Any excuse for a big night in

With the Big Night In being one of the most widely shopped missions, effectively marketing the occasion is a priority for any convenience store owner.

by Iain Hoey

The Big Night In (BNI) occasion continues to flourish with its annual worth estimated in the UK to be around £8.9bn, according to PepsiCo research, making it one of the most significant missions in the business for local retailers. As nearly half of all consumers are spending less money on out-of-home entertainment, offering a value for money BNI fixture for cash-conscious shoppers with meal deals and promotions is an easy win. A wide selection of sharing snacks and a variety of both alcoholic and soft drinks offers will make convenience stores the go-to place for the at-home occasion.

According to Kantar data, shoppers make their BNI purchases in two ways: in advance as part of their main shop, and as a last minute spontaneous purchase, the latter of which is key in convenience retail. Last-minute-purchase BNIs are on the rise according to him! research, which found that 30% of shoppers do not know what they were having for dinner, with the plan to purchase it on the way home. This gives convenience retailers the power to influence their shoppers with visible signage, key product placements and specific Big Night In fixtures.

Stocking essentials

Every shopper will have a slightly different idea for what sorts of products make for a great BNI, so offering a wide selection in the key categories is the safest bet. It is equally important to have the right promotions and displays in place to attract shoppers. Retailers can help encourage cross-category purchases by grouping products such as snack foods, large format soft drinks, sharing bags of crisps, nuts and confectionery as well as beer and wine, licensing laws permitting.

“Designating a space in-store for the ‘Big Night In’ occasion can add a layer of convenience for consumers, whilst also encouraging impulse purchases that can lead to incremental growth,” says Amy Burgess, Trade Communication Manager at CCEP.

“These displays could see soft drinks positioned alongside other snacking products that are popular for nights at home with friends and family, as well as non-food and drink items such as DVDs and games, and it could also be effective to introduce promotions that offer discounts when these products are bought together.”

Promotional signage is important in driving consumer awareness of good value products. Stocking price marked packs, such as The Big Yellow Bag’s £onepounders range, with its easily recognisable yellow packaging, is a good way to ensure the value message lands with shoppers, which is particularly significant when it comes to driving impulse purchases.

Crisps and snacks

The BNI is a special occasion with shoppers looking to indulge, so retailers might want to consider offer a range of larger sharing pack formats for products such as crisps and snacks as they are a key component of the event. Popular brands such as Doritos and Walkers are bound to be popular, but retailers could also consider stocking a premium range alongside to appeal to a wider audience and to boost cash margins.

While healthier snacking is shaking up the consumer’s agenda, the core crisps and snacks range remains a vital part of the BNI fixture. “Consumer demand for healthier snacking products is high although not the biggest driver of snacking occasions, with crisps being 38% of the snacking category,” says Matt Collins, Sales Director for convenience, wholesale, discounters & foodservice at KP Snacks. “The nuts category also plays well to these dynamics with its high protein content and more natural credentials, and is forecast to be a major growth driver within snacking in 2017.”

Confectionery

Evening snacking is worth over £6.5bn and counting, according to Kantar research, and over half of all confectionery occasions take place with other people present. To capitalise on this huge opportunity, ensure a range of sharing products such as Maltesers and M&M pouches is stocked. Chocolate remains the top choice for those settling down for a night in, followed by sugar confectionery, biscuits and crisps.

A key focus is on getting the main confectionery display merchandised well, with strong availability of and multi-facing of core lines. Pouch products should be displayed in a prime location, for example, at eye level on a wall display. POS, such as dumpbins and counter units, are guaranteed to raise awareness and generate impulse sales. Siting confectionery products alongside savoury snacks and drinks, will promote additional basket spend in store for customers looking to fulfil their big night in shopping mission.

Drinks

Food may be the key focus for the BNI occasion, but soft and alcoholic drinks also play a significant role. Shoppers are likely to spend more than usual on a Big Night In, and picking up a bottle of wine, a crate of beer or a couple of two litre bottles of soft drinks are integral purchases for a BNI.

Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at AG Barr, advises that stores focus on winners by stocking up on the top performing brands. “Retailers should ensure they stock sharing size bottles of trusted, well-loved soft drinks brands to drive purchase and restock regularly as availability is key,” he says.

“75% of purchase decisions are made at fixture and sharing sized bottles can be dual-sited with other Big Night In essentials to create a range of eye-catching deals including price-marked packs and multi-buys.”

With 21% of adults now choosing not to consume alcohol at all, according to the office of national statistics, it is clear that soft drinks provide a major opportunity for independent retailers to increase their sales when catering for those enjoying nights at home.

Adult soft drinks is a growing market, and is ideal for at home entertaining. Products such as Appletiser and Schweppes Sparkling Juices drinks are popular and can be served on their own, or as an ingredient for cocktail making.

With the increased focus on health leading some consumers to change their usual drink choice to reduce their sugar or calorie intake, retailers should look to display lower or no sugar variants of well-known brands as part of their BNI displays.

For every occasion

The concept of the BNI is often focused around weekend events, but there is no shortage of week-night occasions and opportunities which can initiate a get together. “Entertaining at home or having a Big Night In continues to be enjoyed throughout the year by shoppers of all ages, as friends and family choose to spend time together in the comfort of their own homes,” says Bep Dhaliwal, Trade Communications Manager, Mars Chocolate. “There are a number of different occasions that can be classified as a night in – from a more formal planned night together, to a fun night in with a group of friends in front of the TV.”

Retailers should be proactive to make the most of BNI displays, looking ahead and see which notable sport, TV moments or events are coming up. It may be worth putting together displays themed around these events to capitalise on the high level of interest that can be generated ahead of these occasions.