Missing out at lunchtime

Meal deals offer a huge sales opportunity that not all retailers are taking advantage of, argues giant crisps brand Walkers.

It commissioned research that it says shows that while 97% of retailers believe meal deals can drive incremental sales, only 21% are currently offering them.

As an extension of its current competition, which gives consumers the chance to win a free lunch, the brand has launched a competition for retailers.

Stores are being offered the chance to have their crisps, snacks and nuts fixtures made over.

The prize also includes a free lunch of a sandwich, a bag of Walkers and a bottle of Tropicana for the first 100 customers that walk through the winner’s doors during a lunchtime.

The big free lunch giveaway will take place before the end of July between the hours of 12pm and 2pm on a specified day.

Phil Childs, impulse category controller at Walkers brand owner Pepsico, said: “Set to drive excitement in store, this activity is being launched off the back of recent research findings which Walkers has unveiled, suggesting that there is still a huge sales opportunity for retailers to unlock lunchtime sales.

“We dug deeper into the importance of the lunchtime occasion and meal-deals in driving sales for retailers.

“Our research highlighted the huge sales opportunity currently being missed by 79% of retailers.”

Childs said that the Walkers on-pack competition, in which one in six consumers can win a lunch, has resulted in 54% of retailers experiencing a sales uplift of 6% or more during lunchtime.