The Big Night In occasion remains as popular as ever, particularly as consumers continue to manage their spend.
Savoury snacking represents a strong opportunity for wholesalers looking to maximise their Big Night In sales.
Nights in are often planned in advance, with 83% of purchases in the occasion pre-planned (Bolt).
“This brings a massive opportunity for retailers to gear their displays towards the Big Night In occasion, especially towards the end of the week when more nights in take place,” comments Nic Storey, Senior Impulse Sales Director at PepsiCo. “As 84% of night in occasions are enjoyed with beverages, there’s a clear opportunity for retailers to drive cross-category sales and tailor their displays and promotions (Bolt Tracking).
Walkers is well placed to help retailers tap into snacking occasions like the Big Night In and offer retailers a wide range of savoury snacking options that can complete the customer experience.”
Enjoyment is the number one driver of choice when buying crisps and snacks (Kantar), so offering not just well-loved core brands but also a wide range of bold and different flavours will appeal to consumers looking for excitement and help to maximise sales.
To cater to this demand, PepsiCo has launched a number of taste-led NPD over the last year, including Doritos Loaded Pepperoni Pizza flavours, Burger King Flame Grilled Whopper® Doritos and Walkers MAX Strong Hot Sauce Blaze and Fiery Prawn Cocktail – all of which are full of flavour but also non-HFSS.
Earlier in the year, Doritos, the number one tortilla chip brand in the UK (Nielsen), and Burger King®, home of the Whopper®, launched Flame-Grilled-Whopper® flavour Doritos. Tapping into consumer needs for bolder flavours and taste experiences, the new snacks offer an uncanny likeness to The Whopper® and its iconic flavour, whilst being non-HFSS.
Health has become a more important purchase driver since the pandemic, and is the fourth most important need for snack shoppers (Kantar). With health a rising consideration, shoppers are looking for their favourite flavours while choosing smarter snacking options.
“Through some of our most recent innovation we’ve been able to maximise taste through some of the nation’s favourite brands,” adds Storey. “By stocking non-HFSS products like our Walkers 45% Less Salt, Doritos Dippers and PopWorks ranges, retailers can also effectively merchandise end of aisles to tap into demand these products and still offer punchy and popular flavours.”
Helping to support choice so that consumers can maintain balance and retailers can cater to this demand is crucial.
“As Walkers is Britain’s number one crisp brand within the Savoury Snacks Category, we feel that we have an important role to play in this,” says Storey. “As a category leader, we have made a significant shift in the last 12 months after transforming our snacks portfolio. Last year, the challenge that the HFSS regulations brought to light was not just to adapt to offer consumers smarter snacking choices, but how to do this while still retaining the iconic taste that our brands are known for.”
In April 2022, PepsiCo set out an ambition to make 50% of its snack sales come from healthier alternatives by 2025, targeting 30% to come from products that do not classify as HFSS and 20% from snacks sold in portions of 100 calories or less per packet. The company is now over halfway to reaching this goal, after only a year into an initial three-year investment of £35million to drive product innovation and reformulation.
Two-thirds of all new products launched last year were not classified as HFSS, highlighting how the brand is catering to those who are seeking smarter snacking choices.
A major step towards this was seen in March 2022, with the launch of Walkers 45% Less Salt. As a result, Walkers 45% Less Salt is performing incredibly well in the market – 16.7% of households in the UK stock the crisps in their kitchen cupboards, making the range one of Walkers’ top new NPD launches in 2022 (Kantar).
Mark Frossell, Senior National Account Manager at St Pierre Groupe, comments on behalf of Baker Street: “The cost-of-living crisis is leading to people staying in rather than going out and looking for food for these occasions that delivers on taste and quality and presents value for money. The Big Night In category is set to benefit from the increasing popularity of more substantial Big Night In meals, such as burgers and hot dogs – driven, in part, by the rise in ‘Americana-style’ dishes on menus across the UK.”
Consumers are looking for quick and easy ways to create ‘fakeaway’ favourites. Baker Street’s range of Burger Buns and Hot Dog Rolls are ideal for consumers looking to recreate classic burgers and hot dogs, served with a variety of toppings. Baker Street’s recipes have been specifically developed for this purpose – with burger buns ‘built for burgers’ and hot dog rolls ‘ready to handle’ the load.
The past few years have taught consumers how to make the most of at-home events and as the difficult economic situation continues, it’s all about ‘levelling up,’ taking hosting to new levels.
