SLR p32 fc Nov08.qxp 31/10/2008 14:11 Page 32
inside business
FORECOURT
Festive forecourts
0 to PROFIT in
It may not be the first port of call for Christmas shopping
70
secs
but with forecourts settling into their c-store role, there’s
Making more of food to go
a real incentive for forecourt retailers to get more
Shoppers on a mission
involved with Christmas gifting than ever.
C
onfectionery enjoys a huge boost in In the last decade the number of consumers
sales in the run-up to Christmas and visiting high street foodservice operators,
with forecourt c-stores becoming such as leading players Subway and
more widely recognised as shops that cater for McDonalds, alongside pubs, cafes and
more than fuel, there’s real potential in stock- sandwich bars has rocketed by 21%,
ing up on gifting packs for customers. compared to a rise of just 8% in c-stores.
Nestlé Confectionery will help independent However the current economic climate is
retailers to maximise sales and profits by certainly slowing their progress and
recommending a core seasonal range, from provides you with a real opportunity to
iconic Christmas brands such as Quality make up lost ground. You can start by
Street and After Eight, as well as the ever understanding that, in relation to food to
popular Smarties, Black Magic and Dairy Box go, people who shop in your store are on
brands. A massive £11.5m marketing spend is one of three different shopper missions.
planned to help drive footfall to stores. These can be split as follows:
Graham Walker, Nestlé UK trade communi- l Food For Now
cations manager, says: “In 2007 there were help retailers achieve similarly strong sales, l Meal For Tonight
305 confectionery products for retailers to we have listened to feedback and have selected l Top up Shop
choose from, but just 72 delivered 80% of the 2008 range to maximise sales potential.” CTP research says you should zone your
sales. Getting the right range is the most Selection boxes are another big seller, stores and separate items sold as Food For
important factor in ensuring retailers make accounting for 29% of total traditional Christ- Now from Meal For Tonight products,
the most of this vital seasonal opportunity.” mas confectionery sales. Cadbury has a making it easier for people to find what
The company has marked out ‘family shar- 66.8% share of the box market and the they’re looking for. The Top up category is
ing’ as one of the strongest areas of growth, Cadbury Medium Selection box accounts for a a mixture of both.
and in 2008 Nestlé Confectionery will offer 36% of the market and has an rrp of £2.49. Ready meals shoppers heavily over-index
an even greater support package for leading At Mars, the company says there is a huge on the Meal For Tonight section and it’s also
brand Quality Street, which will include the opportunity for its Galaxy Mistletoe Kisses interesting to note that one third of all meal
return of the successful Quality Street TV ‘self eat’ product. After launching last Christ- solutions are bought as a ‘Meal For
campaign from Christmas 2007. mas, Mars expects to build on this success in Tonight’, with 15% intended as Food For
Cadbury is hoping for another strong 2008 as Mistletoe Kisses returns with market- Now and the rest as a Top Up Shop.
performance this Christmas and its Tradi- ing support including £1m media spend. The popularity of hot snacking products
tional Christmas range is available for the Mars has also produced limited edition such as Rustlers and UGO’s Deli Café
impulse sector. This includes Coins, Magical Christmas designs on the Maltesers box and provides an opportunity for dual siting
Elves and Snowman novelties, Selection packs Celebrations large carton. In addition there across the Meal For Tonight and Food For
and boxes, Tubes and Advent Calendars. will be new seasonal packaging on Tubes, Now fixtures, particularly when 96% of all
Kate Harding, trade communications Sharing Buckets and Selection Boxes. consumers have access to a microwave.
manager at Cadbury, comments: “In 2007, The Maltesers 400g box will benefit from a Don’t under-estimate the importance of
total Christmas accounted for a huge £587m new limited edition ‘Winter Magic Design’ ready meal shoppers. Their average weekly
worth of sales, which highlights the fantastic supported by £1m media spend, including a spend is £12.48 more than other shoppers
profit opportunity during Christmas 2008. new box-specific TV ad. The Celebrations and visit you four times a week.
Traditional Christmas for 2007 was worth large carton will feature a limited edition ‘Gift- Cater for their needs and zone your shop
£124.2m, with Cadbury being the number one ing’ design, inspired by research showing as I’ve outlined above and you’ll be in a
manufacturer in this market. This year, to consumers are looking for Christmas cues on better position to ensure your food to go
pack to give customers spend more time in your shop
permissibility to and less in foodservice high street outlets.
buy boxed choco-
late as gifts for
friends and family.
These packs will
maximise stand out
on shelf, increasing
rate of sale as they
answer a specific
consumer need.
32 l SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER l NOVEMBER 2008
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