Sandwiches remain top choice for lunch box, says baker
MORE households are coping with the rising costs of their everyday midday meals by choosing to make up their own lunch boxes as a way of saving money.
Perspectus Global research reported that, as of May, 72% of consumers all agreed that a home-made sandwich option for lunch is “unbeatable”.
This spells good news for convenience retailers as it brings ample opportunities to drive up some sales in the bakery aisle.
And consumers will be looking to the brands they trust, says Alistair Gaunt, commercial director at Hovis.
But while there are plenty of options out there to choose from, consumers are ultimately looking to save some cash from a brand they know and trust, and will be looking for more of a crowd-pleasing option from their loaf.
Gaunt reckons Hovis has retailers covered here as he explained: “Sales of white bread currently account for over 55% of pre-packaged bread units sold.
“Given the current economic climate, many shoppers are buying fewer different types of bread for their households and are increasingly moving towards pre-packaged white bread, which is most likely to satisfy the needs of multiple people.
“It is therefore clearly important for retailers to stock white bread as it is a potential ‘crowd-pleaser’ for everyone in the household.”
As such, Gaunt has pushed retailers to stay well stocked up on Hovis’ best-sellers in this area such as Hovis Soft White 800g medium-sliced, Soft White 800g thick-sliced, Hovis Best of Both and Hovis Wholemeal to cover all the bases when it comes to consumers’ sandwich desires.
While it remains important to make sure the bakery section is ready to rise to the occasion, ensuring consumers make their way over to the range will count just as much.
Gaunt believes that retailers should take advantage of the ‘back to school’ opportunity to do just this.
With only a few short weeks before the end of the summer holidays, plenty of parents will be keeping an eye out for lunch options for when the kids make their way back to the classroom.
As such, Gaunt believes a section dedicated to the event in convenience will pay off come August.
“Creating a back to school occasion display can really help to drive impact in store.
“For example, displaying a range of lunch-box essentials, such as pre-packaged bread, sandwich fillers and fruit, next to or close to each other, and offering cross-category promotions can help to boost sales.
“When running promotions, using POS in store can also help build shopper awareness of the different offers available and encourage them to buy multiple items in one shop.
“With the highest level of spontaneous brand awareness in bread, we have supported recent launches in-store with engaging off-shelf features that include gondola end displays and promotional shelf POS.
“Our in-store activation has been aligned with wider brand activation, including retailer online sites, where we have used occasion-led visuals to inspire elevated meal choices, and through the creative use of social media on our own Hovis channels,” he said.