Josh Corrigan, Customer Development Director, UK at St Pierre Groupe comments on behalf of the St Pierre brand: “Wholesalers should help retailers capitalise on the shopper trends of treating themselves well at home rather than going out, and affordable premiumisation for their Big Night In, by offering more premium lines instead of everyday staples. Wholesalers need to help retailers make sure they’re stocking a range of products that offer quick, convenient, and indulgent wins for these occasions, for consumers to enjoy in the comfort of their homes.”
Bakery is one of the most important categories that make up the Big Night In opportunity, and brioche buns and rolls play a major part. St Pierre is now established as the brand leader in brioche, with a 47 per cent share. Having more than doubled sales in the last 52 weeks (Nielsen Data – L52 Weeks to w/e 13.3.23), St Pierre is responsible for 84 per cent of category growth.
“Value brands that offer lower price options are taking an increasing share of Big Night In sales in many categories,” adds Corrigan. “However, discerning shoppers are also looking for “value brands” of another kind. These are a little more expensive than the standard offer, but deliver great value for money, like St Pierre, with its market leading brioche buns and rolls.”
Consumers are increasingly looking for Big Night In products that deliver affordable indulgence, from reliable brands they know which make them feel comfortable about spending that bit more to make it a special occasion.
“In the bakery category, wholesalers can easily cater for this demand with St Pierre’s brioche products, which help their retailer customers ‘upgrade’ their bakery offerings from traditional staples to something more premium,” says Corrigan.
“The big consumer trend wholesalers should be aware of is premiumisation,” Corrigan advises. “The trend for affordable premiumisation continues to grow, so savvy wholesalers should offer a broad range of Big Night In options across the categories that meet the demand. With the cost-of-living crisis impacting consumer’s shopping habits, Big Nights In offer an affordable alternative to going out, and people hosting a Big Night In still want the food they serve to impress. For retailers, and the wholesalers that supply them, offering an upgrade to standard bakery – such as through St Pierre’s brioche products – is one way to ensure shoppers can achieve this, in the case of St Pierre by providing an ideal base for enhancing burger and hot dog recipes.”
Rachel Wells, UK Sales Director, St Pierre Groupe, comments: “The current financial climate means that retailers and wholesalers alike, are set to enjoy increased Big Night In sales, by focusing on key categories like bakery, and brands like St Pierre and Baker Street and SKU’s that perform well.”
During the pandemic, people couldn’t eat out like they were used to doing, which resulted in a trend towards premium brands overall. That’s been good news for wholesalers and their retailer customers, because it’s meant bigger spends and margins for entertaining at home, and this remains true in the current climate as people become more discerning with their spending.
“At St Pierre Groupe, we pride ourselves on offering premium brands and consistent quality, with extended shelf life that guarantees availability and reduces wastage for retailers and the wholesalers who supply them,” adds Wells.
St Pierre Groupe is the fastest growing bakery supplier in the top 10 and is the fifth largest in the UK, with sales growing 49 per cent in L52 weeks and 53 per cent in the L12 (Nielsen to 3rd June 2023).
“In bakery, we recommend stocking a variety of complementary products, that retailers can offer shoppers to ‘elevate’ their regular offering,” says Wells. “Bakery products that provide long-life, multi-pack formats, like those from St Pierre and Baker Street, can also help to reduce food waste, which is key for retailers and operators alike.”
The St Pierre Groupe brand portfolio includes number one brioche brand, St Pierre, long life bakery name, Baker Street and part-baked category leader, Paul Hollywood. Its brands all benefit from extended life which has boosted success in the wholesale sector, allowing retailers and operators to navigate unpredictable shopping and dining habits – guaranteeing availability and reducing wastage.
“Wholesalers should look to be strategic with their in-depot merchandising when it comes to the Big Night In occasion, as this will encourage retailers to upsell,” suggests Wells. “Wholesalers can do this by giving SKUs that are performing well more space and grouping products together to inspire retailers to buy across the category.”
Clare Newton, Trade Marketing Executive at Swizzels, comments: “The Big Night In occasion is now a firmly established trend that shows no signs of slowing down; we anticipate that more people will choose to socialise at home in the second half of 2023 due to the increase in the cost of living. It’s important for wholesalers to utilise the growth of this trend, as value-for-money confectionery continues to be a hugely popular choice for shoppers and more retailers than ever have been stocking up on categories performing particularly well on a Big Night In, such as sugar confectionery.”
Consumers are reacting incredibly well to fun, novelty lines and are also trending heavily to more “pocket money” lines, such as chew bars and the 69p Squashies range.
