Clare Scallon, Marketing Manager for Tayto, the market leaders in pork snacks with Mr. Porky (No.1 brand) and Midlands Snacks (No. 2 brand), spoke to Wholesale Manager.
What makes pork scratchings such a uniquely British snack?
This humble snack originated in the Black Country in the 19th Century where families kept pigs at home. Every part of the pig was used with the rind being made into scratchings. Over time this moreish snack – with its salty taste and unique combination of hard crunch and soft layer of fat – started to be sold in pubs where the taste and texture are the perfect partner to a pint (or glass) of your favourite tipple… making it the ultimate pub snack.
So why should independent retailers stock pork scratchings?
Whilst scratchings are closely associated with the pub, more scratchings are actually sold in shops than in pubs. Many consumers talk about buying scratchings ‘at the offie’, meaning their local convenience store or forecourt. This means that independent retailers are perfectly placed to pick up these incremental VAT-free impulse purchases. However, our research tells us that 45% of stores that stock crisps and snacks, don’t stock pork snacks. These retailers are missing out on a sales potential of over £6m pa between them.
Where is the best place to site pork scratchings in-store?
Looking at shopper missions, there are three key places to locate pork snacks in a typical convenience store.
Firstly, site them alongside salted nuts (another pub snack favourite) and your main crisps and snacks display.
Secondly, given over 80% of pork snacks are consumed with a drink, hanging clipstrips with BWS will capture high profit, VAT-free impulse sales. All of Tayto’s leading products from Mr. Porky and Midland Snacks are available as clipstrips enabling retailers to capture these sales without taking up precious shelf or floor space.
Finally, locating pork snacks near the till provides a final opportunity to purchase. Pubcards are the perfect solution as they are highly visible and prompt fond memories of the pub for those who have picked up their beer and wine – and are about to take the pub taste home.
Which pork snacks should you stock?
Stocking proven sellers from leading brands is crucial for maximising incremental impulse sales. With the top pork snack brands, Tayto has the perfect line-up:
Mr. Porky Original Scratchings is Britain’s best-selling scratching from the No.1 brand. The gold pack is instantly recognisable and is a Great Taste award winner.
Midlands Snacks Traditional Hand Cooked Scratchings is another Great Taste award winner. Midland Snacks is the market’s No.2 brand, and in convenience channel, the No1 selling brand. Midland Snacks is our best-selling pubcard and is also a great space saving format – nothing quite shouts ‘pub snack’ as a pubcard… and it’s great at driving impulse sales.
For those looking for an easier eat Mr. Porky Crispy Strips with its lighter bite, similar to crispy bacon rind, is the perfect solution. With the same rich, porky flavour synonymous with the brand… it’s another Great Taste award winner.
How are you supporting your brand this year?
Having invested in the biggest ever advertising campaign for pork snacks in 2021, we are continuing to support the category with campaigns throughout 2022 across social and digital to remind consumers that ‘There is no matching a scratching’. We’re also focusing on working with our wholesale partners to maximise pork snacks sales by ensuring that they have the right range covering the top brands in the right formats – on shelf, clipstrips and pubcards – so that independent retailers can benefit from the high margin, VAT-free sales on offer.
How do you work with wholesalers to help them grow their business?
We overtrade in the Wholesale channel and so, have a dedicated team to support and advise wholesalers. With a unique range of snacks from market-leading pork snacks brands (Mr. Porky and Midland Snacks) to the premium foodservice-exclusive REAL Hand Cooked crisps to Golden Wonder (with its legendary great branded taste and value), Tayto has Snacking Sorted!
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