Co-op new home baking range

The Co-operative Food has announced plans for a new range of home-baking products, which will see it offer cake and bread pre-mixes. Available from 30 September, the range is made from 100% British flour, and includes easy-to-follow recipes. Each mix requires only the addition of water, eggs and butter. Products include: - Chocolate Fudge Cupcake Mix (322g, £1.99) - Rocky Road Traybake Mix (530g, £2.99) - Wholemeal Bread Mix (500g, £0.92) - Malted Brown Bread Mix (500g, £0.92) - White Bread Mix (500g, £0.92). The new additions will join The Co-operative’s existing home-baking range, which includes its own-brand Double Chocolate Cake Mix, Fairy Cake Mix, Double Chocolate Muffin Mix and Luxury Sponge Mix. Source: NamNews - Thursday 29th August 2013

What will become of the humble lunchbox?

Last week the government called upon head-teachers to ban lunchboxes and encourage children to eat free school dinners instead, claiming they are consistently less nutritious and contribute to the 20% of children who leave primary school obese.

The recent government commissioned report by Leon restaurant chain founders Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent found that just 1% of packed lunches were as nutritious as school meals.

Findings in the latest Kantor data apparently show that healthy elements such as fruit and yoghurt have seen a slide in their category share, whilst products such as biscuits, crisps and pastry products have all seen a rise.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Jamie Oliver was all over British TV screens telling us all how unhealthy school dinners were. The infamous ‘Turkey Twizzlers’ – the poster child of the school dinner campaign – proved to all of us that most school dinners were inadequate in terms of nutritional value.

No doubt, many parents heeded this advice and likely invested in lunchbox staples to give their children a more balanced alternative. But we are now informed that the humble lunchbox is the new villain in town – or more to the point – the products inside.

Last year there were 4.2 billion lunchbox occasions, an absolutely huge market. Children’s lunchboxes make up 29% of this market – so you can see what a ban on packed lunches would mean to kid’s lunchbox brands

But before any talk of blanket bans take place, lunchbox consumption amongst children is already down 2.1% over the last year. Perhaps even more telling is the 9.2% slump amongst primary school children. Without wanting to ring too many alarm bells – something needs to be done to address this before it is too late.

Asda’s soft drinks manager Steve Newbould, who has accused suppliers of letting down Asda’s mums asks: “Why are we still seeing kids’ lunchbox items with extra sugar in? Why aren’t we taking it out?” he demanded. “The lunchbox offer doesn’t meet our customers’ needs.”

It is an interesting point – what are customer’s needs?

Many lunchbox brands have diversified their offerings, with smaller ‘snack pack’ varieties. These allow parents to control portion sizes, and subsequent calorie intake.

Burton’s Biscuit brand, Wagon Wheels was re-launched with a new pack design and improved recipe in 2012 and have seen sales rise 75.5%
However, calorie control and nutrition are 2 very separate issues. Given that the government focus is firmly focused on nutrition, it seems that many lunchbox brands have a job on their hands to convince the powers that be otherwise.

The fastest growing of the top 10 lunchbox foods are cereal bars – up 7.4% in the last 12 months and probably the most biggest indicator for changing lunchbox habits as people try to shift their consumption to healthier choices.
Natural balance foods says that sales of its Nakd brand are up a whopping 57%
So a shift is certainly happening – but it will be a challenge for biscuit, cake and chocolate brands to demonstrate their ‘healthier’ credentials.

Given the size of the kids lunchbox market – over 1 billion lunchbox occasions each year – lunchbox brands need to work hard to battle such damning recommendations.

If health is the most important factor that drives consumption (25.3% of food choices) then brands must play on these. They need to communicate to both parents and the government that their products offer more than just taste and convenience. They need to prove to everybody that they have put the health of their customers first.

To achieve this – lunchbox brands will need to do more than create smaller pack sizes. they need to demonstrate their credentials and focus on offering greater levels of nutrition and overall health and wellbeing.

