Jason Richards of Walkers

Despite being Britain’s biggest crisps brand, Walkers hasn’t forgotten that it’s the little things in life that count when it comes to trade relationships.

Time and time again respondents to The Grocer’s 2012 Branded and Own Label Supplier Survey praised the PepsiCo business for its excellent support - particularly in terms of category development and marketing. Walkers also earned plenty of plaudits for its collaborative approach and ability to adapt to the needs of a changing market.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in the exemplary new product development pipeline that followed the 2010 launch of Extra Crunchy with Walkers Crinkles - which hit £50m in sales in its first 12 months on shelf.

“Walkers constantly leads the way when it comes to product innovation,” said one retail customer, “with NPD that is always implemented to a high standard”.