The return of schools in August gives retailers the chance to review their ranges of key categories before business gets back to usual and with the opportunity to capture adult and school pupil spend, it’s a task well worth carrying out.
The easiest place to start when looking at lunchboxes is with the constituent parts of that humble but hugely popular lunchtime meal – the sandwich. “Bakery plays an essential role within the Lunchbox occasion and sandwiches remain the number one Lunchbox item,” says Martin Baptie, Category Controller, Warburtons. They’re a leading choice for parents, featuring in 84% of children’s lunchboxes and providing a versatile lunch option that children accept as a staple.”
When it comes to lunchboxes Baptie cites the company’s Half & Half range of loaves, rolls and wraps, and its Sandwich Alternatives products. “With all the taste of white bread yet providing additional nutritional benefits of Wholemeal flour, the Half & Half range is perfect for parents seeking to balance their childrens’ needs for tasty lunchtime options with their own desire to ensure they are eating healthily,” he says.
He also recommends “day part displays”, which help put suitable products in shoppers’ paths at the most appropriate time, making the most efficient use of what can be quite limited space in store. “Within Lunchbox, Sandwich Alternatives such as Wraps and Pittas merchandised with sandwich fillings provide inspiration and a complete solution for customers looking for a more interesting and varied lunch for their children,” he says.
The company will be supporting these brands with a multi-million campaign that began last month.
Guy Shepherd, Category Director, Allied Bakeries points out that sandwiches account for 50% of bread consumption, which makes sliced bread a fundamental for retailers to get right. He says: “Convenience stores need to ensure they also offer a variety of loaves for consumers, in order to cater for their different tastes and preferences.”
Shepherd adds that it’s not just children’s lunchboxes that provide opportunities for retailers. “With the economic climate still turbulent, there’s an ongoing trend of adults preparing packed lunches, in an effort to drive down their outgoing costs on pre-packaged sandwiches and snacks.”
So there it is, both adults and children can benefit from your bakery selection, if you get it right. In turn, you’ll benefit from their spending.
Back at Warburtons and Baptie also encourages retailers to cross-promote within the lunch mission. “Merchandising key Bakery products within Lunch with associated products from other categories, such as ambient and fresh, will certainly help unlock the full potential of the occasion,” he says.
In the chiller
Baptie’s point is key: the lunchbox mission will see customers moving throughout the store for different products. Sandwich ingredients being one of the key ones. Richard Tyler, Customer Marketing Controller, Kerry Foods, says: “The decision on what to put into your kids lunchbox is dependent on school rules, fridge availability and promotions. However, parents ensure that the following is in a lunchbox, a sandwich, savoury accompaniment i.e. Cheese snack, healthy dessert, sweet treat and a drink. Retailers are recommended to cross merchandise these items making it easier for parents to find and in turn drive increased basket spend.”
Kerry’s Cheesestrings brand adds another dimension to this with its role as a cheese snack. Currently, 7% of lunchboxes contain a cheese snack, and Tyler says Kerry Foods is committed to engaging new consumers and offering a variety to the lunchbox occasion. Another option here is Mini Babybel, which is growing 10.6% in value and 11.6% in volume.
Yogurts are another healthier addition to the lunchboxes of all ages. The Kids Corner range from Müller Dairy is available in 4-pot multipacks and all varities in the range carry reassuring messaging for consumers including: 20% calcium RDA (in every pot), Great for Healthy bones; and no artificial colours, preservatives or sweeteners.
After hours
At Kerry Foods, the company says there are three opportunities for the back to school audience: lunchtime, dinner time and after-school snacking. “Over recent years the snacking occasion has expanded into more diverse occasions such as after school,” says Tyler. He adds that research has shown 46% of kids snack between 3-4pm, highlighting an opportunity for retailers to ensure good availability of snacks. He adds: “The after school snacking category is traditionally dominated by crisps, fruit, and cheese to biscuits to cocktail sausages. However, parents increasingly want healthier snacking options, recognising that protein fills you up for longer and that Fridge Raiders delivers against that.”
