Focus On Barbecue: 25 March

By Matt Chittock matt.chittocknew@googlemail.com 

Publishing: 25 March 2023
Advertising deadline: 10 March 2023
Submissions deadline: 8 March 2023

Could this be the year of the one meat barbecue? According to Kantar, shoppers were already simplifying their protein options last year. That was in comparison to the burst of lockdown enthusiasm for the barbie and as the cost-of-living crisis encouraged fewer options. It could make competition for barbecues especially cutthroat this year. So what are retailers going to do to rekindle interest in barbecues this summer? How can barbecues be jazzed up as an alternative to pricier takeaways and restaurant visits? And what can be done to reinvigorate interest in meat free options?

Meat of choice: If shoppers choose to simplify their options, it could mean that cuts of meat have one chance to land in their baskets. How will retailers, suppliers and brands adapt their offerings?

Cheap barbie: Price sensitivity has been rising among consumers for months, while input costs for meat have jumped. How will retailers compete given the pressures?

Trading down to premium: Barbecues can provide a nice alternative to going out or ordering food in. And it also poses options for treat dinners during the week. What is being done to capture this end of the market?

Meat free: According to Kantar, meat-free barbecues continued their long-term decline in 2022. What can be done to turn around their fortunes?

Disposable barbecues: Many retailers took the step of withdrawing disposable barbecues from sale last summer over fears that dry conditions could lead to fires. What impact did this have on occasions? And what lessons have retailers learnt for 2023?

Innovations: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each