Cooler weather, Halloween products in stores, and the return of Strictly Come Dancing – ‘big night in’ season is now upon us. Autumn sees consumers more likely to swap going out for staying in, presenting an opportunity for retailers who can build fun, engaging, and relevant offers around their most popular snacks and drinks products.
Of course, crisps and chocolates tend to take centre stage, but there’s one area of snacking that is delivering increased sales and profits for retailers. Popcorn once came in just two choices – sweet or savoury – but the market has enjoyed a flood of innovation in recent years, jump-started by brands like Proper and continued by emerging names that push the boundaries of what a cooked corn kernel can offer.
Retailers like Avtar (Sid) Sidhu, owner of St John’s Budgens in Warwickshire, are seeing the opportunity driven by a slightly more health-conscious consumer. “Shoppers want a treat or a pick-me-up, but don’t always want the calories that come with it,” he explains. “Popcorn provides that. It’s light, healthy and low in calories.”
Raaj Chandarana, of Tara’s Londis in High Wycombe, says the same. In fact, he says this is where the multipack opportunity comes in.
“Multipacks help to meet shoppers’ needs if they are calorie-conscious, or if they are buying for their children. The format helps them avoid overindulging, but the limiter is the price,” he says.
On average, Chandarana says the price for a 20g bag of popcorn is £1.09, whereas 70g is around £1.35, so customers naturally trade up to save money. He says his customers will do this in winter, especially when customers want bigger packs for group gatherings.
To drive ‘big night in’ sales, you should ensure the shopping experience is as convenient as possible. Having a dedicated night in display, with brightly packaged popcorn at the forefront, can help draw shoppers to your range.
Identifying the right brands
Sidhu says popcorn is dominated by three names: Butterkist, Propercorn and own label, and adds that popcorn shoppers are quite brand loyal – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for trial and error with new names.
“Sales of Butterkist speak for themselves and retailers need to give space to it,” he says. “But it’s good to trial new brands to keep your range fresh and exciting – that’s how we discovered Propercorn.”
If you’re looking to drive profits with a premium format, brands like Joe & Seph’s help you boost your margins. Each pack contains 120 calories, is gluten-free and vegan, and is available in Salted Caramel, Maple Bacon, Toasted Marshmallow and Pop ‘n’ Choc flavours.
Sidhu also follows a “less is more” ethos within popcorn to avoid overwhelming his customers with too much choice, which can hinder sales.
While core brands are great for steady sales. If you want to really drive popcorn profits, we can help. We stock niche, premium and healthier popcorn brands that drive standout on-shelf and give shoppers a truly indulgent experience for their next big night in.
Examples include:
- Joe & Seph’s Popcorn Bites – We stock three flavours in 63g packs, including Dark Chocolate & Salted Caramel, Milk Chocolate & Salted Caramel and White Chocolate & Raspberry. You can also drive impulse sales with their Popcorn Bars, available in two flavours, Chocolate & Almond and Apple & Hazelnut.
- Metcalfe’s – For the health-conscious popcorn consumer, each pack of Metcalfe’s contains between 82 and 96 calories. We stock three bestselling flavours – Cinema Sweet Popcorn, Sea Salt Popcorn and Sweet ‘n’ Salt Popcorn.
- Proper – At the more premium end of the market, Propercorn is available in Sweet & Salty and Lightly Sea Salted. We stock 20g, 30g, 70g, 90g formats and 3x70g microwave popcorn. There’s also Propercorn for Kids, available in 18x12g packs.
Driving flavourful popcorn sales
In convenience stores, there are three core popcorn flavours: Sweet, Salty and Toffee, which Sidhu says are the backbone of the category.
If your popcorn range needs a revamp, follow a ‘good, better, best’ strategy, like Chandarana does. This enables his store to cater for shoppers trying to save money, as well as encourage customers to treat themselves and trade up for their night in.
Although there are three core flavours retailers focus on, that’s not to say other flavours don’t play a role in driving sales. In fact, salted caramel is performing well for the retailers we spoke to. Sidhu also stocks Oreo and international options that contain chocolate, too.
No matter the flavour, one thing is for sure – convenience stores have to include sharing bags as their key format. Focus on sharing formats, and big night in success will follow.
Retailer’s top tips to driving popcorn sales
- Stock core bestsellers – Sidhu advises retailers to stick to the core bestsellers and avoid trying to cram in every line. Chandarana echoes this and adds that double-facing is an excellent strategy for popcorn. Margins tend to be higher in popcorn sharing bags compared to crisps and standard grab bags, so ensure these products are seen as the first choice.
- Dual site – Linked purchases are important, especially if you’re attempting to prompt ‘big night in’ sales. Chandarana says popcorn fits many social occasions, and because of this, it can be effectively dual-sited next to soft drinks and other snacks.
- Follow the good, better and best strategy – Sidhu recommends having an own-label option alongside mainstream brands like Butterkist and more premium options.
