Paul Hill hears about the crisps and snacks manufacturer’s wholesale plans
How has KP Snacks helped wholesalers grow sales in the past 12 months?
As a customer-centric business, we not only listen to insight, but also take it through into action, with the goal of enabling wholesalers to thrive and generate demand and value.
We also invest in the channel by offering advice on what to stock and depot layout, as well as offering increased resource, depot demonstrators, PoS tools, ecommerce support and competitive margins.
Fast fact: Hula Hoops BBQ Beef Big Hoops is number one in the annual What to Stock crisps & snacks category
What is the greatest challenge the wholesale industry faces?
There are a lot of NPDs flooding the market, with manufacturers trying to keep up with the latest fads. We need fewer, bigger, better NPDs that are sustainable and supported, not just in the first six months, but throughout the year.
What trends and opportunities are emerging that customers can take advantage of?
Healthy occasions are growing faster than overall category growth, by 10.4% each year. We’ve been expanding our portfolio to respond to this demand, including introducing Hula Hoops Puft and acquiring Popchips. Price-marked packs (PMPs) are also driving sales, with 83% of retailers saying they sell faster than non-PMPs and 82% stocking them to stay competitive.
What challenges has KP Snacks had to overcome in the past year?
In order to combat the challenge of plastic reduction, KP Snacks has launched the UK’s first recycling scheme for bagged nuts, popcorn, crisps and pretzels, as part of our pacKPromise pledge.
We’ve also been investing in our Ashby facility to reduce the size of our multipacks, which has already saved 11.2 tonnes of material.
What is KP Snacks’ greatest achievement in the past year?
We’ve continued to invest in the channel, adding value through NPD and providing an everyday, excellent service. I am particularly proud of the launch of McCoy’s Muchos. In less than four months, it’s already got a retail sales value of £5m.
What would you like to see happen in wholesale in the next 12 months?
Even more collaboration between wholesalers and their lead suppliers, through the sharing of insight and data exchange, to drive category growth. Together, we can also further support diversity, promoting wholesale as a platform for long-lasting careers to be built from, and making the channel a positive and fulfilling environment for all. The Women in Wholesale network is a great way to do this.
Are you planning any activity of which wholesalers should be aware?
We’ve just relaunched KP Nuts, featuring a sunshine design and highlighting the protein and fibre contents. We’ll be supporting this with a £1.3m media spend.
We’ll also be continuing to embed Muchos into the category, making it the biggest NPD of the year and building the profile of Tyrrells and Popchips within wholesale, as well as promoting our core ranges.
What advice would you give wholesalers looking to grow sales in crisps and snacks?
My top piece of advice would be make your depot easy to shop by mirroring the layout and flow of an in-store retail environment. Arrange the flow by format, price and need state, not by manufacturer.
Then, focus the space on bestsellers, separating them from slow-selling lines, and use display and activation to navigate and inspire customers in depot.
