Walkers Melty Crackers: Sweet Chilli

walkers melty crackers

Who: Walkers

What: Melty Crackers: Sweet Chilli

Where: Non-potato snacks

When: Launched November 2015

How much: £1 for 130g

Why: Times are tough for fried potato crisps. Walkers’ core range alone has lost almost £16m [Nielsen 52 w/e 2 January 2016]. That’s good news for crackers and other savoury biscuits, which have become a hot trend, enjoying a 3% hike in value sales [Nielsen 52 w/e 17 October 2015]. PepsiCo’s offering is available in Crispy and Melty variants, with the latter coming in two flavours: Sour Cream & Onion and Sweet Chilli.

Consumer verdict: The bold packaging and well-known brand generated a high level of pre-trial interest. The majority of testers were impressed after sampling and, despite concerns about the number of broken crackers in the bag, positive comments were received about all aspects - with only health scoring below the category norm. Our panellists said the product was novel and better than the competition, making it highly relevant for the majority - especially among those looking for a snack to enjoy when alone or with friends.

Pre-trial purchase: 80%

Post-trial purchase: 98%

Better than what’s out there: 82%

New and different: 85%

Overall score: 50/50