Additionally, consumers are increasingly looking for plant-based, lower calorie treats; Swizzels continues to incorporate consumers’ favourite flavour and texture profiles within its NPD and is building on the classic flavours that the nation loves, but with an added twist.
“We’ve found that stocking a full range of products withing a specific ‘product family’ and in particular price-marked-packs influences consumers’ and retailers’ willingness to make an impulse purchase within the category,” adds Newton. “Customers are the most willing to make an impulse purchase within the sugar confectionery category as they often seek opportunities to treat themselves with smaller, less expensive items during difficult economic times.”
Alexandre Mattos, Head Sales Manager, UK at Seara UK, comments: “The high quality and diversity of products in our special Seara Professional Line, offers a comprehensive portfolio to cater to all the needs of final customers (Premium Coated, Coated, Cooked & Roasted and Steam Cooked). Our premium range is designed for chefs, consumers and connoisseurs of good food. From crispy chicken tenders to succulent roast chicken breasts, we have recipes to please all the family.”
Seara works closely with its small, family-run suppliers to deliver high quality and nutritious chicken meat to its customers in the UK and across the globe.
In response to feedback from customers, Seara developed its Individual Quick Frozen range. These products allow restaurants to carefully control the portions that will be prepared during the day, ensuring that they only defrost what they need. This saves money, time and energy on food waste, which also has benefits for the planet.
Calli O’Brien, Head of Marketing at Aston Manor Cider, comments: “Many consumers continue to value convenience and focus on their drink experience at home which is something the Big Night In taps into. From loved favourites such as Crumpton Oaks Apple Cider, through to branching out from wine into perry with our ‘new look’ Chardolini, consumers welcome the chance to try something new at home and opportunities like the Big Night In are times where they are more likely to explore different options.”
Aston Manor’s ethos is all around affordability. The brand helps shoppers save with affordable cider, allowing them to focus their spend on what really matters. The range provides shoppers with an affordable solution, without trading down on quality, so they can be assured they are not compromising when needing to spend a little less cash on cider.
“It is therefore important that wholesalers offer retailers a range of formats and ready to drink options to make the most of these opportunities,” adds O’Brien.
Larger multi-packs are important to ensure shoppers can keep their home supply stocked up for their Big Nights In. Product packs such as the pint cans in Crumpton Oak‘s four-pack, prove popular but also enable consumers to keep their supply stocked up with single-serve options.
“However, it is also worth noting cider is the impulse drink of choice so wholesalers need to support retailers to ensure they can respond to this by offering a 100% chilled range, stocking a wide range of options in cans and bottles,” says O’Brien. “Wholesalers should therefore provide the range retailers need to ensure they offer a variety of chilled drinks for customers to buy, take home, and enjoy straight away. When a shopper buys cider on impulse, having it chilled and ready to drink are often more important than price, however, promotions still play an important role in communicating value-for-money that will help to win longer term customer loyalty.”
A third of shoppers only ever buy cider in cans so it is important that wholesalers stock both bottles and cans to provide choice for retailers and consumers. Frosty Jack’s and Crumpton Oaks Cider come in both pack formats and Aston Manor recommends retailers dual stock plastic bottled products alongside cans, to help attract more customers into stores, so wholesalers have a role to play in supporting this.
Kenton Burchell, Trading Director at Bestway Wholesale, comments: “Wholesalers can make the most of the Big Night In occasion by creating campaigns and taking the opportunity when it comes to sports events including World Cup, European Football and Rugby Union and promoting the Big Night In with special promotions.
“They can advertise the Big Night In occasion through apps, wholesale websites and brochures; create theatre on promotions including adult drinks, beers, frozen food, crisps & snacks with digital screens to display messages and create interest to target customers on savings on special deals; use POS materials including Shelf talkers and banners; and collaborate with suppliers on when a particular supplier acts as a sponsor in big sporting events including World Cup and use the promotion to advertise the brand to customers.”
Bestway works with suppliers and promotes the brands who are sponsors for sporting events, including Asahi brand who are one of the sponsors of the Rugby World Cup 2023.
Bestway has on-going promotions to help retailers in the growth of their business.
“Consumers are getting creative in entertaining friends and family for the BNI, for dinner parties or sports occasions,” adds Burchell.
“Consumers are experimenting with different concoctions of drinks to make it interesting for their guests, with an exploration on the ready to drink (RTDs) or bottled cocktails.”
