Walkers heads seasonal snack launches
product launches, with plans to introduce special products for the
Halloween and Christmas periods.
For Halloween, the company will be re-launching its ghost-shaped Quavers Ghosts as well as its Monster Munch Spooky Tongue product, which contains a food colouring that leaves the consumer's tongue blue.
"With the UK Halloween market growing by a staggering 25 per cent year on year, (these products) have been re-introduced to provide additional sales opportunities created by this trend," said Nicky Seal, trade marketing manager of Walkers parent company PepsiCo.
The company said its two Halloween products both featured in the top 30 best selling impulse snacks in the UK last year, with sales of the regular varieties also significantly increased.
Christmas will see the launch of a new range of Sensations Seasonal Pretzels, since, according to the company, "a third of all pretzels are sold in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas."
Walkers will also be reintroducing a number of other festive crisp and snack products, including Christmas Turkey and Paxo flavoured Crisps, which Walkers says will come "with a new twist".
The company hopes to target impulse sales by selling its seasonal products in new Christmas packaging to give them a greater "stand out" appeal.
It is recommending that retailers site the products in special seasonal aisles.
"At Christmas sharing and socialising reaches a peak and households want bigger bags, festive flavours and new products.
For 2005 we have streamlined our Christmas range to cater for two key areas, 'family favourites' and 'adult sociability', the two snacking segments that we know consumers want during the holiday period," said Seal.
External links to companies or organisations mentioned in thisstory: Walkers PepsiCo