Profits to chew on

A snack range can drive up sales

WITH everything from Scottish Government legislation to changing drinking habits putting pressure on the on-trade, a diverse offer could be the ticket to maintaining strong sales.

pint and crisps
That was the message from snack suppliers, as they highlighted the role a strong snack range can play in keeping revenues up in pubs and bars.
Ayman Nasreldin, director of out of home at PepsiCo – the firm behind Walkers crisps – said stocking a core range of snacks provides “a great sales opportunity for pubs”.
“Snacks can include a variety of lighter and sharing dishes, but are more synonymous with crisps and nuts,” said Nasreldin.
“They provide solutions that can be consumed at any time of the day for those visiting an establishment.”
Offering a strong snack range creates an opportunity for publicans to drive incremental sales, claimed Nasreldin, with one demographic in particular set to leave the tills ringing.
“Snacks give operators the opportunity to drive incremental sales with the biggest growth opportunity being with families,” said Nasreldin.
“These parties are spending more time in pubs, meaning larger format bagged snacks such as grab bags, which generate 8% of sales versus standard bags [are a good choice].”
Crisps and nuts have earned their place as bar staples, but there’s also plenty of scope for a broader snack range.
Microwave bar snack firm Big Al’s reckons licensees can meet demand for “simple, filling and tasty bar snacks” by stocking “convenient food options which can be prepared quickly and adapted to suit multiple occasions throughout the day”.
John Savage, general manager at Big Al’s Foodservices, highlighted chicken wings as one example of the kind of convenient snack which can drive sales in an outlet.
“Chicken wings are an ideal menu addition to help outlets boost profits, as they are suitable for multiple occasions,” said Savage.
“They make a great starter, either alone or as part of a sharing platter, or a simple bar snack which can be prepared quickly at any time of day or night to keep customers in your establishment for longer.”
On-trade foodservice supplier Aviko is another firm that has been promoting the profit potential offered by hot and convenient bar snacks.
The firm reckons bar snacks are “the perfect way to introduce menu options with added heat,” meeting customer demand to see items with more spice on menus when eating out.
Mohammed Essa, Aviko general manager UK and Ireland, suggested that offering dishes with heat could help to push up snack sales.
“Not only are consumers looking for more spicy food when eating out, but almost half (44%) are willing to pay a premium for a side dish that offers a kick, which means there’s a clear profit opportunity available to those operators that deliver on this demand,” said Essa.