Premiumisation is here to stay with consumers after quality and wanting to indulge. Premium ready-to-eat foods are becoming a trend with consumers looking for different flavours and trying different cuisines.
Consumers are looking for heathier, customised, and natural ingredients, according to future marketing insights. One factor is avoiding ingredients with additives or preservatives.
The trend in plant-based products is growing with consumers reducing their meat consumption.
Vegan Craft Beers are a new wave of beers showing that there is innovation in the beer market according to Uren Food Group. Bestway stocks BrewDog Hazy Jane and BrewDog Elvis Juice which are beers that are suitable for vegetarians.
Low and no alcohol on beer, cider, wine, and spirits have grown over 7%, noted by Food Navigator. Bestway caters for consumers who are after alcohol free beers, stocking BrewDog Punk Alcohol-Free IPA and Crabbie’s Rhubarb Alcoholic Ginger Beer.
Elaine Rothballer, Head of Marketing Consumer Brands at Kepak, home of Rustlers, comments: “It is anticipated that the Big Night In occasion will see tremendous growth in the remainder of the year, with over a third of consumers (39%) planning to eat out less frequently (58% in Scotland, TWC) creating an opportunity for wholesalers in chilled snacking.”
Two thirds of the population believe it is important to make savings on their grocery bills (Nielsen), however, 69% of consumers plan to shop at many stores to take advantage of offers (Nielsen) with 60% actively looking out for and trying to buy products when on promotion (Nielsen).
PMPs continue to provide a vital reassurance of value, with all of Rustlers’ best sellers available in this format, however, value isn’t just confined to the price of a single product. Meal deals and bundle offers are popular with shoppers seeking savings. Product promotions also highlight good value and drive impulse purchase, such as an on-pack promotion giving shoppers something extra.
With 29% of consumers planning to have fewer takeaways (TWC) to curb spend, the rise of the ‘fakeaway’ trend which came to the fore last year (recreate eat-out favourites at home) is set to continue, with many planning to increase ‘entertaining at home’ occasions (TWC).
Rustlers, the £107.1m (Nielsen) Chilled Ready Meals brand from Kepak, is appealing to the growing number of cost-conscious consumers seeking hot lunchtime options with the launch of a Marinara Meatball Sub Sandwich.
The Meatball Sub (RRP £2.30, case size 4), complete with a marinara sauce, provides a hot new addition to the fixture that can easily replicate the Out of Home menu favourites shoppers are craving, as they continue to curb spend.
“With the increasing cost of living, the rise of the ‘fake away’ trend (recreating takeaway favourites at home) is set to continue as consumers seek credible grocery alternatives instead of eating out (IGD). Rustlers Meatball Sub taps into this opportunity as it allows shoppers to recreate a much-loved QSR favourite at a great price,” says Rothballer.
“The top foods we consume for lunch remain Sandwiches, Soup and Toast-based meals. However, more filling and flavour packed lunches such as Italian food (+13%, Kantar) are seeing the fastest growth. This highlights the opportunity for a hot lunch option beyond the mediocre that delivers against convenience, enjoyment, and value for money.”
To support the launch, the brand partnered with independent retailers to trial the new product. The results of these trials indicate promise for the product in the convenience channel.
Imtiyaz Mamode of Premier Wych Lane in Gosport, Hampshire, already offered a wide range of Rustlers products, but still saw brand sales increase by 12% during the trial. He said: “Every new product takes time for customers to know about it, but it’s earning its space on shelf. Sales have gone up across the range and we think sales will only continue to grow as more shoppers become aware of the new product.”
Natalie Lightfoot of Londis Solo Convenience, Glasgow, doubled the number of Rustlers facings and increased sales by 150%, with the new Marinara Meatball Sub Sandwich becoming her bestselling Rustlers product within the trial period. She said: “We’re really happy with the sales. We found the range sold particularly well through our Snappy Shopper delivery service.”
With two packs of Rustlers already sold every second in the UK (Nielsen), stockists can cater to demand for hot, tasty and easy meal solutions, as consumers continue to trade down from eating out to grocery alternatives that replicate Out of Home menu favourites.
Rustlers, the £107.1m (Nielsen) Chilled Ready Meals brand from Kepak, is helping retailers drive their meal deal sales and profits with a new campaign.
The ‘Boost Your Burger’ campaign encourages shoppers to buy additional items alongside Rustlers burgers, such as onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and avocados, to inspire consumers to get creative and boost up their burgers to replicate a restaurant-style experience.