Liquid assets
As well as making sure food to go options are readily available, retailers also need to ensure that their drinks fridges are fully stocked for thirsty consumers. For retailers looking to maximse on lunchtime offerings, there is a huge opportunity to increase sales with snacks through link purchases and meal deals. Coca-Cola Enterprises is one company that actively works with retailers to encourage meal, snack and link deal trials across soft drinks, sandwiches, crisps and bake off goods.
Currently 70% of shoppers only buy into one lunch category such as sandwiches. The key reason for shoppers not buying into meal deals during lunchtime is that they don’t notice them in-store and they are looking for quick, ‘grab and go’ food, so offers and deals therefore must be clearly communicated to be effective. Additionally, almost 90% of shoppers say meal deal items must be positioned together to further encourage purchase – ideally in a dedicated bay.
At CCE, Oasis is responding to consumer demand for tropical flavours with its new flavour launch. Mango Medley has been developed following extensive research and consumer feedback, especially among the core target audience of 16-24 year olds. Available from May, the launch of 500ml Oasis Mango Medley is part of a wider brand refresh that sees new striking graphics across the Oasis range.
Glacéau Vitaminwater is also growing well ahead of the sector, at 23.6% (3.9% in Impulse), driven by an increasing desire from consumers for brands with functional benefits that also deliver on taste. These factors have generated large incremental sales and retailers should be aware that consumers are buying more functional drinks to fit in with their ever-changing and busy lifestyles.
Also available – and one more in line with the children’s market is Capri-Sun. This month, Capri-Sun’s 10-pack range will offer the chance to win an exclusive family holiday for four to Universal Orlando Resort in Florida to celebrate the brand’s partnership with Despicable Me 2. The brand is also offering the chance to download a child goes free with every full paying adult voucher to a number of family-friendly locations across the UK.
AG Barr is another that caters for the children’s lunchbox market with its Simply Fruity range, which is the fastest growing kid’s fruit drinks brand, delivering an impressive increase of +36% YOY, ahead of the fruit drinks market which is growing at +1% YOY. Simply Fruity is a competitive range of kids’ drinks available in convenient 330ml bottles with sports caps.
AG Barr’s Head of Marketing Adrian Troy, says: “Shoppers are continuing to seek products which deliver on ‘value’ but don’t compromise on quality and taste. The Simply Fruity range meets this demand perfectly and therefore has great appeal for mum’s shopping for the kids’ lunchbox occasion.”
Another popular soft drink for both children and adults is Strathmore Twist, a pure Scottish water with a twist of natural fruit flavour, is a trusted quality beverage. Available in Blackberry & Strawberry and Lemon & Lime flavours, it offers retailers a simple way to boost their profits.
Five a day
On the children’s front, Britvic offers up Fruit Shoot My 5, which clearly communicates the ‘1 of your 5 a day’ message, and Fruit Shoot Hydro. And as Nigel Paine, Commercial Director – Impulse at Britvic highlights, while the main components of children’s lunchboxes are typically chosen by adults, it is important that they are still appealing for children. He says: “Of course, the lunchtime occasion is not just for children, with many adults also choosing to take packed lunches to work or pick up items whilst on-the-go. At Britvic we are committed to playing our part in helping to address health issues and, we have made huge inroads in lowering the calorie content of our drinks. However, we do believe that consumer choice is important and have to acknowledge that some consumers prefer products sweetened with sugar, as opposed to sweeteners and we provide soft drinks to meet all consumer needs. To make this clear we provide nutritional information on packs so that consumers can make an informed choice.”
A busy end to the summer is planned at Britvic. For starters, Robinsons Fruit Shoot has partnered with Nickelodeon on its latest campaign appropriately called ‘Get Your Skills On’. The activity includes TV advertising and media partnerships with Nickelodeon, an on-pack promotion, an experiential roadshow as well as PR and social media.
