Getting the range right

The following article is brought to you by Walkers Snack Foods.

With most consumers expecting pubs to stock salty snacks, it is important to stock the right range.​

Ninety-seven per cent of households buy salty snacks**. Men and women of all ages and social backgrounds eat and enjoy them on a regular basis so whether it's a circuit bar or cosy local pub, it is really important to stock them. What's more, customers expect to find crisps and snacks in pubs.

So pubs need to stock crisps and snacks to avoid disappointing expectant customers. Sales of crisps and snacks in pubs are incremental so they represent a real opportunity for landlords to generate additional profit.

Customers have a pretty clear idea of how many drinks they will consume when entering a pub for the evening, but additional sales can still be made through crisps and snacks. In order to make the most of the opportunity that crisps and snacks offer, it is important to be stocking the right range.

Crisps and snacks​

It may come as a surprise to landlords to hear that snacks are as big as crisps in the crisps and snacks market.

Another surprising fact is that, contrary to popular belief, the majority of snacks are consumed by adults, which makes them entirely relevant for the pub environment.***

In fact, stocking both crisps and snacks in pubs will deliver greater sales than just stocking crisps.

When buying salty snacks in pubs, consumers rate brand and flavour above all other factors. This makes Walkers the only choice to stock as Walkers is the number one food brand in the UK and consumers rank Walkers number one for flavour.

Recent research shows that Walkers is the number one choice for crisps in pubs.****

Walkers also has the largest snack brand in the market in Quavers*, and with its strong adult consumer base, Squares is ideal for pubs too.

When it comes to corn products, Doritos is the number one corn product with over 80 per cent share of corn sales.*

New products are also really important in generating interest and excitement in the category. We know that stocking new products in time to coincide with TV advertising deliver incremental sales. Over the last 10 years 40 per cent of category growth has come from new product development. If pubs are not stocking these products as soon as they are launched then they are definitely missing a trick.

Summary​

The core range we recommend for pubs is as follows:

• Walkers Ready Salted
• Walkers Salt & Vinegar
• Walkers Cheese & Onion
• Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli
• Sensations Chicken & Thyme
• Quavers Cheese
• Doritos Tangy Cheese
• Square Salt & Vinegar
• Salted Peanuts
• Dry Roasted Peanuts

* IRI Impulse Data** TNS Superpanel*** TNS FFP Sept 2002**** Market Measures Ltd On Trade Consumer Research

Salty snacks - getting the range right​

Salty Snacks can be split into four sub-categories, all of which are important in pubs:

• CRISPS:​ these are standard flat potato crisps. The most popular flavours and therefore the ones that pubs should be stocking, are Ready Salted, Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion​. Walkers are the clear market leaders on crisps and consumers rank us number one for flavour*.

Premium crisps:​ the fastest-growing segment of the market, led by the launch of Sensations​. These are a slightly more indulgent product for when customer want a treat or something a little different. This is the fastest growing segment of the salty snacks market - led by the phenomenal success of the launch of Walkers Sensations. Within this sub-category, the best-selling lines are Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli and Sensations Chicken & Thyme so these are the ones to stock.

Snacks:​ these are products with different textures and shapes to regular potato crisps. It is important to offer a range of these products to maximise the sales opportunity. The ones we would recommend are as follows:
Quavers cheese​ - the number one snack brand*
Doritos tangy cheese​ - the number one corn brand and the fastest-growing snack in the impulse market*
Squares Salt & Vinegar​ - strong flavour with an adult
portfolio biased towards males makes this an ideal pub product

Pub products:​ these are the old favourites that customers expect to find in pubs and still sell well. In this sub-category landlords should include dry roasted peanuts and salted peanuts to complete the range.

For more information about core range and to download ​point-of-sale material, please visit the Walkers website www.walkers.co.uk/trade​