THE BIG INTERVIEW

THE BIG INTERVIEW: WALKERS UPDATED STRATEGY

WALKERS SET TO DRIVE SNACKS SALES

CRISPS AND SNACKS GIANT WALKERS HASUPDATED ITS STRATEGY WITH AN EXPANDEDHERO 25 RANGE AND A NEW DRIVE 25 RANGE,AS IMPULSE CATEGORY DIRECTOR GUY HARVEYEXPLAINS.

BY ANTONY BEGLEY

The last year has been a very “robust” one for the crisps and snacks category, says Guy Harvey, Impulse Category Director of leading player Walkers. Sales increased by a solid 5.3% in 2020, despite the general collapse of the food to go category which plays a fundamental role in driving sales of crisps of snacks.

“2020 saw a number of major changes to how people shop in the impulse channel, many of which still remain relevant today,” says Harvey. “Shoppers are continuing to look for larger pack formats across £1 PMP, bigger bag sharing and multipacks.”

The new category strategy can help retailers grow their savoury snack sales by up to 46% a week.

As a result of these shifts, Walkers has unveiled a new crisps and snacks ranging strategy. The HERO 20 range, familiar to most retailers, has been expanded to a HERO 25 range and a new DRIVE 25 range has been added. Harvey says the new category strategy can help retailers grow their savoury snack sales by up to 46% a week.

“It was a no-brainer to evolve our recommended range of core bestsellers,” he explains. “We wanted to ensure retailers are maximising crisp and snacks sales by encouraging them to stock the formats and flavours that shoppers demand the most.”

The new HERO 25 range has been created to include a greater focus on fast-growing £1 PMP lines. Additionally, Walkers has introduced an additional element to their recommended ranging strategy: the DRIVE 25 range. This targeted range, for medium and larger stores, offers greater choice and breadth to shoppers, focusing on a prioritised list of 25 products. These lines offer retailers the ability to tailor their range needs either by offering new news through innovation or by offering additional packs in the best performing segments like £1 PMP.

Harvey says the new range was introduced to help independent retailers cater for the many new shoppers they have seen under the pandemic, shoppers who would have previously shopped in supermarkets, and are thus looking for a wider range of products.

He says: “Shoppers are demanding a greater range of products from their convenience stores, something that we’ve seen over the last year with 54% of shoppers now using a convenience store every week [Lumina, 2020]. The new DRIVE 25 range offers a tailored approach to ensure retailers add breath and excitement to their range with the right products that will lead to strong sales, if they have the space available.”

Essentially, the two ranges are geared towards helping local retailers create an optimal range of bestsellers, supplemented with the right choice and breadth to meet current shoppers needs.

The HERO 25 and DRIVE 25 ranges include bestsellers that make up more than a third (35%) all of crisp and snacks sales in Symbols and Independents. Walkers will also be offering a number of rewards through the *shopt app, focusing on the new ranges.