First in class

A limited edition Rice Krispies Squares Totally Chocolatey Orange is now available

Manufacturers have excelled by offering convenient, value-for-money options that lend parents a helping hand during the busy back to school season

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Brand Central

The average cost of sending a child to junior infants this year is €350, rising to €805 for a student starting secondary school,  according to Barnardos’ annual School Costs Survey.  “The message from parents responding to Barnardos’ survey is clear: families are struggling to meet the extensive costs of sending children to school,” the charity said. Accordingly, value is a key consideration parents will be bearing in mind as they prepare for the back to school season.

Yet while budgetary concerns are certainly weighing on some parents’ minds, a survey by Kellogg’s shows that 74% of Irish children look forward to going back to school, while a staggering 83% of parents admit that they look forward to 1 September when children are back in the classroom, according to the company’s Back to School survey. The majority of parents polled  (87%) said they look forward to the new school term because it brings a return to routine and discipline for the family.
Another encouraging statistic the survey revealed is that 97% of parents make sure that their children get breakfast before they head out the door in the morning.

Advance organisation is also key to ensuring that the morning goes well. In fact, 63% of Irish mums  say having everything ready the night before is their recipe for success, however for dads, sleep is a higher priority, with 65% of dads saying a good night’s sleep ensures a stress free morning. Convenient lunchtime options which can be popped into lunchboxes are therefore proving a hit with time-pressured parents.

Deliciously gooey

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares are having more fun this September with the launch of the limited edition Rice Krispies Squares Totally Chocolatey Orange.  This new addition to the range is available in stores nationwide for a limited period.

Rice Krispies Squares Totally Chocolatey Orange is the fifth variant from the Rice Krispies Squares range to hit the shelves with Totally Chocolatey, Marshmallow, Caramel & Chocolate and Crazy Choc already proving substantial successes in the Irish market.

According to Emer Barry, snacks brand manager for Kellogg’s, “This new deliciously gooey addition to the range will create some excitement in the snacking category and really drive growth in the convenience channel”.

Mini Babybel is an ideal lunchbox snack solution containing all the nutritional goodness of real cheese

Rice Krispies Squares Totally Chocolately Orange will be supported by a new TV and outdoor advertising campaign from 12 September, promising to be one to look out for. Kellogg’s advises retailers to stock up before they all go.

Distinctive nutritional goodness

Mini Babybel is an instantly recognisable brand with its distinctive red waxy jacket. Its novel ‘zipper’ opening makes it a fun cheese to be enjoyed at any time. Mini Babybel has all the natural flavour and nutritional goodness of real cheese making it an ideal lunchbox snack solution. Mini Babybel Original is sold in nets of six and 12, and the Light and Cheddar varieties are sold in nets of six. Mini Babybel is supported by ongoing TV advertising as well as strong trade promotions.

Jelly Legs contain no artificial colours or flavours and don’t require refrigeration

Jelly Legs set to shake up lunch boxes

Jelly Legs is an recent innovation from the Gleeson Group.

Each take home box of Jelly Legs contains 20 individual tubes of pre set jelly. The Jelly Legs come in a range of five flavours: Strawberry, Tropical, Mango, Sour Apple and Blackcurrant.

Jelly Legs are ideal for popping in lunch boxes as a tasty treat for kids. As well as being extremely convenient they contain no artificial colours, no artificial flavours and there is no need to refrigerate the product, which will keep mums happy too.

As more and more schools apply a healthy eating policy for lunchtime, these low calorie, easy open jelly tubes are an ideal lunch box filler.

The product has enjoyed a  successful launch since last December and is available now to the whole market. With a consumer RRP of just €2.19 for a box of 20 Jelly Legs, and much positive feedback from schools and parents, this convenient new product is set to perform well.

Goodness of both white and wholemeal

Sandwiches remain the number one choice for Irish mums when packing lunchboxes, and with such a diverse range of freshly baked bread, Johnston Mooney & O’Brien believes it has the solution to meet any taste.

Butterkrust, the white family pan, has a proud heritage in Irish homes and its return was prompted by consumer and customer demand.  With the message ‘Butterkrust, so tasty we brought it back’, this welcome return will be supported by TV, radio, press, outdoor, online and in-store POS marketing investment throughout the back to school period and to year end.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot is available in three flavours – Orange, Blackcurrant & Apple and Summer Fruits

Encouraging kids to eat brown bread can be a difficult task.  Johnston Mooney & O’Brien’s healthy nutritious Goodness of Both is the answer.  Soft smooth white with all the goodness of wholemeal means a sandwich made with Goodness of Both will taste fantastic and have the added benefit of being a great source of fibre, says the company.  Goodness of Both has quickly become Johnston Mooney & O’Brien’s second most popular variant.

