Growing snack sales is all about range and visibility, firm says
THE solution to boosting snack sales in pubs is pretty simple, it seems.
UBUK, the firm which supplies McCoy’s and KP Nuts to the trade, said stocking the right mixture of mainstream, premium and kids’ brands can make all the difference to sales.
“While getting a snack range right might not be the answer to the decrease in footfall in Britain’s pubs, it is still an important category in any pub and has the potential to generate significant incremental sales,” said Nick Stuart, commercial manager at UBUK.
Stuart said traditional favourites like salt and vinegar, cheese and onion and ready salted still enjoy a strong following, but advised operators to stock them alongside a selection of premium lines, which are currently proving popular with pub customers.
“The adult premium segment continues to be the star performer within the bagged snacks category,” said Stuart.
“Growing at 6%, the segment is now worth £595m.
“This growth is partially due to the growing premium trend, as consumers continue to demand more exotic tastes and flavours.
“This segment now commands a quarter of the entire bagged snacks category.”
Nuts are another pub stable, of course, and according to research commissioned by UBUK last year, size really does matter.
Respondents told the company that they prefer larger-sized peanuts, so jumbo formats are definitely worthy of consideration.
But perhaps the most important factor of all is visibility.
Stuart said that pub customers will tend to order a product they recognise when they get to the bar, but will often try a new product if it is pointed out to them.
Getting a snack range right has the potential to generate significant incremental sales.
UBUK reports that 30% of snack purchases at the bar are made on impulse, so publicans should consider using merchandising aids such as clip strips or pub cards to draw attention to their snacks fixture.
