Morning matters

Almost nine out of 10 people eat breakfast as a family at the weekends and over half during the week, meaning local retailers must combined a strong top-up offering with a range of food to go options for those short on time.

In convenience, breakfast shoppers fit into two missions, both of which occur at very different times of the day. Firstly, there are the shoppers buying breakfast lines to be consumed later. Then there are the shoppers looking for a breakfast-to-go option. The savvy retailer must ensure he or she keeps both happy – that means good fixtures for cereals, bread and chilled foods such as sausage and bacon, and also having a good food to go range, including breakfast biscuits as well as food prepared on the premises.

Products that are quick and easy to prepare are among the top four motivations for breakfast choice making it important for retailers to maximise this sales opportunity by focusing on the right range of convenient products.

Breakfast on the go represents a significant sales opportunity for retailers, with 104.7 million out of home breakfast occasions. Research shows that 24% of UK adults buy breakfast-to-go at least once a week with shoppers picking up two-three items on average.

That is why Quaker launched its range of Oat So Simple pots and sachets. The pots format, launched in 2011, has delivered 37% of hot cereals growth in the last three years and has attracted younger, more affluent consumers to the category.

“Core ranges contribute considerable growth to category growth so focus on best sellers and the core range such as Oat So Simple Porridge, Oat So Simple Pots and Oat So Simple Multigrain,” says Matt Goddard, Head of Impulse Field Sales, PepsiCo.

He highlights longer winter periods in the last couple of years and so encourages retailers to ensure their store has increased visibility of the Hots segment over the key winter sales period to drive growth.

Then there’s the option of meal deals. “Offer your customers a Tropicana Single Serve and Oats So Simple Pot together as a breakfast meal deal, to tap into the on the go trend,” he recommends.

Clip strips are available to site Quaker alongside Tropicana or next to hot drinks.

Launched in January 2014, Quaker Heaps of Fruit has been a major success for Quaker, driving sales of £5.3m. Quaker Heaps of Fruit marked the first Quaker launch in both sachet and pot format and delivers a unique combination of flavour, porridge and real fruit pieces, appealing to younger, more affluent consumers.

More is expected of the brand this winter. The launch of Oat So Simple Multi-grain in January has helped retailers drive sales by offering even more choice appealing to new and existing Quaker customers. Oat So Simple Multi-grain contains two new grains in addition to the traditional wholegrain Quaker oats and delivers all the benefits of multi-grain. A unique addition to the successful Quaker Oats portfolio, Oat So Simple Multi-grain provides consumers with convenience and the great taste of Quaker.

This winter will also see Hamlyns of Scotland ramping up marketing and promotional activity in support of its new Scottish Porridge Sachets and Porridge Pots.

Both new ranges are available in three varieties: Original, Golden Syrup, and Mixed Berry. Initial sales since the launch this spring have been very encouraging, and are expected to shoot up over the winter months, due both to seasonal demand and heightened awareness resulting from new trade and consumer promotions.

The company is making a significant investment in tailor-made promotions for the retail, wholesale, foodservice, and cash and carry sectors, with a wide range of alternative formats on offer.

Eye-catching consumer advertising including money-off coupons, will appear throughout the Scottish local weekly press during October, along with consumer competitions, and advertising in special interest magazines and one-off publications such as the Ryder Cup Concert programme.

John Kerr of The JFK Partnership, who are responsible for Hamlyns’ sales said: “We have been allocated a significant budget to create a strong range of tailor-made promotions, and are working with all of our customers to maximize this investment in the hot cereals months ahead.”

Hamlyns’ Managing Director, Alan Meikle added: “Everyone knows that eating porridge for breakfast is one of the best ways to start the day. With our new convenient products complementing our traditional range of Hamlyns Scottish Porridge Oats and Hamlyns Scottish Oatmeal, we now offer porridge to suit all lifestyles, and we’re looking forward to working with our sales team to build sales of both ranges over the autumn and winter months.”

Also on the hot cereals front, Ready brek is to build on its existing Easy Sachets porridge range by adding two delicious new flavours to the mix just in time for the back to school season. Available in Chocolate and Gingerbread flavour, these child-friendly smooth oat porridges are a great winter warmer and the perfect addition to any breakfast table.

Designed to appeal both to parents – looking to ensure their kids have a wholesome and nutritious start to the day – and kids who just want something tasty of a morning, the new flavours boost all of Ready brek’s nutritional credentials. Made from wholegrain oats a serving is high in fibre as well as delivering 50% RDA of Calcium and 25% RDA of Iron and Vitamins.

