Mars-owned German nutrition brand Foodspring is hoping to crack UK retail, having just secured its first national listing with Holland & Barrett.
It last month signed a distribution deal with the retailer, which saw a duo of its Whey Protein powders – in Vanilla and Chocolate variants – roll into around 400 of the retailer’s stores, as well as its website.
The brand is also trialling an extended range, including its amino drinks and vegan protein powder with FSDUs in selected Holland & Barrett stores until September.
If the trial is successful, additional permanent listings could follow.
This was “just the first step”, Foodspring’s director of retail sales Thomas Vieten told The Grocer, adding that the company had a “long-term plan” for cracking the UK market.
“Right now we need to activate the brand and we need to prove to Holland & Barrett and the market that we’re able to grow an existing business,” Vieten said.
“In the end, it’s all about English consumers – they need to like what we’re doing.”
Foodspring, which was acquired by Mars in 2019, already has a foothold in European retail, with listings in German chemist Rossmann and French supermarket Monoprix. However, until now, its UK business has been solely DTC.
Securing a Holland & Barrett listing was the result of 18 months’ work, with some products requiring adaptions to make them suitable for UK retail.
“The portion sizes on protein powder that are sold in retail are just bigger in the UK than in another markets,” Vieten explained. “In UK offline retail you will find portion sizes like 750g, 900g, even a kilo. But in other markets it’s a much smaller portion size.”
Holland & Barrett category manager Danni Labram said the retailer was excited to bring “new” and “innovative” brands to its customers.
“Our customers are increasingly looking for multi-functional, on the go options that help with their busy, active lifestyles, without compromising on taste, quality or health benefits,” she said.
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