Me and My Brand: Amy Heap of KP Snacks

Marketing Manager Amy Heap talks about the c-store heritage brands that set KP Snacks apart from the competition and explains why they are doing so well

Can you please give an overview of your brand?

At KP Snacks, we offer a wide-ranging portfolio of crisps and snacks. One aspect of our range that sets us apart is our selection of classic Heritage Brands. With Nik Naks, Wheat Crunchies, Space Raiders, Roysters, Discos and Frisps, we’re tapping into the growing consumer demand for “Modern Nostalgia”, maintaining the positive associations our consumers have with these brands and making sure they remain relevant in today’s market. As well as being great tasting, fun and familiar, these products offer great value to shoppers with unique and flavourful brands that consumers trust and love.

How is the range currently performing?

Our unique brands are delivering sustainable growth to the Convenience channel. Last year, Nik Naks and Discos were in the UK’s top ten fastest-growing Food & Drink brands, with Wheat Crunchies growing by over 50 per cent¹. Space Raiders is also driving sales within the channel, growing at +4 per cent². Meanwhile, Roysters T-Bone Steak £1.25 PMP is outperforming the PMP segment in both volume and value.³ These unique brands have become staples of the Convenience & Impulse channel, offering consumers a mix of value, familiarity, quality and great taste.

How is the market currently performing?

Bagged Snacks is a strong and resilient category with huge scale, now worth over £4.3bn⁴ and growing. At KP Snacks, we have a track record of strong performance with our Heritage Brand portfolio currently growing at +6 per cent⁵.

Now more than ever, consumers are looking for products which are considered to offer good value for money, with retailers saying customers are looking for value and deals⁶. While our range offers everyday value it also bridges the gap between nostalgia and relevance, making them hugely popular.

How are you supporting your brand?

We’ve recently launched an exciting new £45,000 retailer incentive for our Heritage portfolio. Running until October 13, the new giveaway offers retailers the chance to win one of 90 £500 cash prizes by purchasing cases of Discos, Space Raiders, Nik Naks, Roysters, and Wheat Crunchies.

The incentive showcases our range and the critical role it plays within the Bagged Snacks category as a staple of the Convenience & Impulse channel. We’re also distributing new POS kits to drive standout of Heritage brands in-store and help increase retailer sales.

Our new POS package features the strapline “Extra Taste, Extra Fun and Extra Sales” and includes vibrant dump bins, shelf wobblers and shelf strips to help retailers capitalise on the strength of KP Snacks’ Everyday Value brands, delivering stronger customer visibility to drive sales growth.

We also recently launched brand new packaging across our Discos range, giving this classic brand a more contemporary feel. With vibrant colours and a dynamic design, the new packs deliver a more impactful standout on shelves.

Do you have any new product development?

We are committed to bringing innovation to the category with our NPD strategy, anchored in insight and delivered in a range of formats to bolster retailer sales.

We continue to innovate across our Heritage Brands range to deliver further differentiation.

We recently launched Nik Naks Rib ‘N’ Saucy in Grab Bag format, reintroduced the sought-after Nik Naks Scampi and Lemon in a £1.25 PMP and launched Wheat Crunchies Spicy Tomato, driving consumer interest and sales.

Most recently, we launched Discos Prawn Cocktail £1.25 PMP, capitalising on the considerable growth of Prawn flavours in the UK market. Worth £154m and growing +16 per cent YOY⁷, Prawn flavours are increasingly in demand.

It’s not just our products we’re innovating – we’re constantly reviewing and improving our packaging in line with our commitment to use as little plastic packaging as possible. This year we reduced plastic packaging across our Discos, Roysters and Frisps six-packs by 35 per cent by implementing new flow wrap equipment. Equivalent to 100 tonnes of packaging saved annually and 620 fewer lorry journeys, our packaging innovation helps to minimise our environmental footprint.

How important are independent retailers to your brand?

Retailers are hugely important to our brands and we are committed to delivering great value to our consumers, while also providing the right products in the right formats to drive sales for our retail partners and incremental category growth.

Heritage brands are a critical part of core ranging, with these products in particular appealing to consumers looking for great value snacks and representing brands that are iconic and well-loved in their own right.

Our new incentive is specifically designed to reward retailers and help them boost their sales by leveraging familiar brands which deliver everyday value and strong consumer appeal.

What trends are occurring in the sector?

PMP formats have seen significant growth in recent years and will stay increasingly relevant as the cost of living remains high. PMPs offer consumers great value for money, with clear pricing reassuring shoppers that they’re getting a good deal. Food to Go missions are also on the rise at +15 per cent⁸.

We have an extensive PMP portfolio, offering a range of tasty snacks at a variety of prices to suit all budgets and occasions. Our smaller format PMPs include the UK’s number one best value brand, Space Raiders, in a 40p PMP, alongside Discos, Skips and Wheat Crunchies at 50p with Nik Naks Nice ‘N’ Spicy and Nik Naks Rib ‘N’ Saucy available as £1.25 PMPs.

Describe your brand in three words …

Great-tasting, fun, trusted.

¹ Nielsen IQ, Total Convenience Bagged Snacks Report, Total Volume, MAT 13.07.24

² Nielsen IQ, Total Convenience Bagged Snacks Report, Total Volume, MAT 13.07.24

³ Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Value, MAT 13.07.24

⁴ Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Value, MAT 13.07.24

⁵ Nielsen 52 w/e 10/08/24

⁶ Figures quoted from KP Snacks/ ACS survey of 28 retailers, August 2022

⁷ Category – NielsenIQ, Scantrack, 52 w/e Oct 2023 - Total Coverage

⁸ Lumina Q1 Convenience Strategy Forum 2023