Sales shooting up

Robinsons Fruit Shoot is the fastest growing ready-to-drink (RTD) in the market and enjoys 14% value share*, which is a growth of three share points versus the same period last year.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot is the original kids on the go drink. The core Fruit Shoot range are all no added sugar varieties offering mum a great way to keep kids hydrated on-the-go and it’s loved by kids with its great flavour and packaging. Robinsons Fruit Shoot is a crucial brand for the back to school period when kids are on-the-go, running to and from school and after school activities and need a product that can keep up with their busy lives.

Robinsons Fruit Shoot is available in three flavours – Orange, Blackcurrant & Apple and Summer Fruits. With no artificial flavours or colours, Robinsons Fruit Shoots are an easy and tasty way to ensure kids keep hydrated. And because they’re handily packaged in an easy-squeezy sports bottle, they’re ideal for helping to keep active kids hydrated after sport, play and when they’re out and about.  

Look out for consumer promotional activity in trade for the back to school period.  

(*Source: AC Nielsen Total Scan MAT July 2011)

Appetising taste of France

The Cuisine de France Bake at Home range allows consumers to enjoy the aroma of freshly baking breads at home

As September approaches and back to school is on the mind of every parent, don’t forget to stock up on the Cuisine De France French Bread range which is perfect for kids’ lunches and quick snacks.

The Cuisine de France Plain White Demi Baguette is loved by all ages from teenagers to adults and is a great sandwich carrier at delis or similarly as a take home option. Why not try the group’s wider range of Demi Baguettes including Triple Grain Demi, Malted Demi or Poppy Seeded Demi to add a bit of variety to your fresh in-store bakery offer.

The group’s Petit Pains will keep the kids happy, and are a perfect size for kids’ lunch boxes. French Bread multi-buy offers are ideal for larger households. To drive impulse sales, the placement of multi-buy offers front of store are proven to entice consumers to purchase. Cuisine de France Bake at Home Petit Pains and Demi Baguettes are the perfect cupboard fillers. This range allows consumers to turn their kitchens into boulangeries and enjoy the aroma of freshly baking breads with the same great taste that they expect from Cuisine de France in the comfort of their own home.

Talk to your Cuisine de France category specialist who can offer you advice on how best to prepare, bake off and display your French bread offering in store as well as displaying your Bake at Home range.

Seriously mixed up fruit

“Vimto products offer something different and unique to the lunchbox market, providing a refreshing option beyond the usual flavour choices,” says Emma Hunt, brand manager,  Vimto Free ‘Seriously Mixed Up Fruit’ eye-catching point of sale material from Vimto is available to retailers on Vimto’s trade website (www.vimtotrade.co.uk).

Research recently conducted by the company revealed that 74% of independent retailers intentionally stock soft drinks products that cater for the ‘back to school’ period, with the majority choosing price marked packs and pocket money priced products as their first choice when stocking for this profit opportunity.

Emma Hunt adds: “Our flagship brand Vimto continues to attract more and more shoppers and is currently the fastest growing soft drinks brand in the UK (Top 25), significantly outperforming the growth of the total soft drinks market*.”  

“Over the last year we’ve heavily invested in Vimto, resulting in a brand value of £55.9m, growing at a rate of 15% YOY**.”  

This year Vimto launched a new-look 500ml Still Vimto bottle to attract teens and adults on the go.  The new bottle has curved contours for easy grip, ridges at the neck and a sportscap to make on the go drinking easier for the teen and adult lunch occasion.

*(Source: Nielsen Total Soft Drinks (Top 25 Brands) MAT 19.02.11 – includes private label)
**(Source: Nielsen Total Coverage 11.06.11)

More cheese please

Avonmore Cheese is a long standing family favourite among Irish consumers and is convenient for everyday usage occasions for all the family. Consumers can choose from sliced and grated in a wide range of variants. Avonmore Cheese Slices taste great in sandwiches for school lunch boxes, on ciabattas at work, or melted in tasty toasties in the evening. Avonmore Grated packs are perfect for pasta dishes, baked potatoes, salads or sandwiches. All packs include recipe ideas so rustling up a healthy nutritious meal for all the family is easy with Avonmore cheese.

All SKUs in the Avonmore range are re-sealable for convenience and freshness.

Avonmore Grated continues to be the number one branded player in the grated natural cheese market (Source: MAT Nielsen July 10th 2011).

Since its establishment in 1986, Tipperary Natural Mineral Water has flourished into a major national brand

Burst your thirst

Tipperary Natural Mineral Water is delighted to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Tipperary Water was founded in 1986 by Patrick and Nicholas Cooney. One year later, in 1987, it was the first Irish bottled water to qualify for the European Union’s “Natural Mineral Water” status and has since flourished into a major national brand, winning 10 gold medals from The British Beverage Institute in blind taste tests. The company is 100% Irish and family owned, and forms part of the Gleeson Group, employing over 700 people around the country.