In addition to the launch of the two new Easy Sachet variants, Ready brek will be re-launching its Original Easy Sachet porridge. First appearing on shelves back in 2012, the porridge has proven so popular with parents and kids alike that it will be re-launched with fun new packaging to bring it in line with the rest of the range.

Caroline La Niece, Ready brek Brand Manager said, “The launch of the new Ready brek Easy Sachets reflects what we at Ready brek are all about – providing great tasting, super-smooth breakfast for kids each and every morning.”

Toasting sales

For those averse to cereal in the morning, or perhaps just short on time, toast remains an easy, filling start to the day, and it also happens to be one of a retailers’ most important categories.

Toast remains the cornerstone of any breakfast, especially for those looking for value for money – with toast featuring in over half of all of the nation’s breakfasts. Kingsmill offers a number of options for great toast, from our Soft White to Tasty Wholemeal and our market leading Kingsmill 50/50 which offers a delicious white bread with ‘hidden’ whole grain – offering busy parents an opportunity to deliver a ‘hidden’ benefit in a product their children love. Kingsmill 50/50 is the fastest selling healthier white SKU and the number one brand in Healthier White in impulse , and in the past year alone a record 100m Kingsmill 50/50 loaves were sold, representing a 24% year on year growth.

Martin Garlick, Category Director, Allied Bakeries, comments: “Breakfast is an occasion which brings families together, and bakery plays a key role. To maximise sales and drive overall basket spend retailers must make sure their range meets the needs of their shoppers, by incorporating pre-packaged sliced loaves such as Kingsmill 50/50, bakery favourites such as crumpets, pancakes & muffins and new innovations like our Kingsmill Great.”

At breakfast consumers love a slice of toast, but families also like to seek out alternatives, such as crumpets, pancakes, muffins and waffles. Products such as Kingsmill Pancakes and Muffins are often purchased on impulse or as a weekend treat. Retailers should stock these products alongside sliced bread as they are often purchased in addition to the consumer’s usual loaf, making them a great way to drive additional sales.

The Pre-Packed Bread category is currently worth £132m in Scotland and Hovis has now become the fastest growing brand in both value and volume terms.

Despite the increase in sales of wholemeal, half & half and seeded granary area, white bread, remains the largest sector delivering over half of category sales and will continue to be important for retailers to stock. Hovis research has shown white sliced toast represents 40% of bread use. In order to draw more adults back into the white bread category, Hovis has been investing in consumer education, dispelling some of the myths surrounding the health credentials of the category and focusing on the role that bread plays as part of a balanced lifestyle.

“As a brand whose heartland lies in the breakfast occasion we know how vital it is for retailers to get right. Hovis are keen to identify new and inspiring solutions which eliminate the potential of consumers skipping what is widely known as the most important meal of the day,” says Tim Dummer, Head of Customer Marketing, Hovis.

For those who have a little longer to prepare a breakfast – and for weekend shoppers, Kerry Foods has identified two trends within breakfast that retailers can capitalise on – cooked breakfasts and breakfast on the go. “The Kerry Foods portfolio offers a range of breakfast products including, Wall’s the nation’s best known sausage brand, which caters for both at home and on the go breakfast occasions,” says Richard Tyler, Customer Marketing Controller, Kerry Foods. “ The range includes sausages and bacon as well as a breakfast muffin, sausage bap and sausage roll.”

Despite the growing trend for breakfast on the go, cooked breakfasts remain a popular weekend option, with cooked breakfasts accounting for 10% of breakfast occasions every year. “Research indicates that four out of five people decide to have a cooked breakfast either on the day or the day before so retailers are advised to stock well-known breakfast brands,” adds Tyler.

Going the other way, out of home breakfast account for 19% of all breakfast occasions but make up 43% of total breakfast spend, which Tyler says shows that shoppers are willing to pay more for convenient products resulting in a boost in basket spend in store. “With 55% of consumers leaving home without breakfast on average twice a week, it is crucial for retailers to ensure that their breakfast offering caters to consumers looking to grab a tasty and convenient breakfast option,” says Tyler.

Breakfast options can also define a store’s relationship with its customers. Research demonstrates that shoppers would like a better range of bacon and sausage rolls in store and 17% of shoppers choose a store based on their range of breakfast products.

To help retailers without full food to go facilities, Wall’s launched a range of microwavable breakfast snacks. The “Ready to Eat” range, which includes a Sausage Bap and Breakfast Muffin, allows shoppers to grab and heat the products at work, school or home, offering a convenient and easy breakfast option.