In depth: Stocking canned grocery
Stocking bestsellers is vital, and as part of Retail Newsagent’s soup and canned grocery feature we analysed three years of RN’s What to Stock list.
Canned/Packaged, How-to
Stocking bestsellers is vital for any category, and as part of Retail Newsagent’s soup and canned grocery feature we analysed the past three years of RN’s What to Stock list of the 25 bestselling canned goods across 2,200 independent convenience stores.
What’s clear is the strength that major brands continue to show year on year, driving category growth as well as innovation.
2012
In 2012, Heinz unsurprisingly dominated the baked beans market with pricemarked variants of the classic 415g tin, which outperformed standard packs. However it was interesting to note that only half the shops surveyed were stocking this favourite. Also, while there were just two own brands in the top 25, one pricemarked variant claimed ninth place over all.
| Rank | Description | AVP 2011 | AVP 2012 | Price +/- versus 2011 | Weekly Sales Per Shop Stocking | % Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g PM 65p – 75p | 70p | 70p | / | £3.95 | 50% |
| 2 | Heinz Classic Cream Of Tomato Soup 400g PM 89p | 89p | 89p | / | £1.57 | 66% |
| 3 | Princes Corned Beef 340g | £2.41 | £2.62 | 21p | £1.28 | 54% |
| 4 | Carnation Evaporated Milk 410g PM 79p | 79p | 79p | / | 98p | 62% |
| 5 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g | 85p | 87p | 2p | £1.91 | 30% |
2013
Heinz baked beans 415g 4-pack shot straight to top position courtesy of its eye-catching £2 pricemark. Trends toward home-cooking helped Napolina Chopped Tomatoes and Heinz’s Vegetable and Oxtail soups improve their chart positions. Own label continued to show growth with four new lines entering the top 25 list.
| Rank | Product | Average selling price 2013 | Average weekly sales per shop stocking | % YOY Distribution Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g 4-pack PM £2.00 | £2.00 | £3.64 | NEW |
| 2 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g PM 75p | 75p | £2.09 | -7% |
| 3 | Heinz Classic Cream Of Tomato Soup 400g PM 95p | 95p | £2.10 | 3% |
| 4 | Heinz Spaghetti Hoops 400g 4-pack PM £2.00 | £2.00 | £1.25 | NEW |
| 5 | Ambrosia Custard 400g PM £1.05 | £1.05 | £1.34 | 0% |
2014
Heinz continues to be a star performer with 4 improving rankings and Big Soup Chicken & Vegetable noted as one to watch. All five pricemarked own label cans showed strong growth and climbed the charts. Princes corned beef stands unrivalled in this segment, having made the top ten over the last 3 years.
| 2013 rank | Rank | Description | Average price 2014 | Average weekly sales per shop stocking | Distribution % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g PM 75p | 75p | £3.24 | 82% |
| 3 | 2 | Heinz Classic Cream Of Tomato Soup 400g PM 95p | 95p | £2.34 | 79% |
| 5 | 3 | Ambrosia Custard 400g PM £1.05 | £1.05 | £1.51 | 73% |
| 1 | 4 | Heinz Baked Beans 415g 4-pack PM £2.00 | £2.00 | £2.15 | 48% |
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