Chilled olives became 'ice cream of savoury food' in heatwave

Chilled olives have been dubbed the “ice cream of savoury food” after the summer heatwave brought a sales surge.

Value sales of chilled olives grew 34% year on year in the eight weeks to 18 August [Nielsen] as shoppers snapped up packs for picnics and other outdoor events.

Much of the growth had come from new consumers entering the market, said branded supplier Unearthed, adding that the olive and cheese mixes such as its own recently launched Olives & Gouda had performed particularly well.

Chilled olives have also benefited from increased promotional activity, with the number of deals up 25% year on year over the period according to BrandView.com. Two-for-one deals worked particularly well for olives as they attracted impulse shoppers seeking outdoor snacks, said one industry observer.

The heat had turned chilled olives into the “ice cream of savoury food”, claimed Unearthed founder Simon Day, adding that there was an opportunity to grow year-round consumption. “Only 16% of households buy into chilled olives over the whole year,” he said.

Sales of ambient olives also rose in the heat, but not as sharply - increasing 15% in value.

“In hotter months, the chilled fixture sees heavier shopping levels than ambient fixtures,” said Sam Higgins, product marketing manager for olive brand Crespo at distributor RH Amar.

“Ambient olives show less pronounced seasonality because they have broader, all-year-round use as a snack and ingredient.”