After a 2020 season hit by shopping restrictions and lockdown measures, Nestlé Confectionery aims to help retailers bounce back by bringing its biggest brands to the season’s best-selling formats to create a winning spring 2021 range.
Headlining the 2021 spring range for Nestlé is the popular KITKAT Bunny. Launched in 2020, KITKAT Bunny became the No.2 impulse novelty on the market in its first year[1]. Generating sales of £3.1 million across the range of formats, its performance delivered a much-needed boost for retailers[2].
Each KITKAT Bunny bar is moulded into the shape of a cute bunny and consists of a rich chocolatey centre filled with crispy wafer pieces, all encased in a smooth milk chocolate shell. It will once again be available in multiple formats making it ideal for everything from indulgent treating and egg hunts to Easter gifting. The range includes the KITKAT Bunny impulse bar (RRP 65p), KITKAT Bunny Mini Bunnies sharing bag containing six individually wrapped bunnies (RRP £1.00), KITKAT Bunny x5 multipack (RRP £3.00) and a KITKAT Bunny Giant Easter egg complete with a KITKAT Bunny impulse bar and Mini Bunnies bag inside (RRP £7.49).
As a nation of white chocolate lovers, shoppers spend £150 million on white chocolate in the UK and Ireland each year. MILKYBAR is the No.1 white chocolate and this year is adding a brand-new seasonal launch to its portfolio[3]. MILKYBAR Bunny is a lovable white chocolate foil-wrapped bunny character. It will be available in a range of three sizes to meet different shopper needs: impulse 17g (RRP 65p), small novelty 44g (RRP £1.49) and medium novelty 88g (RRP £2.49). With a gap in the novelties category for a white chocolate product, MILKYBAR Bunny is certain to attract new shoppers and generate incremental sales.
The new launch will join the SMARTIES Bunnies range which launched in 2020 and is made up of five fun characters, each one a different colour: Cool (blue), Cute (pink), Smart (green), Happy (yellow) and Silly (orange). Each bunny comprises of a chocolate shell with mini SMARTIES inside. They are available in a range of sizes including impulse 18.5g (RRP 65p), impulse multipack (RRP £2.00), small novelty 50g (RRP £1.49) and medium novelty 94g (RRP £2.49); both ideal as ‘thinking of you’ gifts. Plus, there is also the Bunny Family Gift Pack which contains one 94g bunny and three 18.5g impulse bunnies (RRP £3.99). Both MILKYBAR and SMARTIES are big brands shoppers know and trust and these cute characters are certain to capture shoppers’ attention in store.
This year the Mini Eggs category will benefit from a brand-new launch from flagship brand KITKAT: KITKAT Mini Eggs (RRP £1.00). Each foil-wrapped egg comprises of a milk chocolate shell with a rich chocolatey centre and crunchy wafer pieces. Mini eggs make great solutions for sharing, egg hunts or creating baking masterpieces. Completing the 2021 Mini Eggs range are the popular SMARTIES Mini Eggs, MILKYBAR Mini Eggs pouches, and AERO Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs (RRP £1.00), which were launched this year.
The 2021 Nestlé range comes packed with gift-worthy eggs for all recipients and includes exciting new products from favourite brands, including two brand new giant eggs.
Capitalising on the success of SMARTIES Buttons, which launched in January 2020, is the new SMARTIES Buttons Giant Egg (RRP £7.49), which comes complete with SMARTIES Buttons pouch. SMARTIES Buttons proved an instant hit with shoppers achieving over £12 million in sales since launch[4]. The second new giant egg is the AERO Peppermint Mini Eggs Giant Egg (RRP £7.49) which comes complete with an AERO Peppermint mini eggs pouch. The actual chocolate egg is peppermint flavoured, making it the only peppermint egg available nationally.
Finally, this year KITKAT will also launch a brand-new variant of the much-loved Incredible Eggs. The KITKAT Chunky Cookie Dough Incredible Egg (RRP £12.00) comprises of a cookie dough flavoured milk chocolate egg with caramel inclusions, alongside three KITKAT Chunky Cookie Dough bars. KITKAT Chunky Cookie Dough has been a consumer favourite since the impulse bar was unveiled in 2016 becoming the biggest selling new product launch of the year[5], and this unique and exciting new product also has the mass appeal which is important to shoppers as they want to know they are buying an egg the recipient will love.
In addition, Nestlé recommends that must-stock eggs for convenience retailers are popular formats from big, well-loved brands. These include the MILKYBAR small egg (RRP £1.73) as well as medium and large eggs from KITKAT Chunky and SMARTIES. Both RRP £2.92 and RRP £5.41 respectively.
2021 will continue to see a focus on sustainability from Nestlé as part of its commitment to making 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025. This year all hollow eggs in the range will be plastic free, whilst a number of the packs in Mini Eggs range have reduced their packaging by up to 20% and this will be communicated to shoppers with an on-pack flash[6].
Seasonal occasions provide a platform on which to create magical brand experiences. Spring confectionery is also highly incremental to all-year-round confectionery. There is a strong opportunity for brands and retailers to drive growth in 2021, by ensuring the right brands are available in the right formats at the right time for the shopper. The early season remains key, with 80% of shoppers who buy in the early season returning to buy again.
[1] IRI Data to 11.04.20, performance YTD
[2] IRI Data to 11.04.20, performance YTD
[3] IRI Data 52 w/e 5th Sep 2020
[4] Total Market (IRI Extended Snack + KWP Discounters) to 10.10.20
[5] IRI Extended Snack Outlets Value Sales 52wks to 07.01.17
[6] The Mini Eggs packs which have reduced packaging for 2021 are:
Milkybar Mini Eggs 80g Pouch – reduced by 20%
Smarties Orange Mini Eggs 80g Pouch – reduced by 20%
Smarties Mini Eggs 80g Pouch – reduced by 12.5%
Please note: whilst the packaging has reduced, no product weight has been taken out of these packs.
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