DAWN FARMS TOP 9 | ISSUE 42| 2018

GLOBAL UPDATE ON CONSUMER, MARKET AND MENU INSIGHTS. 

1.  HAUNTING HALLOWEEN NPD

From gory to gruesome, QSR brands are embracing bold and striking colours in this year’s Halloween launches. Pizza Hut Japan’s Black Pizza features a black crust and a spider web of cheddar cheese on top. The famous Jack O Lantern Pizza is back at Papa John’s USA, while in the UK they have opted for Spooky Sides, garlic cheese sticks topped with Ilchester Black Cheddar. Burger King is no stranger to unusually-coloured foods; next week it launches the Nightmare King, a meaty trio of burger, chicken fillet and bacon strips topped with onions, mayonnaise, cheese in a glazed green sesame bun. It’s also offering Scary Black Cherry Frozen Fanta.

2.  GOUSTO PIZZA NIGHT RANGE

Meal kit retailer Gousto has launched a new Pizza Night concept, taking into account 3 core consumer insights: fresh, high quality ingredients, right portion size, and a good proportion of the recommended 5 a day. Featured recipes such as Chorizo Pizza with Tomato & Rocket Salad are updated weekly as Gousto’s research revealed 56.7% of UK consumers prefer meat toppings. Last month Gousto  launched its first TV ad campaign following a £29m investment in March. Click here to learn more about Gousto’s pizza findings>

3. FASTEST GROWERS IN FTG

Growing at twice the rate of overall grocery retail, the UK food-to-go sector is forecast to reach £23bn by 2023. Pret A Manger, Greggs, Subway, Leon and Chipotle are the fastest growing (5.7% CAGR) with a combined value set to hit £6.4 billion in the next five years. However growth is going to get harder in the increasingly competitive landscape, according to IGD. It highlights new locations especially in travel hubs as key opportunities, and notes the rise in collaborations across the sector (eg Tesco and Yo! Sushi). Subway was IGD’s chosen Food-To-Go Operator of the Year in light of its response to changing customer needs.

4.  BK ANSWERS THE CALL OF DUTY

To accompany the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Burger King has partnered with DoorDash to offer a new meal package – the ‘Nuketown WHOPPER Meal’and the ‘Nuketown Crispy Chicken Tenders Meal’. The limited time promo gives fans a free Zombified Emote to use during the game. The innovative four-week promotion will also be supported by Burger King’s partnership with Twitch, a live streaming video platform, where additional menu items will be featured. Established in 2013, DoorDash connects customers with restaurants in more than 1,200 cities across the US and Canada.

5.  ACCESSIBLE SUSHI 

Yo! Sushi wants a bigger portion of the food-to-go market and aims to make sushi more accessible via wider channels. It will pilot food-to-go counters in two Tesco outlets, which will be the first out-of-restaurant move for the 74 store Japanese chain. These locations will serve some of their classic dishes, as well as new menu items which customers will recognise as part of the Yo! brand, as well as sharing platters, snack boxes and kids options. This move comes from Yo! Sushi recognising the growth in food to go (see above). Tesco’s initiative joins other retailers M&S, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s who have also expanded their sushi offer.

6.   THE FIRST £5 WORLD

The latest discount retail entrant is single price concept, Five Pound World. A new budget chain which plans to open 150 stores nationwide within 18 months, taking over the retail space left empty by Poundworld. The range consists of mainly non-food and homewares but there are plans to add food and other fmcg goods as part of a focus on ‘multibuy’ deals. The hope is that raising the single price point will help Five Pound World escape some of the pressure on pound shop margins from the devaluation of sterling.

7. FLEURY MICHON’S POP-UP SHOP

French food manufacturer Fleury Michon has recently opened a pop-up boutique ‘Le 25’ installed at Mademoiselle M in the heart of Paris. Open from October 24 to November 6, Le 25 invites consumers to learn about salt reduction as a part of the company’s commitment to reduce the salt content of all its charcuterie ranges by 25%. Visitors can participate in a blind taste test at The Ham Bar or partake in two 1-hour cooking workshops each day accompanied by nutritionists, with tricks to reduce the salt without reducing the taste. On the menu, vegetable risotto with ham, ham and foie gras shells, and potato waffle with ham. 

8. DNA NUDGE FROM WAITROSE

Waitrose is trialling new technology that aims to encourage shoppers to choose suitable food based on their DNA to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Participants will be given an on-the-spot genetic test using a saliva sample. Shoppers can scan food products in store to find out which products are suitable for them based on their genetic makeup and individual metabolic traits. A ‘thumbs up’ means the product is suitable. A ‘thumbs down’ means the product isn’t recommended, and shoppers will be prompted to choose a healthier option. The trial is a supermarket first and a breakthrough in harnessing DNA-based food choices for improving health.

9.  FROZEN PIZZA BOOST 

The latest frozen food retail statistics show value growth across almost every category in the 52 weeks to 9th September 2018 (Kantar Worldpanel), to reach over £6.2bn having seen 4.8% value growth year-on-year (yoy). The summer heatwave provided a boost for ice cream while frozen pizza sales in the UK have seen a steady increase in value of over £30m (yoy). The World Cup is likely to have boosted frozen pizza sales as well as NPD for example Aldi’s Carlos Flatbread range including Chicken & Mango, and some plant-based offerings.