Tipperary Kidz water is the perfect water for packed lunches and for quick re-hydration throughout the day. Designed

Tipperary Kidz is now available in a 24 pack flashed at €7

especially for kids, Tipperary Kidz water comes in an easy to hold bottle with a fun sports cap for instant refreshment. Not only is it fun for kids but parents can be happy too in the knowledge that water is a  healthy option. Launched in 2003, Tipperary Kidz continues to lead the way in the kids water category.

This year Tipperary Kidz is launching a brand new pack for the back to school season. Noticing the demand for larger pack formats, Tipperary Kidz is now available in a 24 pack flashed at €7; offering consumers great value for money. Tipperary Kidz will also be supported by a nationwide TV advertising campaign and in-store POS.

Panda power

Panda offers both chocolate spread and pea nut butter ranges in eye-catching packaging for kids

Panda chocolate spread has always been a favourite with Irish households, but now the range has been updated with a brand new look and a new recipe. This range includes Superb Chocolate Spread, Hazelnutty Chocolate Spread and Tongue Twisting Two Tone Spread. The eye catching packaging is sure to appeal to children.

The new look also features on the Panda Peanut Butter range. Panda Peanut Butter comes in two flavours, smooth and crunchy.  Panda Peanut Butter has a special recipe to give an authentic American style taste.

Q & A…

Pat Keane, sales director, Keane’s Wholesale Ltd

When was Keane’s Wholesale Ltd founded and how has the company grown over the intervening years?
Keane’s Wholesale Ltd was established in 1957 to service local grocery stores and newsagents with an array of non-food product comprised of stationery,  homewares, toys and gifts. Through the past five decades, we expanded the business by developing our product range and increasing our customer base.

Today, we are a key distributor of quality stationery brands to the FMCG sector in Ireland.

How wide is the range of stationery products offered by Keane’s Wholesale Ltd for the busy back to school period?
It is our first season distributing official GAA licensed stationery merchandise throughout Ireland. The reaction to the range i.e, six stationery products uniquely designed for each of the 32 counties with official GAA branding, logos and county crests has been astonishing.  Retail margin is higher than conventional stationery product and demand for the product is exceptional.
EDUK8 student stationery is now established as a brand leader across Ireland. EDUK8 is a high quality, stylish and unique brand of school stationery with friendly price points. The brand has become synonymous with quality and value for money and its retail margin on return is a major contributor to making it the outstanding success that it is. 

The product is now manufactured using 100% wood free paper and 2011 will mark the introduction of shelf ready packaging (SRP) to the range helping Keane’s Wholesale stay one step ahead of its rivals. SRP will increase in-store sales, enhance brand awareness in-store and speed up on-shelf replenishment rates too. Planograms are available for one metre,  two metres or four metres and can also be customised depending on the requirements of the customer or customer group.

Of course, in addition to EDUK8 and Official GAA Stationery product we are stockists of Sellotape, Staedtler, Faber Castell, Helix and Pritt to mention but a few, with special offers still available on most of these even at this late stage. 

Do your stationery products offer consumers value-for-money?

With increased back to school costs facing an already stretched household budget, the success or otherwise of our 2011 range was always going to be pitched on value.

An EDUK8 192 page hard cover notebook can be purchased now for the same price as 160 pages for the back to school event, €1.99, EDUK8 nine piece Mathematical set retails for just €1.99, EDUK8 88 page copybook 10 pack now sells from €2.29 while 3 x EDUK8 120 Page A4 Refill pads can be purchased for €2 in selected stores. It’s one thing to achieve very aggressive price points on product for back to school, but it’s protecting the quality of the product and maintaining healthy promotional margins for the retailer that sets our company apart.

Have you noticed any new trends occurring within the stationery category? Are there certain products which are performing particularly well?

The biggest trend to hit the stationery market in recent years has been the introduction of licensed product.  I suppose the emergence of Disney character product was really the catalyst for us in terms of making the decision to develop official licensed stationery with the GAA brand.

A good brand is the strength of emotional connection between the customer and product and what better way to connect Irish students to a pencil case, ring binder,  notepads etc. than to put his/her official county GAA branding and colours on them. 

School education itself can be a major driver of trends in terms of encouraging students to buy products which are friendly to the environment.  In 2009 we moved all our stationery paper to 100% wood free raw material.  We were delighted with the response to the extent that many teachers now encourage their students keep consider brand EDUK8 when purchasing stationery products. 

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