Focus On Deli: 19 April

By Emma Weinbren (Emma.Weinbren@TheGrocer.co.uk)

Publishing: 19 April 2025

Advertising deadline: 4 April 2025

Submissions deadline: 28 March 2025

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

UK deli counters and the wider gourmet charcuterie, antipasti, olives, pickles, cheeses and dips categories are evolving, and fast. After several retailers closed their deli counters in the wake of Covid, they’re now trialling a range of approaches in terms of merchandising and ranging. These include self-service counters and new own-label and branded ranges. So what impact is this having on sales? What products and cuisines are in most demand at the moment? Did the closure of deli counters boost sales of packaged branded goods? Which retailers and brands are doing deli best and to what extent are retailers’ ranges being used as a point of differentiation?

Merchandising: This feature will play close attention to how different retailers and brands are looking to maximise sales of deli items through in-store marketing and merchandising. How are featured space promotions, link deals and the like being used to drive growth?

Brands v own label: This feature will also explore how the dynamic between brands and own label is evolving in delicatessen categories. To what extent do retailers rely on branded and own-label goods and how is that changing? And how are retailers and brands helping to widen shoppers’ culinary horizons with NPD?

Protected Designation of Origin Italian meats: There’s been a push to get PDO-certified Italian deli meats such as mortadella into UK supermarkets in recent months. How successful have they been?

Innovation: This feature will pay close attention to the latest trends in the culinary world and how this is playing out in terms of product innovation. We will profile four new products or ranges, ideally ones that have not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.