Media campaigns for Lipton and J2O are also underway. The company also recently launched a J2O fridge-pack containing 6 x 250ml slimline cans, which is a strong proposition for lunchtimes.
Emma Hunt, Marketing Manager, Vimto Soft Drinks, adds: “Healthy lunches and snacks are still a priority for parents when planning their children’s lunchbox.
Vimto research found the lunchbox was an area where mums felt they could control their child’s consumption and have an influence on what they ate and drank. “Parents want to play an active role in ensuring their children have a balanced diet and want to set a good example so their children understand the need to maintain a healthy active lifestyle. It is therefore important that retailers provide their customers with a choice of healthy products in store.”
The company also looks after the Weight Watchers range of soft drinks and has introduced flavours Brazilian Orange, Mango and Watermelon flavour 500ml RTD. Likewise, the Levi Roots 500ml RTDs, Caribbean Crush and the new variant Tropical Punch, are popular with consumers, with the whole range reaching a value of over £3.5m.
Savouring snacktimes
Beyond the sandwich that is at the heart of most lunchboxes, a range of savoury or sweet snacks can round off lunch perfectly. This presents a key opportunity for convenience retailers to grow their sales by stocking up on multipacks of bagged snacks and biscuits. Offerings from United Biscuits include Mini Cheddars and McVitie’s Penguins.
Savoury biscuits are now included in more lunchboxes than ever before as a result of the increasing number of meal occasions where they are enjoyed or eaten as an alternative to bread. Jacob’s Cream Crackers or Jacob’s Flatbreads topped with cheese continue to be popular. Jacob’s Flatbreads are available in Salt & Cracked Black Pepper and Mixed Seeds in 150g cartons.
More consumers are now also looking to savoury snacks as an alternative to sweet biscuits in a lunchbox. This is backed by figures that highlight Mini Cheddars Multipacks are driving growth into the Lunchbox category and up 42% vs last year. Similarly, including a bag of Jacob’s Oddities in a lunchbox as opposed to a packet of crisps can add variety to a lunchbox. Mini Cheddars and Jacob’s Oddities are available in multipacks of 7 x 25g bags and 5 x 25g bags respectively, and in handypacks.
Seal the deal
Preparing lunch needs care if that sandwich is going to last until lunchtime and 151 Products has developed two new lunchbox products suitable for the back-to-school and desk-side lunch market.
Pop-up foil sheets and reusable food tubs, with separator compartments, have both been added to 151 Products’ plastic and foil range – Sealapack – which has remained a firm favourite with retailers for more than 10 years.
The new plastic and foil products are also suitable for retailers to stock following demand from consumers who are embracing the ‘al-desco’ trend of eating lunch at their desks at work.
Developed in-house by 151 Products’, the pop-up foil sheets require no tearing and are individually pre-cut for ease-of-use. The sheets have been precisely measured (35cm x 27cm) to provide a tight seal and discourage waste.
Sealapack pop-up foil sheets are available in packs of 20 (rrp £1.49) and are stored in a cardboard box with a perforated strip to dispense. Retailers are able to stock the new range now.
New lunch box designs have also been added to Sealapack’s reusable tub range. Plastic containers with additional compartments, to separate food types, will offer their customers an easier and price-friendly way to keep food fresh until lunchtime.
Lunch Box Merchandising Tips
- Keep chilled & offer value – Chilled packs are more than likely to fly off the shelves while two facings per line ensure visibility and price marked packs demonstrate good value
- Popular flavours and range – Most importantly, make sure you stock the most popular flavours because taste is the key reason why children and adults buy a product. Consider new trends and products
- Location in store – Stock near the front of store to take advantage of the impulse purchase occasion and ensure display is fully stocked at all times as failed purchases are due to poor availability
- Pack sizes – For larger stores consider multi-pack formats that allow shoppers to stock up for the lunch box occasion for a whole week
- Bring displays to life – A range of display solutions that will help retailers increase visibility and availability of key sellers.
