoked Salt, Arizona Sweet & Spicy Chilli and Texas Wild & Tangy Buffalo Wings.
Single price point ‘Complete Night In’ promotions are growing in popularity. These include ‘dine in for two’ meal offers and deals that include a DVD, confectionery pouch and drink at a reduced cost.
To boost shoppers’ spending in the micro snacks category, offer complimentary products as part of a deal, for instance, two Rustlers micro snacking products and a two-litre soft drink for £5. It’s easy to implement, boosts sales and gives consumers the value they want.
Liquid profits
Focus on drinks as well as food. While alcohol unsurprisingly tops the list of purchases for consumers in a Big Night In shopping mission, one in five shoppers purchasing for these occasions are buying soft drinks. That’s only 4% less than those purchasing beer and lager. Sharing size bottles can be grouped with other products by occasion to encourage cross-category purchases, for example, soft drinks can be positioned with other night in essentials such as crisps.
Alcohol will sell well as part of the Big Night In shopping mission even though cross-category merchandising is a big no-no in Scotland. Effective ranging, space allocation and stock availability are the most important areas to get right. Craig Clarkson, Category & Trade Marketing Director – Off Trade at Heineken UK, says the growth of Big Night In is due to the change in the cultural perception that staying in with friends and family is no longer seen as a poor counterpart to going out. “With this in mind, the 18-24 generation is not adopting the ‘One pint in the pub’ after work tradition and instead choosing to socialise with friends at home more frequently,” he says.
The four key pillars for capitalising on the Big Night In trend according to Heineken are keeping it chilled, focusing on big brands, bringing your display to life and getting the price right.
It may be a term banded about with increasing frequency, but with good cause: ensuring you deliver on the Big Night In mission can make a major difference to your profits, and your customers’ loyalty.
