Focus On Healthier Snacking: 13 May

Publishing: 13 May 2023
Advertising deadline: 2 May 2023
Submissions deadline: 27 April 2023

Feature one: Merchandising
By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com 

It’s been half a year since the introduction of HFSS regulations that hoped to limit sales of products high in fat, sugar or salt. In the lead up there were plenty of concerns over deadlines, enforcement and implementation costs. So how has it changed how snacks are merchandised in UK retail? Are shoppers now buying greater amounts of healthier fare? And are more people heading into the aisles to seek out snacks?

Shopper behaviour: The HFSS rules were intended to encourage shoppers to pick healthier options when snacking. So has it worked?

Aisle ends: How different do aisle ends look since the rules came into play? How are healthy snacks using such fixtures?

Aisles: Are shoppers more inclined to go into particular snacking aisles now? How have brands and retailers adapted the aisles for HFSS products?

Assosia data: Given the cost-of-living crisis, how are retailers changing their ranges in terms of price brackets?

Indulgence: While the focus has been on non-HFSS snacks, some brands are still betting that indulgence will convert customers. How are they approaching this in the HFSS era?

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

Feature two: Incubators
By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com 

Keen not to miss out on the best innovation, supermarkets have been running incubator schemes. Many participants focused on healthier snacking. Asda has its Nurture programme, Sainsbury’s has Thrive and Tesco its Incubator Programme. That’s alongside private incubators for healthy brands, like Mission Ventures, and companies like Nurture Brands, which are looking to snap up promising businesses. So what kind of healthy brands are getting into these schemes or onto investors’ books? How do they work to improve challengers’ prospects? And what kind of success are they seeing?

Participants: What kinds of healthy snacking brands are getting onto these programmes? Why are they being selected?

Incubators: How do these incubators help the brands they work with? How do the schemes work?

Results: What success are incubated brands seeing? What market advantages do they have over peers?

Outsider brands: With many healthy snacking brands seeking to advance without the backing of incubators, how are they faring? What barriers are they experiencing when it comes to growing sales, especially when it comes to interactions with retailers?

Unusual ingredients: We profile two kinds of unusual ingredients that some innovators and brands have been pursuing in healthy snacking

Feature three: Vegan and healthy
By Niamh Leonard-Bedwell n.leonard-bedwell@thegrocer.co.uk 

Vegan credentials have long been associated with health. But recently that’s been called into question. A slew of processed plant-based meats has caused a backlash, with some questioning the health value of such products. So are vegan callouts still seen as a marker of healthiness? Or is the power of the claim waning? How are plant-based brands improving their health credentials? And how is messaging and marketing evolving to demonstrate this to consumers?

Perceptions: Once seen as healthy by default, perceptions of vegan food are changing. What are shoppers’ current views?

Formulations: Given the focus on healthy snacking, how are brands and suppliers updating their recipes?

Messaging: How are brands changing their messaging, marketing and packaging to highlight their health credentials? What are retailers doing in store to this effect?

Data: Using data and commentary, we explain the market size for vegan products. How many vegans are there in the UK? And how many non-vegans are actively seeking out plant-based snacks?

Social media: With many plant-based launches targeted towards younger demographics with an interest in company ethics, how are plant-based brands marketing themselves on social media platforms?

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