Despite the Easter Eggs hitting the shelves, we still have plenty of time to enjoy the Winter comforts!
As always, here is your round up of the key stories from across the FMCG industry...
Still not back to normal? 🛒
While we are continuing to spend more in the supermarket than pre-pandemic levels, we continue to see take-home grocery sales decline vs. last year as we slowly return to old habits.
As we saw retailers such as Waitrose and Morrisons go big on "Veganuary", 10.7 million households bought at least one dairy alternative, meat substitute or product labelled as plant-based this January.
To love or not to love Valentines Day ❤️
Valentine's Day can be a huge event for Food & Drink brands, as 55% of UK couples plan to mark the occasion with a special meal.
Various retailers are capitalising on this with home meal kits. They have included more vegan options than in previous years.
Google Trends data shows searches for valentines gifts peak around 5 days before the big day.
There are more than twice as many searches for "Valentines Gifts for him" than "Valentines Gifts for her".
A huge opportunity for male focussed brands this week!
Valentines Day isn't popular with everyone, as 24% of people say they dislike Valentines Day and 32% have a neutral opinion.
There is an opportunity to stand out from the crowd by promoting self-love or non-romantic love to appeal to those (whether in couples or not) who aren't in love with the occasion!
Is 'Rapid' Delivery Future Proof?
Waiting an hour or more for grocery deliveries starts to feel outdated as rapid delivery services like Getir and Gorillas continue to expand.
IGD have reported that a third of shoppers are interested in the channel and have estimated it could be worth £3.3bn of grocery spend.
While these companies focus largely on London, they are rapidly expanding beyond and enticing shoppers with voucher codes for huge savings.
I've used Gorillas a few times and without fail they have delivered within 8 minutes - often including some free fruit!
Today the services are mostly used for 'food for now' missions, but there is a significant opportunity in 'top up' and other shopping missions.
The demand from shoppers is there but the industry is questioning the profitability of these services. Major retailers have struggled to provide a competitive solution.
What do you think the future for rapid delivery services looks like?
As we head towards Spring, we continue to face uncertainties with inflation and HFSS.
If there is anything we can do to help - get in touch!
Continue to stay safe, well and positive.
Ella.
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