With many shoppers more mindful than ever about their spending, price marked packs play a vital role in maximising sales and profits, says Britvic’s Phil Sanders.
There’s no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on shopper behaviour and one of the most noticeable trends of all has been a huge increase in the importance of value to consumers – but value means different things to different shoppers.
“The pandemic and the ripple effect of economic hardship have caused considerable changes in the way consumers are behaving and valuing products,” says Phil Sanders, Out of Home Commercial Director at Britvic.
“This has altered traditional shopping missions, purchases and overall basket spend, with many people now more mindful about their spending. Looking at soft drinks specifically, sales of on-the-go formats have been impacted by lockdown as people have spent significantly more time at home.”
Looking ahead however, with the vaccination programme in full swing and the government’s roadmap offering hope of a not-too-distant return to some sort of normality, consumers will start to feel more confident about returning to variations of their old daily routines – and retailers will need to prepare accordingly.
“But as we experience a challenging ongoing financial period, shoppers will still be looking to spend wisely and PMPs can offer assurance that they are getting great value,” says Sanders. “Therefore, retailers need to be prepared for the expected recovery, by stocking cans or 500ml bottles from well known, trusted brands to help revive on-the-go sales.
Value for money
“Robinsons, for instance, the number one GB squash brand [Nielsen, Dec 2020], saw 27.0% value sales growth during the first lockdown [Nielsen, Mar 2021], showing that shoppers were not compromising on brands they know and love during the uncertain times. Offering PMPs of well-known brands provides shoppers value for money across favourites they would be looking to purchase on a regular basis. For example, retailers can stock our £1.49 price-marked 900ml bottles of Robinsons Orange, Apple & Blackcurrant and Summer Fruits squash.”
Britvic is also supporting independent retailers with a new £1 price-marked offering, updating its 500ml PMP offering to a competitive single price point of £1, across its whole no added sugar range. This range includes Pepsi MAX, Pepsi MAX Cherry & Raspberry, Diet Pepsi, 7UP Free and Tango.
“This temporary move will allow retailers to clearly communicate value to their shoppers, at a time when this is so important as a result of the pandemic,” comments Sanders. “The exciting new Tango Sugar Free Dark Berry flavour will also include this £1 price mark on pack.
“Sugar free choices are of particular importance in the fruit carbonates segment, having grown +18% in the last two years [Nielsen, Jan 2021]. As we head towards the summer, the addition of the new PMPs will also encourage impulse purchases with more people expected to be on the move.”
- Be Visible – Posting clear POS in-store and posting on social media channels can help increase basket spend. Make sure soft drinks are in a prominent location in-store, such as close to other on the go food items for smaller formats, and use gondola ends for take-home soft drinks. Restock shelves frequently to keep up with demand – any gaps in the chiller represents potential missed sales.
- Stock favourites – Shoppers are seeing more value in the familiar brands they trust. This could be down to shoppers spending less time browsing due to health and safety concerns, therefore they are defaulting to the familiar.
- Great merchandising – We recommend segmenting the chiller into four areas – carbonates, stills, energy & wellness and water & water plus. Always make sure single serve drinks are kept chilled and ready to drink straight away to drive impulse purchases from thirsty shoppers.
- Know your events – Make sure you are aware of key upcoming events, including Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and Easter. Ensure you are prepared with the right range and enough stock to keep up with demand catering for all family needs.
