The Grocer – 17 August 2019

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4 | The Grocer | 17 August 2019 Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk

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Ian Quinn
Poundland has started
a major new multi-price
point trial as it looks to
mitigate rising cost pres-
sures and continue to
compete with other dis-
count rivals.
This will include per-
manent sub-£1 pricing
and a “wider spectrum”
of £1-plus price points,
adding £1.50, £3 and £
ranges to the £2 and £
marks introduced in 2017.
Poundland has previ-
ously offered 50p items as
“manager’s specials” and
in post-Christmas sales.
The trial is the first time
it has offered permanent
dedicated ranges at the
lower price points. It will
take place in stores in the
Midlands.
The bargain operator

Poundland trials new

price point model with

sub-£1 product ranges

claims the new pricing

architecture will allow

it to extend ranges to

cover a larger proportion

of the volume of items

demanded by customers.

“We promise custom-

ers amazing value and

we are committed to

fulfilling that promise

on the widest range of

items,” said Poundland

MD Barry Williams.

“While three quarters

of the products we offer

will still be £1, it’s impor-

tant we look to broaden

our ranges elsewhere,

whether above or below

£1. These extended price

points mean we can meet

an even greater range of

customers’ needs, while

offering the same out-

standing Poundland

value.

“Our customers are

among the savviest in the

country. We know that

and it’s why we’re mov-

ing at the pace they dic-

tate to become the simple

price retailer they want

us to be.”

Clive Black, an ana-

lyst at Shore Capital, said

the move could crank

up competition between

Poundland and discount-

ers Aldi and Lidl.

Mornflake porridge is on

sale for 50p in the new trial

Entries for the Festive

Showcase are open now

The Grocer Own-label
Accreditation Scheme
has launched a Festive
Showcase for own-label
Christmas lines.
The scheme, which
tests own-label products
at consumer testing pan-
els across the UK, is now
accepting entries to tast-
ing sessions for seasonal
own-label lines.
During testing, prod-
ucts are scored across
metrics including first
impression values, value
for money, quality and
pre and post-trial pur-
chase intent. Entrants to
the Christmas Showcase

Own-label scheme adds Festive

Showcase for Christmas lines

will receive an accredi-

tation to use if the prod-

uct reaches the required

threshold, a consumer

rating out of 50 across 10

key measures, reviewer

ratings and comments,

purchase intent and an

opportunity to buy a full

report from Cambridge

Market Research.

Accredited products

will be showcased in a

special editorial feature

by The Grocer and retail-

ers that enter at least

five products will be in

with a chance to win The

Grocer Festive Retailer of

the Year at the Own-label

Feast conference and

awards in November.

Men over 55 are the driving force behind the increase

Roast dinners are no

longer simply a fam-

ily occasion – a growing

number of Brits are eat-

ing theirs alone.

The number of single-

person roasts rose 5%

last year to 121.1 million

occasions, according to

Kantar data for the 52

weeks ending 24 March.

Men over the age of 55

were the driving force

behind the solo roasts

trend, said Grenville

Wall, consumer insight

director at Kantar.

“Over the past year,

men have been growing

that occasion and women

are pretty flat,” he said.

Wall said the growth in

single-person roasts was

partly due to the increase

in the number of Brits

who are living alone.

But the emergence of

more convenient prod-

ucts may also be tempt-

ing more people to cook a

full roast dinner for one,

he added.

Over the past year, a

number of innovations

have come on to the

Number of Brits

eating roast

dinners alone

increases by 5%

market to cater for the

single-person occasion.

Nomad Foods unveiled

a single-portion roast

ready meal earlier this

month under its Aunt

Bessie’s and Birds Eye

brands. Meanwhile,

Premier Foods said its

Bisto Microwave Ready

Gravy Pots, launched in

July, were suited to “solo

meal occasions”.

Innovations such as

these were enabling con-

sumers to create quick,

simple roast dinners “at

any time of the week”,

said Premier Foods’ cat-

egory marketing director

Helen Touchais.

Solo dinners still make

up a small proportion

of the total roast dinner

market, accounting for

under 10% of the 1.2 bil-

lion occasions captured

by Kantar.

However, the overall

roast dinner market is in

steady decline and saw a

3% drop in occasions in

the past year.

Emma Weinbren

Focus on Roast Dinners

p

Enter three products into

the Festive Showcase and

receive one free entry. To

enter, contact rebecca.

[email protected] or call

01293 610422

SAVVY SHOPPERS

Our customers are among the savviest in the country –

Poundland MD Barry Williams