Despite the shyness of summer of the past few years, hardy Scots continue to have more barbecues than ever before, and convenience retailers are the perfect shopping spot for all food and drinks required – so make sure you make the most of it.
On 27th May this year National Barbecue Week will commence. This is no new campaign to boost sales either, it’s now in its 17th year so it’s evident that there has long been an appetite for getting the grill on the go in the garden. None more so than now though. In 2010 (the last year for which there are figures), barbecuing was worth £7bn, up from £150m in 1997.
For convenience retailers, teaming up with a local butcher is the ideal way to generate sales. Multi-buy deals across different types of meats can boost sales, and with butchers able to cater for the less adventurous griller by providing pre-marinated products, there’s no reason your store can’t take advantage.
Beyond meat there is a host of other traditional FMCG products that are popular at barbecues, including alcohol drinks, soft drinks and snacks.
Maxxium UK Off Trade Sales Director Mark Riley comments: “This summer, premiumisation remains a key trend in the warmer months offering a great way for retailers to promote premium brands as consumers look to trade up to add something special to their summer festivities. As such, it is important for retailers to stock brands with a premium offering.”
Temperature rising
Maxxium predicts that as the summer kicks in and temperatures rise, consumers will begin to look for refreshing, long alcoholic drinks packed with fruity flavour. Riley therefore says Sourz is a must stock brand. “Offering versatility of serve, Sourz can be enjoyed as a shot, with a mixer or as a cocktail ingredient – perfect for all summer occasions,” he says. And don’t forget Sourz Mango was recently added to the range. In addition, Maxxium’s latest innovation from The Famous Grouse, Ginger Grouse – an alcoholic ginger beer at 4.0% ABV available in 500 ml bottles – is designed to appeal to a younger consumer group (25-40 years) and is ideal for summer.
Riley adds: “Consumers broaden their drinks repertoire during the summer and premium spirits see greater uplifts as consumers are more likely to trade up in the warmer weather. Impulse purchases of spirits play an important role and retailers can capitalise on this by stocking a good range of well-known brands ensuring these are visible and clearly priced. Give more facings to the best-selling brands to ensure they remain available and to help the consumer find them. The majority of impulse buyers of alcohol are going to consume the product within two hours of purchasing so it’s also important to ensure that products that are consumed chilled, such as Ginger Grouse, are given chiller space.”
With drinks poured and meat and veg cooking on the barbecue, the next step for the chef is to prepare rolls and sundries to go along with the main ingredients. Again, this is an area where retailers can help – by having a strong range of bread and bakery.
Social gatherings
Guy Shepherd, Category Director, Allied Bakeries says: “Social and entertaining occasions account for 28% of all reasons for eating barbecued foods (5% more than last year), and retailers should capitalise on this trend by ensuring that they stock everything consumers need for a great barbecue – and showcasing these products with point-of-sale merchandising and cross selling with other products to drive sales.”
At the forefront of summer convenience shopping is rolls, a staple of the barbecue occasion for burgers, cold meats and salad. With 54% of all roll consumption happening at the in-home lunch and evening meal, and 73% of barbecues happening from 4-9pm, retailers should ensure they have a bakery range to meet this demand.
“Retailers might want to consider using wobblers, ears or fins in and around the chillers to remind shoppers to pick up rolls, along with their sausages or burgers, to drive basket spend across the store,” adds Shepherd.
Dual siting
Warburtons too has high hopes for summer and offers the following tips for retailers to help them take advantage. The company says that even though the vast majority of consumers enjoy eating out when the weather is good, only one in three cook on the barbecue on impulse so encouraging impulse barbecues or shorter planning, by making it easier for the shopper via secondary sitings, temporary units (FSDUs) or dual-siting, could see more occasions of good weather being taken advantage of in this way. Furthermore linking barbecues and picnics with events beyond the summer bank holidays, such as key sporting events like Wimbledon, and reflecting this in your merchandising, could open new growth opportunities to retailers. Retailers should make sure they have a strong range of relevant products stocked in preparation for such events, as well as monitoring weather forecasts and adjusting orders accordingly.
Finally, the company says that retailers can ensure they are making the most of their sales during the summer season by merchandising key products together, such as bread rolls with burgers and condiments for barbecues, and bread with sandwich fillers, snacks and fruit for picnics. Merchandising products together is a great way to take advantage of sunny weather, fulfilling shopper missions as well as driving impulse purchase.
Counting on condiments
The barbecue season also provides retailers with an opportunity to make the most of their condiments sales. By using POS near meat or bakery products, you can encourage consumers to pick up a sauce, condiment or dressing. Among the many brands vying for shelf space in this area is Encona Sauces. “These are exciting times for Caribbean food and drink,” says Lisa Leung, Brand Manager for Encona Sauces. “There is a growing consumer demand for taste experiences from around the world.
Encona’s range, which is experiencing strong growth of 20.1%, provides retailers with the perfect solution to drive incremental barbecue sales. Encona recently expanded its range with the addition of two variants: Encona West Indian Extra Hot Pepper Sauce and Encona African Peri Peri Sauce. The Peri Peri variant features a blend of African birds’ eye chillies, garlic, zesty lemon and spices. This sauce has introduced new shoppers to the range as well as appealing to existing Encona Sauces users.
The brand is also turning up the heat in the sauces category following the launch of its hottest ever SKU – Encona West Indian Extra Hot Pepper Sauce.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly adventurous with flavours, and many are seeking new levels of heat when it comes to sauces,” says Leung.
In order to guide consumers on how to use their products, Encona sauces is segmenting their range of sauces by usage occasions. This move has been guided by extensive consumer research & market trends, and will ultimately help to drive sales of the products.
Elsewhere, and in order to cater for the consumer demand for squeezy formats, Hellmann’s has launched a new packaging format that provides greater convenience and freshness, ideal for dining al fresco. The range comprises a variety of sizes that are suitable for any occasion, especially barbeques.
Haseebur Rahman, Marketing Manager for Hellmann’s: “At barbecues, we see a lot of consumers purchasing a repertoire of eating enhancers to offer a choice for themselves and their guests.”
Barbecue Facts
- The average number of barbecues held per family during the summer has risen sharply from around 2.5 around ten years ago to over 9 now
- The overall barbecue, alfresco eating and entertaining market in 2010 was worth just over £7bn, up from £150 million back in 1997
- Despite the tough economic climate, many consumers will now spend around £35 on food and drink for a barbecue, up from £19 just five years ago!
- After-work or mid-week barbecues now account for over 40% of all barbecue occasions.
- Pre-planned barbecues are changing fast, as lifestyles become more casual. Down from 70% in 2002 to fewer than 22% in 2010.
- 33% of men and 32% of women now attend between 8-9 barbecues a year.
