Cookie Coach Company: On the road to healthy business Cookie Coach Company Unit 7 Westpoint Clarence Avenue Trafford Park Manchester M17 1QS Tel: 0161 952 7000 Fax: 0161 952 7001 E-mail: ccsalesadmin@cookiecoach.co.uk Web site: www.cookiecoach.co.uk Key contactS Managing director Hilary Greaves National accounts director John Masters Key account managers Adam Rowinski Donna Grimshaw Key Brands · Flapjack · High-energy bar · Cake bar Nutritious, impulse-buy snacks that can be delivered quickly around the country have been key products for the Cookie Coach Company since the 1970s. The company's unique combination of a van sales delivery service and constantly enhanced product range has created a snack brand that is well known throughout the UK. Retailers don't just buy a range of products loved by consumers when they choose the brand, they also buy into the Cookie Coach service package. This includes a flexible, tailored delivery service, whether the retailer needs central distribution or a van sales service with merchandising. Cookie Coach says its product range is designed to capitalise on impulse buying, which offers a real opportunity to the independents if they consider siting snack products in impulse situations ­ close to video displays, alongside confectionery countlines or near tills, for example. Research commissioned by the firm shows snacking often occurs when people are sitting in front of the television, so siting individual sweet snacks by a video display could be one way to stimulate the sales of snacks. The research also found that snacking as relaxation is seen as an adult treat. The market for ice cream, for example, has been transformed by Häagen Dazs and Ben and Jerry's, which have promoted adult indulgence snacking, even siting ice cream in video outlets. Today, of course, consumers have started to take greater interest in their health, demanding healthier ingredients and lower fat, salt and sugar content. Taking note of its customers' desires, Cookie Coach has evolved to include healthy eating products, now the company's best-selling range. It started with lower-fat flapjacks, later developing into muesli bars and cake slices. More recently, a range of ready-to-eat fruit has hit the market, an ideal offering with a lunchtime sandwich. Like all Cookie Coach products, these come in attractive display outers suitable for counter-top or on-shelf merchandising. Now Cookie Coach has extended the healthy eating range to include three individual 97% fat-free cake bars and a high-energy bar. Unlike many low-fat products, the 97% fat-free cake bars ­ triple chocolate, carrot & orange and cranberry & apple ­ are low in calories: the triple chocolate weighs in at just 113, making it ideal for dieting chocoholics. The Cookie Coach high-energy bar is designed to meet the demands of those who need a quick energy boost on the go. Made from oats, fruit and natural sweeteners such as honey, it appeals to the health-conscious snacker. With the company's unique service, the high-energy bar can be purchased from a variety of outlets, including sports and leisure centres. The range is constantly reviewed and updated. Most recently, the traditional flapjacks were made available as multi-packs of four and in organic variants. The multi-pack includes three products ­ original, cherry & sultana and organic fruit ­ each containing four 75g bars. The organic product is also available as individual bars for the impulse market and comes in original or fruit flavours. Packs of ready-to-eat fruit have also been introduced, offering health-conscious consumers an alternative to indulgent snacks and confectionery. The three products in the range ­ apricots, raisins and exotic island fruit ­ are packed in 75g vibrant foil bags. They feature on restaurant shelves as a complement to breakfast cereals as well as adding a healthy option to the snack and sandwich fixture. Cookie Coach managing director Hilary Greaves says: "We try to innovate constantly. Certain products are perennial favourites, but we also try to create new ones that reflect the needs of consumers and their changing lives." On the subject of marketing, the Cookie Coach Company says price promotions have become an everyday part of marketing snacks and the aggressive stance of the supermarkets to multi-buys and deep cut-price promotions has now filtered through to garage forecourts and convenience store multiples. Retailers see price promotions as a way of stimulating impulse purchase in-store, says the company, and certain products will react well to such aggressive promotions. As such, they offer an effective mechanism to trial new products or flavours. Price marking is less effective in convenience stores because each store group has different margin expectations, the company argues. Through innovative product development, combined with a unique service, the Cookie Coach Company intends to lead the way in healthy snacking. {{Z SUPPLEMENTS }}