Research from IGD has suggested that free-from Easter products could be a popular choice for UK shoppers this weekend.
With quarter (25%) of UK shoppers showing an interest in free-from products, free-from ranges of Easter eggs and hot cross buns could see a boost in sales over the coming days.
“Current food trends should always form a part of a retailer’s strategy around events such as Easter, and in this instance we’re seeing retailers in particular embracing free-from, vegan and sugar-free ranges, which can appeal to a wider shopper base," said Simon Wainwright, director of insight at IGD.
Growing Trends
Other on-topic trends that are likely to enjoy an Easter sales lift include recipe boxes and meal kits, IGD said, with Wainwright saying that there is an "innovative opportunity for retailers to group different meal components together to provide a convenient dinner solution for shoppers."
British retailers should "take inspiration from international retailers," he added, "where ‘Easter boxes’ containing all the ingredients needed for the meal are being introduced as time-saving solutions.”
The Sunday roast remains a prominent feature of Easter celebrations, with 22% of shoppers planning to have a meal at home with their family or household on Easter Sunday, according to IGD.
Some 32% of shoppers see seasonal Easter fixtures as a way of saving time when shopping at Easter, it added, as all the key products are in one place.
For example, in-store signposting is coming through as a popular tactic to direct shoppers to relevant offers on retailers’ frozen and fresh meat.
“From IGD’s ShopperVista research we can see that 42% of shoppers are tempted to spend more at Easter, so giving Easter displays prominence in-store and displaying premium products at eye-level will help encourage trade-up," said Wainwright.
IGD has published a repot outlining successful Easter execution, which can be found here.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
