Download the synopsis here

Publishing: 4 April

Copy deadline: 13 March

Submissions deadline: 6 March

Contact Simon Creasey (creasey.simon@gmail.com)

The Story

Yoghurts & potted desserts have flattened in the past year, with value sales up slightly and volumes having dipped. But within this rather lacklustre sector there are pockets of growth. Big pots, soya and dairy free offerings are piling on the sales while luxury and kids yoghurts are in steep decline. Why? To what extent is the negative publicity about sugar content affecting sales? What can the struggling sectors learn from those in growth?

Key themes :

Luxury: After strong growth in the previous year, sales of luxury yoghurts have faltered. Why? Can the drive towards indulgence be reconciled with consumer desire to cut back on sugar and sweeteners? What can the sector do to return to growth?

Kids yoghurts: This sector has had the steepest decline. Why? Has this been driven by negative publicity about sugar content? How are brands and own label looking to address concerns about sugar?

Potted desserts: Value is up but volumes are down slightly. Why? Does the rise in average price reflect a move towards more premium, indulgent products or is it simply inflation? What are the biggest brands doing to inject some life back into the sector?

Licensed yoghurts and potted desserts: We’ve seen a host of licensed launches in this sector in the past year, from potted dessert versions of popular chocolate bars to yoghurts branded with kids cartoon characters. How are they doing? What’s next?

Dairy free: This sector, although still small, is in the strongest growth in the market. Which players and trends are driving this growth and what’s the outlook for the coming year. Is yoghurts and potted desserts the next frontier for free-from food?

Big pots: Big pot sales continue to do very well. Which players and trends are driving this growth? To what extent had NPD been behind the growth of the past year? And are such formats fulfilling shoppers desire for indulgence because they give such bigger portions?

Discounters: Bothe Aldi and Lidl undertrade in this category, but their growth in this area is outpacing their growth in the wider grocery market. How have their ranges been developed in the past year and what impact is this having on the wider market?

Own label: Own label is outgrowing brands at the moment. This feature will explore the reasons for this, from the extension of premium, pricier own label lines (average prices have risen over the past year) to the growth of the discounters, who rely more heavily on their own lines.

Other sub sectors: This feature will explore the trials and tribulations of other yoghurt sub sectors over the past year, from drinking yoghurts and cholesterol lowering products to split pots and active health. What’s driving their performances?

Innovation: This will be key to this feature. We will be investigating how new product development has shaped the category over the past year and what is in store for shoppers in 2014. We will be profiling four of the most interesting launches in a separate innovation panel.

Promotions: This feature will explore how the promotional strategies of retailers and brands have changed over the past year. Attention will be paid to the promotional strategies of retailers and how this has affected average prices over the past year.

Advertising and marketing: This feature will also investigate how the marketing and advertising strategies of the category’s biggest brands have evolved over the past year and how they will develop in the coming year to sustain growth or return brands to growth.

Box-outs:

Yoghurt innovations: Identify four new products or product ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. Please supply 100 words on each, including launch date and RSP, and source a hi-res picture of each.

Potted desserts innovations: Identify four new products or product ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. Please supply 100 words on each, including launch date and RSP, and source a hi-res picture of each.

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?

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