Procter & Gamble is launching a range of premium Pringles bagged snacks that will go head to head with Walkers Sensations and Kettle Chips – but could signal the demise of its own Gourmet range.
P&G described the brand extension, which is launched next month, as the biggest in Pringles’ history.
The six-strong range has been made to a new recipe that makes the chips “smaller, rounder and lighter” than existing Pringles, said the company. Variants include Sundried Tomato with Basil, Thai Sweet Chilli and Spicy Szechuan BBQ and come in a rice or potato version depending on the flavour.
The range would sit alongside the brand’s existing premium range, Pringles Gourmet, and be priced at £1.48 for a 150g bag, said P&G.
There were no plans to pull Gourmet from shelves, it claimed, but the range would be reviewed as par for the course.
“Today, Pringles Gourmet continues to be shipped to UK retailers,” said Ian Morley, director Pringles UK & Ireland. “However, as with all our products we continuously evaluate their role in the marketplace and will obviously cease to ship them in the future if we feel focus should be placed on other products within the range.”
Select’s launch would be supported by a multi-million pound marketing campaign, said Morley. This would include TV ads for the Spicy Szechuan and Sun Dried Tomato flavours as well as PoS, posters, gondola-end displays and sampling in-store around the launch date.
“We really learnt from the launch of Rice Infusions when 44% of the first-year sales were made in the first 13 weeks,” said Morley. “As a result we are going to invest in a lot of in-store theatre and really shout about Select in the first weeks.”
Last month P&G won a court battle to have Pringles reclassified as cakes rather than potato crisps on the grounds they were more like a cake or a biscuit because they were manufactured from dough.
As a result Pringles are no longer subject to VAT.
P&G described the brand extension, which is launched next month, as the biggest in Pringles’ history.
The six-strong range has been made to a new recipe that makes the chips “smaller, rounder and lighter” than existing Pringles, said the company. Variants include Sundried Tomato with Basil, Thai Sweet Chilli and Spicy Szechuan BBQ and come in a rice or potato version depending on the flavour.
The range would sit alongside the brand’s existing premium range, Pringles Gourmet, and be priced at £1.48 for a 150g bag, said P&G.
There were no plans to pull Gourmet from shelves, it claimed, but the range would be reviewed as par for the course.
“Today, Pringles Gourmet continues to be shipped to UK retailers,” said Ian Morley, director Pringles UK & Ireland. “However, as with all our products we continuously evaluate their role in the marketplace and will obviously cease to ship them in the future if we feel focus should be placed on other products within the range.”
Select’s launch would be supported by a multi-million pound marketing campaign, said Morley. This would include TV ads for the Spicy Szechuan and Sun Dried Tomato flavours as well as PoS, posters, gondola-end displays and sampling in-store around the launch date.
“We really learnt from the launch of Rice Infusions when 44% of the first-year sales were made in the first 13 weeks,” said Morley. “As a result we are going to invest in a lot of in-store theatre and really shout about Select in the first weeks.”
Last month P&G won a court battle to have Pringles reclassified as cakes rather than potato crisps on the grounds they were more like a cake or a biscuit because they were manufactured from dough.
As a result Pringles are no longer subject to VAT.
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