Publishing: 5 December

Copy deadline: 23 November

Submissions deadline: 16 November

Contact: Natalie Brown (Natalie_brown@live.co.uk)

Download full synopsis here.

The story:

Fruit & nut snack packs and wholefood bars are replacing sweets and chocolate at the impulse fixtures in store, traditional white bread is being swapped for flatbreads and wraps in sandwiches because they’re perceived as healthier, baked savoury biscuits are stealing share from fried crisps in the snacking market… these are just a few examples of how food on the go is going healthy. So which brands and retailers are driving this? And how is this health drive impacting sales of traditional on-the-go items such as pastries, sandwiches and sausage rolls?

Key themes:

Health and lifestyle: This will be a central theme of this feature. We will be speaking to the brands behind fruit & nut and wholefood snacking innovations, sandwich players about the growth in bread alternatives, biscuits brands about growing demand for baked snacks and more. How are they cashing in and how is this impacting traditional on the go players?

Exotic tastes: This feature will also pay close attention to how Brits’ increasingly adventurous tastes are informing on-the-go innovation, from toast-able curry-filled naan breads to burritos. What will be the next thing in terms of more exotic on the go products?

Retailers: Central to this feature will be analysis of how different retailers are looking to corner the on-the-go market, through everything from meal deals and impulse fixtures to hot food to go and coffee facilities. Which retailers are leading the field and who’s being left behind?

Price/promotions: This feature will investigate how big a part price promotions have played in the market over the past year. Meal deals are important in this sector.

Innovation: Key to this feature will be a discussion of the latest NPD from the category’s brands and own label players, large and small. The feature will explore the market trends that have inspired these innovations and weigh up which new launches are most likely to encourage new trends in the market. We will profile four of the most interesting new launches in a separate innovation panel.

Dude food: Research by Seymourpowell reveals how British men are eating in 2015. So just how important is health, convenience and other factors to blokes when it comes to choosing what to eat and when?

Key questions the feature is likely to address:

  • What consumer trends have impacted the category over the past year?
  • How have promotional strategies (both in terms of price and marketing) evolved?
  • How have individual retailers’ strategies impacted the market?
  • How has merchandising changed in the market?
  • What impact has own-label had on branded players?
  • What’s next for the category?
  • We profile four new products or product ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before, including launch date and RSP.

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