The spotlight is on Australia’s most innovative new products in the annual consumer-voted Product of the Year Awards 2016.
Research company Nielsen surveyed more than 14,000 consumers for the country’s largest independent study of household consumer innovation, which reviews new products against criteria such as trial performance, value for money and overall satisfaction.
The 46 winners represent the most exciting new products on the Australian market today. Product of the Year Director Sarah Connelly said she was delighted with the range and overall quality of the innovations presented this year.
“There have been innovative improvements to household name brands like Dove and exciting new meal solutions to make our lives easier,” she said.
“Brands and private label products from the supermarket chains are really stepping up to meet consumers’ appetite for new products that are useful and relevant to them.”
Once again, retailers performed well in the awards, with ALDI coming away with 12 wins, Woolworths with six and Coles four.
Coles General Manager of Coles Brand Micheal Lovsin says the retailer works closely with suppliers to extensively test and develop great-tasting, quality products for the Coles Brand range that can be offered to customers at a great price.
“Winning Product of the Year is a great acknowledgement of the time and effort put into these products,” he said.
A spokesperson for ALDI Australia said: “We’re always looking for ways to innovate and offer more value to our shoppers.”
Ms Connelly says shoppers are certainly more open to trying ALDI’s winning products, emphasising the trend towards affordable, quality products.
“It’s all about value for money and shoppers won’t be swayed by cheap and inferior products – not for long, anyway – so the quality has to be there to make an impact and result in repeat purchases,” she said.
Ms Connelly says winning Product of the Year is a huge stamp of approval for shoppers.
“Shoppers can rest assured that these products have been voted for by people just like them and, whether they’re buying large household appliances, beauty products or everyday grocery items, that all the guesswork has already been done,” she said.