Tesco is gearing up to launch in-store fixtures dedicated to imported US products.

The Tesco fixture, which is understood to be launching into three stores imminently, ahead of a wider rollout, is expected to feature US brands including Hershey’s chocolate, meat snacks brand Jack Link’s and food lines including pretzels, mustard, squeezy cheese, macaroni cheese and cereals.

News of Tesco’s plans comes two weeks after Asda launched American confectionery bays in almost 100 stores.

Euro Foods Brands, distributor of Jack Link’s, said the opening of specialist American confectionery shops in the UK had helped fuel a growing appetite for US brands.

“People enjoy something international and appreciate the things Americans appreciate,” said brand manager Shane Angus. Sales of Euro Foods’ Hershey’s products grew 50% last year and the company is hoping for another 20% uplift by the end of 2012, he added.

Last year, Asda rolled out a range of 12 Hershey’s products and started stocking fizzy drink RC Cola as it looked to leverage its relationship with US parent company Walmart. In January this year, it brought more Hershey’s and Reese’s favourites across the Atlantic, following customer requests on Facebook and Twitter.

Sales of chewy candy brand Tootsie Rolls were four times higher than the average for a confectionery line, said Asda category director of impulse grocery Chris Silcock, adding that Hershey’s and Reese’s sales were up 25% since the bays launched.

Ocado also expanded its American range in June with the roll-out of 12 lines of Jell-O supplied by Innovative Bites, which sells more than £1m of US products to Amazon UK and claimed the business had grown 200% year-on-year.

Topics