Nairn’s Astro Bites - Berry
Who: Nairn’s
What: Nairn’s Astro Bites - Berry
Where: Biscuits
How much: £1.77/115g
Why: Free-from is booming. Once a niche category reserved for those with medical conditions, it is now bought by 78% of shoppers, and has delivered 8.5% value growth to make the market worth more than £800m [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 26 February 2017]. Scottish brand Nairn’s launched its gluten-free Astro Bites range for children in March, aiming to better represent kids’ snacks in the free-from aisle and to satisfy parents wanting healthier snacks for their offspring. The multipack lineup of mini wholegrain oat biscuits comprises three variants: Berry, Cheese and Choc Chip.
Consumer verdict: The product sparked little pre-trial interest among our adult shoppers, many of whom complained the packaging was too similar to other products. Further criticism was directed at the “odd” flavour, the “awful” mouthfeel and the way the fruit inclusions “stuck to the teeth”. However, there were positive comments, with consumers praising the “convenient” snack as “a healthy alternative for kids” with “lots of flavour”. Nevertheless, the product scored below the norm in all categories apart from health.
Pre-trial purchase: 31%
Post-trial purchase: 42%
Better than what’s out there: 50%
New and different: 67%
Overall score: 36/50
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