Focus On Easter and Spring: 22 January

By Emma Weinbren Emma.Weinbren@thegrocer.co.uk 

Publishing: 22 January 2022
Advertising deadline: 7 January 2022
Submissions deadline: 31 December 2021

This Easter may be the first for three years unencumbered by lockdown restrictions, while also being relatively late. More family visits could boost the number of sweet treats being bought, with shoppers also picking up supplies for a Sunday roast. So how will this affect suppliers and retailers’ approach to the season this year? Are brands already responding to impending HFSS regulations? And what innovation can we expect as festivities resume?

Plant-based and free from: Vegan-friendly chocolate is only becoming more popular as shoppers seek to reduce dairy milk from their diets. What will chocolatiers have planned for the category in 2022?

Formats: Last year saw a greater focus on sharing formats, in line with trends within everyday confectionery. So what changes will we see this year as things return to something nearer normal?

Non-confectionery: Besides Christmas there is scarcely a better time than Easter for a roast dinner with all the trimmings. Perhaps shoppers will be even keener to cook after years of scratch cooking practice. So what are retailers and suppliers doing the capitalise on the occasion? And beyond a leg of lamp or a roast chicken, what other products are likely to prosper?

World Easter cuisine: Aldi caught attention in 2021 with its advertising putting a Latin twist on Easter, promoting the retailer’s chilli and cheese hot cross buns alongside the usual fare. Could we see supermarkets go further afield in search of exciting ideas?

Packaging: Easter chocolate is infamous for its generous packaging. With many consumers asking the grocery industry to make other categories more sustainable, is it taking action for Easter?

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