The campaign launched during National BBQ Week (29 May – 4 June) and will run across the summer.
Rothballer adds: “Boost Your Burger enables Rustlers to further tap into the ‘fakeaway’ trend, where consumers are recreating their restaurant favourites at home in the face of the rising cost of living.
“It’s also a great way for us to help retailers build basket spend in a challenging market by encouraging additional purchases.”
The brand will team up with influencers to create exclusive video content based on current trends that shows consumers how to create the ‘ultimate BBQed Rustlers burger’.
Retailers will have access to a range of Boost Your Burger PoS, including shelf talkers, digital screen graphics, chiller vinyl and aisle fins.
More than 500 independent convenience stores will benefit from tear-off shelf talkers through Kepak’s team of Rustlers reps, which includes recommendations such as Rustlers Quarter Pounder with bacon, jalapenos, and chipotle mayonnaise; Rustlers Sausage Muffin with egg, bacon, and mushrooms; and Rustlers BBQ Rib with onions, cheese and jalapenos.
Alexander Wilson, Category & Commercial Strategy Director at Heineken, comments: “The big night in occasion was boosted over lockdown with many turning to the comfort of their own homes to host virtual meet ups or relax with family. Although some have left their living rooms behind and ventured back to the pub, people are still enjoying nights in and with 82% of cider purchases being consumed at home (Lumina), presenting a huge opportunity for wholesalers. With the warmer weather on their way, we expect to see more people gathering at home and socialising, whether that be at a garden party or settling down for a movie night.”
We are seeing smaller multipacks – such as four can packs – growing their share of spend over the first few months of 2023. Beer small packs are the largest contributor to value sales, accounting for 52.4% value sales of impulse beer value sales (Nielsen). This trend is expected to continue over the coming months, and for the split of value to return to similar pre-Covid levels over the course of the year.
“We are seeing an increasing number of consumers, particularly Gen Y and Z, seeking out alcoholic drinks that fit their desire to lead a more balanced lifestyle,” adds Wilson. “In response to this, we launched Strongbow ULTRA Dark Fruit, a refreshing, thirst-quenching cider sold in 330ml sleek cans at 30% fewer calories ml for ml compared with Strongbow Dark Fruit. ULTRA is also available in packs of four and 10, catering to the shopper demand for smaller multipacks while allowing consumers to stock up for their big night in.”
As Heineken continues to build on the success of the new Strongbow® ULTRA cider brand, this March it launched Strongbow® ULTRA Apple. A crisp twist on a much loved-favourite, and with 36% fewer calories than Strongbow Original – at 80 calories per 330ml can (4% ABV) – the new addition to the Strongbow® ULTRA portfolio is perfect for shoppers looking for a lighter cider alternative to enjoy during the big night in occasion, with natural apple flavours and no compromise on great taste.
Heineken also introduced Heineken Silver to respond to new and emerging demands from younger adult customers, who are now looking for more subtle, refreshing and accessible beers to suit their tastes. Heineken® Silver, an extra-refreshing lager at 4% ABV, is made using an ice-cold brewing process at -1°C for a crisp flavour and subtle finish, with a low bitterness of 10 IBUS offering a lighter drinking profile.
“One key trend occurring since the cost-of-living crisis is the growth of smaller packs,” says Wilson. “Cider single packs (44.4%) and Cider small packs (39.3%) are the largest contributors to Cider Impulse value sales (NielsenIQ) and we are seeing smaller multipacks – such as small and mid-packs growing their share of spend. We expect this trend to continue over the coming months as many look to continue shopping but with a more restricted budget. Since shoppers started reverting to these habits of making smaller, but more frequent shops, wholesalers should be looking to supply retailers with choice and offering a range of multipack sizes to help cater to the big night in occasion.”
Premium offerings are growing despite the cost-of-living crisis, particularly in the beer category. Premium beer accounts for 21.5% of impulse beer value sales and has increased its contribution to impulse beer value sales +2.3% pts YOY (NielsenIQ). While shoppers are attempting to make savings across large expenditures, such as household bills or eating out, smaller purchases like alcohol are one area where consumers are happy to spend a little more with the largest purchase occasion for lager in the impulse channel being as a treat (40%, Lumina). An increasing number of consumers are buying premium lines such as Birra Moretti, which has seen a 0.4% share growth vs YA (Nielsen). Heineken recently expanded the Birra Moretti range by adding a new 4x440ml can pack in anticipation of drinkers looking to gather together with family and friends at home during the warmer months, which continues to be a growing success.
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