Price promotions alone simply will not cut it. More ambitious plans are needed when the government is talking about banning lunchboxes altogether. Brands need to create and develop brand experiences that show a caring side, a human side to what they do and offer.

There are plenty of opportunities for brands to show their concern for children’s well-being and it doesn’t need to happen in front of a supermarket either.
 
All over the country, children events and activity centres offer brands an opportunity to engage with both parents and children alike.

By taking their marketing away from heavily competitive environments, they can stand out and be heard. The key here is achieving positive word of mouth on and offline.

By sponsoring family events and occasions, brands can truly communicate to a captive audience of their ideal target audience. They can own the occasion and, if they can do this – they have a shot at owning future purchasing decisions.


Source: hotcow.co.uk, 22nd July 2013

Why kids'packed lunched are the next marketing battle

 

The debate around healthy school lunches means that the lunchbox is the latest marketing battleground, writes David Howard, head of planning, Fold7.

Watch out for that back-to-school feeling which should sneak up on you any day now. The Government is already getting the jump on it with its new back-to-school campaign telling us to put down the ice creams and barbecued sausage meat.

The new Change4Life ads are encouraging people to stop the bad habits accumulated over the summer and prepare to do healthy stuff, like walk to school and pack a nutritional lunch. However, the current debate over just what constitutes a healthy school lunch has turned the lowly lunchbox into the new middle-class battleground. Tupperware has gone from something to house some sweaty egg sandwiches, to a public showcase for the nutritional values of your household.

Foodie revolution

After a foodie revolution led from the front by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, many share a new obsession with (or at least acute awareness of) the nutritional values of the food we eat. Cue a flurry of food advertisers tripping over themselves to make, occasionally dubious, nutritional claims about their products.

However, a relatively inoffensive ham roll and an apple just won’t cut it at some schools. Quinoa, gravlax, and coconut water are the staples of that new must-have item - the aspirational lunchbox. That’s not to say that competitive middle class parents, affluent enough to do their grocery shop in Whole Foods without taking out a second mortgage, are the sole driving force behind this.

Schools seem to be taking more interest in the contents of pupils’ lunchboxes than the content of their minds at the moment. The proliferation of ‘lunchbox competitions’ in schools, rewarding pupils with the most nutritional lunch, has turned the lunch break - a time which should be devoted to messing about - into yet another test.

With this in mind, the Government’s latest Big-Brother-esque decree on our consumption habits might come as light relief to some. Recently, Number 10 announced that packed lunches could be banned and pupils barred from leaving school during the lunch breaks to buy junk food, under a plan to increase the take up of school meals. The plan also includes making school meals a bit more palatable.

Packed lunches

But, as Joni Mitchell pointed out, we don’t know what we got till it’s gone. Making packed lunches might be a tedious task but it’s an age-old one. It would be nice to think that our kids will have to suffer the daily challenge of coming up with a school lunch every morning when they have children of their own.

Where the Government is not overstepping the mark however, is in its plans for a new unhealthy food marketing code. The Department of Health is drawing up a code of conduct that will restrict multi-buy promotions of junk or less healthy food, and coming up with a percentage of marketing spend that should be invested in healthier foods. The plans are a step forward that advertisers would do well to support.

Stressed-out and cash-strapped parents need all the help that they can get to restrict the amount of junk food their kids are consuming. Food advertisers can and should be investing in initiatives that make the healthier choice the easier choice.

Perhaps we can also look forward to a day when healthy food options no longer cost us a lean and well-toned arm and leg.


Source: 27 August 2013 by David Howard, 
http://m.campaignlive.co.uk/article/1208553/why-kids-packed-lunches-next-marketing-battle

Newburn Bakehouse secures listings in Tesco

 

Newburn Bakehouse, Warburtons' dedicated gluten- and wheat-free brand, has secured listings in 1,500 Tesco Express stores in the UK.

The range will be sited on a new dedicated shelf within the main bakery fixture of Tesco Express stores, a first for the supermarket chain.

