How a new product is performing

Product: Tilda White & Brown Basmati Rice
Company: Tilda
Launch date: November 2005

Sales of rice have been steaming ahead in recent years, with basmati - the so-called prince of rice - having proved a particularly popular offering.

To take this trend further, Tilda added White & Brown Basmati Rice to its menu last November.

A blend of 40% brown and 60% white basmati, the company said the line would provide the perfect solution for people who appreciate the healthy qualities of brown rice but not the taste.

So far the newcomer has clocked up sales worth £67,205. Sales jumped from £7,522 [ACNielsen, 4 weeks to December 31, 2005] to £15,549 for the following four-week period.

While Tilda is happy with the brand's performance, saying it has been "a huge success", some buyers still feel that there is room for improvement, particularly when it comes to marketing. "The brand has been performing well, but to get consumers to understand the quality of the product, and consequently provide them with reason to trade up from either own label or other brands will require a greater marketing spend," says Peter Newton, category buyer for The Co-operative Group.

As part of a marketing campaign aimed at driving the basmati market by encouraging healthy eating, Tilda White & Brown Basmati Rice has featured across a number of key consumer titles. Still, a greater emphasis on creating awareness of the product certainly seems a good idea when looking at trial and repeat purchase figures, which are looking rather bleak. A mere 0.04% of ACNielsen's consumer panel has tried the product so far, with few of these tempted to return for a second purchase.

Sold in 500g resealable blockpacks with an rsp of £1.69, Tilda White & Brown Basmati has, however, achieved distribution in 23% of all possible outlets. It is listed in Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Waitrose stores nationwide.

Data: ACNielsen five periods or 4 w/e to March 25, 2006, unless otherwise stated.