Nights in are big again and sharing creates a crucial segment for independent retail – and NPD is here to support it.
By Elena Dimama
Crisps, snacks and nuts (CSN) remains a priority category for independent retail, with innovation in taste driving growth across all snacking segments and formats.
Worth £38.bn and growing at 8.6% year-on-year, according to Nielsen, the sector is growing at 8.6% and shoppers are spending an extra £100 in the category – up 14% year-on-year, according to Kantar.
Healthy snacking
KP Snacks has put great focus on its better-for-you brand popchips, as the segment grows by 23.9%, according to Nielsen (MAT 03.12.22).
Attesting to its faith in the healthier eating trend, the brand has launched a new Hot & Spicy flavour for the popchips brand also tapping into the third-fastest-growing flavour profile – spicy. “With both the spicy flavour profile and Healthier Snacking segment growing, popchips Hot & Spicy is well-positioned to drive sales for retailers,” Dayna Riordan, of the popchips brand team, says.
Dairy urge
Dairy is the second biggest flavour in CSN, so it makes sense for brands to try and capitalise on the trend.
Cheese snacks tap both into that and the health movement, which explains why Dairylea grew by 9.6% last year, according to Nielsen. “Now worth £162m RSV, the brand has grown by £42m over the past five years, adding value to the category by attracting new shoppers with highly relevant offers,” Susan Nash, Trade Communications Manager at Mondelez International, notes. “Cream cheese products such as Philadelphia Light, which has the same great taste as Philadelphia Original but with 40% less fat, enable consumers to make quick, convenient, and great-tasting lunches.”
Meanwhile, KP Snacks has added a new flavour to its Flavour Kravers range: a new Sour Cream & Chive variant that aims to capitalise on the sharing occasion, currently worth £1.5bn. “The new Sour Cream & Chive Flavour Kravers variant supports retailers by directly filling a gap in the market as previously there were no dairy flavours within the Tasty Nuts category. Our new Sour Cream & Chive is a unique and exciting product which will engage shoppers and boost retailer sales,” Jenny Blanco Barcia, Marketing Manager at KP Snacks, adds.
Marketing bonanza
Underpinning brands’ faith in the snacking segment is this season’s plethora of marketing campaigns.
Pladis is returning its Jacob’s Mini Cheddars brand to screens nationwide, as part of a drive to build brand awareness among younger adults, with the campaign supported across cinema and social media. “Ever since we launched our Welcome to Cheddar Town platform back in 2021, even more shoppers are taking a moment of cheeky cheesy pleasure with Jacob’s Mini Cheddars,” says Aslı Özen Turhan, Chief Marketing Officer at pladis UK&I. “We want to continue building on this momentum, so we’re back on screens to encourage even more shoppers to fall in love with Mini Cheddars – and the cheeky nature of the ad creative is set to resonate with a new generation of snackers.”
KP Snacks is also aiming to support retailers with a McCoy’s Epic Eats competition designed to drive sales of the newly launched range. Running for eight weeks from 20 February, the competition is exclusive to the new line, offering retailers the chance to win one of six £2,000 cash prizes. Retailers will automatically be entered in the prize draw and qualify for a scratch card when they buy two cases of McCoy’s Epic Eats.
What’s more, Doritos has revealed a new TV campaign set to appeal to Gen Z shoppers. The campaign features a voiceover from social media personality Yung Filly, while offering consumers a chance to win £100.
“Staying in is now very much the new going out for Gen Z consumers. Recent research has suggested that as many as 71% prefer it to a night out,” Alex Nicholas, Doritos Senior Marketing Manager, explains. “The occasion is now worth £2.5bn, showing a huge demand from consumers who are willing to trade up on snacks when staying in. Our on-pack promotion further encourages customers to enjoy their ‘Night In-In’ with Doritos and is, therefore, a must-stock for retailers.”