Chris Hook, director of Newburn Bakehouse by Warburtons, said: "This level of distribution within the convenience sector is a substantial achievement for the free-from industry. With a 28% year-on-year market growth for free-from bakery availability is key, our expansion is important in order to meet consumer demand for great-tasting free-from food."

Source: FoodBev.com, Shaun Weston, 5th September 2013

Tesco re-launch of Finest range

Tesco has begun the revamp of its top-tier Finest own label range, as part of its strategy to boost the profile of the brand and raise perceptions of the quality of its food among consumers. . Whilst still at the early stages, new packaging has been rolled out to a number of Finest products, including yoghurts. The revamp includes refreshed imagery on the packaging and a change to the Finest logo to make all the letters lower case. To support the revamp, Tesco last month signed a deal for the brand to sponsor the upcoming series of ITV’s hit drama Downton Abbey. The deal will run throughout the fourth series across broadcast, mobile and online platforms. A Tesco spokesperson said: “Customers have noticed new packaging in store. Along with the Downton Abbey opportunity, this is part of exciting things to come [for Finest].” Tesco’s own label offer is important part of its ongoing recovery strategy. The group has already revamped its basic range from ‘Tesco Value’ to ‘Everyday Value’ NamNews - Thursday 5th September 2013

Co-op plans for new home baking range

The Co-operative Food has announced plans for a new range of home-baking products, which will see it offer cake and bread pre-mixes. Available from 30 September, the range is made from 100% British flour, and includes easy-to-follow recipes. Each mix requires only the addition of water, eggs and butter. Products include the Chocolate Fudge Cupcake Mix (322g, £1.99), Rocky Road Traybake Mix (530g, £2.99), Wholemeal Bread Mix (500g, £0.92), Malted Brown Bread Mix (500g, £0.92), and White Bread Mix (500g, £0.92). The new additions will join The Co-operative’s existing home-baking range, which includes its own-brand Double Chocolate Cake Mix, Fairy Cake Mix, Double Chocolate Muffin Mix and Luxury Sponge Mix. NamNews - Thursday 29th August 2013

When less is not more....

 

The mismatch tends to happen when supermarkets cut the price of small packs for a temporary promotion – or to match reductions at a rival. Whilst the mix-ups are understandable, the real issues are the impact on the savvy consumer-shopper and probable distortion of demand.

However, apart from an inevitable spike in small-pack sales for the duration of the price-cut, retailers need to monitor the effect of the resulting suspicion and lack of trust in terms of impact on shopping behaviour for the remainder of the shopping trip.

For suppliers, the issue is more about the extent to which the shopper blames the brand, rather than the store...
…and since you are probably picking up the promotion-tab, perhaps it is time to add multi-size analysis of unit prices to your promotional checklist in assessing the ROI on the initiative…?

 

 

Product	Store	Big pack	Small pack
Cathedral City Cheddar	Asda	£6.98 (2x 350g)	£2.00 (350g)
PG Tips tea bags	Asda	£4.68 (160)	£2.00 (80)
Nescafe coffee	Asda	£11.50 (500g)	£5.00 (300g)
Clover spread	Asda	£3.70 (1kg)	£1.00 (500g)
Loyd Grossman Sauce	Tesco	£2.79 (660g)	£1.00 (350g)
Napolina Olive Oil	Tesco	£6.49 (1 ltr)	£3.00 (500ml)
Mild cheddar	Sainsbury’s	£3.10 (400g)	£2.05 (270g)
Filippo Berio Olive Oil	Waitrose	£7.59 (1 ltr)	£5.49 (750ml)
Absolut vodka	Waitrose	£19.60 (700ml)	£9.00 (350ml)
Scottish Still Water	Sainsbury's	79p (750ml)	45p (500ml)

Table source: Daily Mail surey

 Source: NamNews, Thursday, 29 August 2013

Own Label retailer share of range - Brandview analysis

 

Brand View has recently conducted an analysis looking at the proportion of lines which are Own Label split by retailer and category area.

