Walkers crisps is helping retailers tap into the biggest snacking moment of the year with the launch of two limited-edition festive flavours across its premium Sensations brand. New for this year, Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham flavour will be hitting shelves this October, alongside the return of Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour for another festive season. In addition, Walkers has released festive-themed packaging across sharing bags and large multipacks of selected Walkers and Sensations year-round favourites. The activity is set to be supported by a multi-brand marketing campaign across PepsiCo’s Walkers, Walkers Sensations and Doritos brands.
Shoppers look for elevated snacking options to share with friends and families during holiday celebrations, presenting a huge opportunity for retailers. Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham and Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavours are set to provide retailers with premium, non-HFSS SKUs that encourage consumers to trade up during this period. Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour was a crowd-pleaser last year, generating over £1.2m in value sales. Additionally, seafood flavours experienced an increase of 19 per cent average weekly sales within Total Savoury Snacks during the two weeks leading up to Christmas in 2023, with meaty flavours having experienced 27.8 per cent higher average weekly sales. Through this, both Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce and Honey Glazed Roast Ham flavours are well placed to help retailers leverage these opportunities in 2024.
With enjoyment remaining the number one driver of choice for consumers when purchasing crisps, Walkers is releasing Christmas-themed packaging across selected Walkers and Sensations SKUs. Shoppers increase their savoury snacking spend by 36 per cent over the Christmas period, so the festive packaging will ensure core SKUs remain front of mind during this period. This will support retailers in maximising their savoury snacking sales, especially among shoppers who are more inclined to purchase a variety of snacks to enjoy during their festive celebrations.
"With new shoppers entering the category and existing customers buying more in preparation for the holiday season, Christmas is a crucial opportunity for retailers to be driving their savoury snacking sales," said Senior Marketing Director Wayne Newton. "During this time, shoppers look for extra special snacking options that will elevate their celebrations, such as limited-edition flavours. Our festive reskins will support retailers in offering consumers’ familiar, much-loved snacking favourites with a festive look and feel, while also introducing premium seasonal flavours through our new Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham flavour and the return of the much-loved Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour. These limited-edition options are set to meet the demand for bold and exciting festive treats, ensuring there's something special for everyone this Christmas."
The Walkers and Sensations festive packaging and Sensations limited-edition flavours are available now across the grocery, convenience and wholesale channels. Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham and King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavours are available in 150g sharing formats, with an RRP of £2.50.
Going live from 18 November, PepsiCo’s multi-brand Christmas campaign will span OOH, digital and social media. With Walkers being the number one crisp brand, alongside Doritos as the category’s number one tortilla chip product range, the campaign aims to help retailers provide a wide range of crowd-pleasing snack options for everyone this Christmas.
Festive Reskin SKUs and case sizes
- Walkers Sensations Crisps – Thai Sweet Chilli – 12, 60 and 8 x 150g
- Walkers Sensations Crisps – Chicken & Thyme – 12 x 150g
- Walkers Sensations Crisps – Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelised Onion – 12 x 150g
- Walkers Sensations Crisps – Cheddar & Chilli Chutney – 12 x 150g
- Walkers Sensations Crisps – Sea Salt & Black Peppercorn – 12 x 150g
- Walkers Sensations Poppadom’s – Lime & Coriander – 9 x 82.5g
- Walkers Core – Cheese & Onion – 6 x 150g
- Walkers Core – Ready Salted – 6 x 150g
- Walkers Core – Salt & Vinegar – 6 x 150g
