Canned food

Focus On: Ambient and canned by Rob Brown and Natalie Brown

Download the synopsis here

Publishing: 25 April

Advertising deadline: 14 April

Submissions deadline: 7 April

The Story

Brits are going stockpiling mad. And it’s not just toilet paper and hand sanitiser selling by the crate load. Consumers are also filling their cupboards with as many long-life items as possible – which means fresh interest in the ambient aisle. Canned meat, soup and pasta are among the categories seeing a massive uplift in sales since the coronavirus took hold. Indeed, sales of canned meat nearly doubled in the space of a month. So what is selling in particular? Is there enough supply? How is this affecting prices and promotions? And will canned be able to retain interest in the category once the crisis is over?

Key themes:

The new fresh: To what extent are consumers turning to canned fruit, pasta, meat and fish as an alternative to fresh versions? Are any of these categories proving particularly popular and why?

Brands: Which brands have seen the most uplift from stockpiling? How are they hoping to continue that momentum once the crisis is over?

Own label: How is own label faring among stockpiling shoppers? Are they looking for deals or turning to brands they know?

Prices and promotions: To what extent are canned players using promotional tactics to lure shoppers? Or is the sudden uplift in demand resulting in fewer promotions?

Supply: Is there enough supply to meet the increase in demand? Are canned food players doing anything to increase production?

Stockpiling data: The top 10 items consumers are stockpiling, according to Nielsen data

Kantar data: Using Kantar commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the sub-categories.

Nielsen data: Using Nielsen commentary, we explain the reasons behind the rise and fall of the top 10 brands.

Innovations: We identify four new products that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before including launch date and RSP, and a picture of each.

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