Share of Range by Category Area

The table below details the percentage of products which are Own Label, broken out by retailer and details where the percentage has gone up or down year-on-year.

Own Label Range Mix

In each of the individual categories the proportion of Own Label products was strikingly similar across all retailers. Based on the average of categories selected, Sainsbury’s had a slightly higher proportion of Own Label to that of its competitors with 24 per cent of lines being Own Label, versus 23 per cent in Tesco, and 22 per cent in Asda and Morrisons.


Source: Brandbank, June 2013

Kantar Worldpanel, 12 w.e 18.08.2013: Sainsbury’s, Waitrose And Discounters Continue Strong Growth - Kantar Worldpanel

 

Latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 18 August show Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and the discounters continuing to outperform their larger rivals. . Sainsbury’s continued to grow ahead of the market over the period, achieving sales growth of 4.9% with it being the only one of the big four supermarkets to make market share gains. Kantar Worldpanel said that the chain benefitted from its support of the Paralympics last year and its growth has continued since then, particularly in the convenience sector. Among the other big four, Asda saw a slower performance than in previous months but it remains the number two grocer with 17.1% of the market. Morrison’s continued to struggle with its market share down to 11.3% from 11.5% last year, although it posted sales growth of 1.8%. Meanwhile, Tesco recorded a fall in market share from 30.9% to 30.2% as it faced challenges from the discounters as well as key rivals. Sainsbury’s stepped up its attack on Tesco’s price matching scheme ‘Price Promise’ in the period. It launched a campaign trumpeting the transparency of its own “Brand Match” scheme last month that claimed it makes fairer and clearer price comparisons than Tesco. It has also been running a separate press campaign highlighting its value message. Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl continued to steal shoppers from larger rivals with strong sales growth well above the market average at 9.1%, 31.9% and 14.9% respectively. Aldi and Lidl maintained a record market share for the discount sector at 6.8%, with respective shares of 3.7% and 3.1% as some cash-strapped consumers continued to seek better value in their weekly grocery shop. Kantar Worldpanel added that by its measure, grocery inflation during the period remained at 3.9%. These findings are based on Kantar Worldpanel data for the 12 weeks to 18 August 2013. Kantar Worldpanel monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 30,000 demographically representative households in Great Britain. All data discussed in the above announcement is based on the value of items being bought by these consumers. Source: NamNews - Thursday 29th August 2013

"Cronut" fuels continuing demand for high quality patisserie

As has been well documented, high quality patisserie has been one of the sectors to enjoy continued growth throughout the recession. Patisserie falls into the category of the affordable treat, and is the last luxury that consumers are willing to give up.

   

The “cronut” – a cross between a doughnut and a croissant – is the latest on-trend patisserie product. 
Launched on May 10 this year, by pastry chef Dominique Ansel in his Soho bakery in New York City, with an almost fabled product development history (taking 2 months and more than 10 recipes), the cronut sells for $5 each and there are queues from 4am every day to purchase. There is also a thriving black market in resales at up to 10 times the original price and the bakery has now set a limit of 3 units per day per customer. 

The cronut can be topped, filled or cut in half and used as a sandwich.
Cronuts have now officially entered the international dessert lexicon (Ansel has trademarked the name), and imitators will have to find new descriptors for their baking hybrids. 

As reported in the British Baker and Foodwatching, the cronut has now arrived in London with a number of outlets introducing their own versions such as the “dosant”, selling for £9 at the Duck and Waffle restaurant in the City. 

Taking the hybrid trend a step further, Bea Vo of London Bakery Beas of Bloomsbury has also created the duffin (doughnut/muffin), muggel (muffin/bagel), a waggle (waffle/bagel) and a townie (tart/brownie)!

 

Source: Orla Donohoe, Food and Beverage Division, Bord Bia – Irish Food Board
30/08/2013