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HEALTHY LIVING FROM PAGE 37 messages to customers to improve their ease of shopping and have the maximum impact on-shelf to communicate our brands’ core values and differentiate the product offerings that are manufactured in the same pack format.” Keep it Cleaner has also recently launched 18 new products into Woolworths’ sport and diet layout, three new superfood pastas into Coles’ health food layout, two new fermented vegetable products into Coles’ chilled health layout, and 10 new products into Countdown New Zealand’s sport and diet layout. Keep it Cleaner is launching 13 new products during October in line with the brand’s “accelerated brand momentum, innovation pipeline and retailer support”. New to market is a range of Nut Butter Bliss Balls, Indulgent Choc Truffles, and Raw Slices. These are all available at Coles in the health food and chilled health sections. Solutions for ‘underserved’ needs Mingle Seasoning offers a range of 15 “healthy” spice blends that it says empower everyday Australians to cook tasty and fuss-free meals. The brand has five flavours available nationally at Coles with its whole range stocked in 250-plus independent stockists around Australia. This year, Mingle Seasoning founder Jordyn Evans says the seasoning category has attracted “incredible growth” due to Covid-19 and the increased number of people cooking at home through isolation. She says Coles category manager Gillian Forde reports that more customers are buying herbs and spices than ever before, with the category attracting double-digit growth compared with last year. “This has been reflected in our sales, and more anecdotally, the out-of-stocks on shelves as demand has suddenly increased in the category,” Ms Evans said. She adds that together with changing attitudes towards cooking with the popularity of culinary shows such as MasterChef, this has boosted growth in the spice category and industry as more consumers look to experiment in preparing meals at home. “At a category level, competitors who are focusing on improved quality and the functionality of the product are developing a competitive edge over the traditional commoditised offers,” Ms Evans said. “We think herbs and spices will only continue to grow as a destination as we help bring the commoditised category closer to the new and evolved wants and needs of the modern-day customer. “Health and convenience play roles in all categories, not just the obvious fresh and ready meals spaces in supermarkets, and Mingle is here to grow the category by providing solutions for underserved customer needs.” Mingle also recognised that packaging in this category is “highly uninformed, and if you don’t mind me saying, quite bland”, Ms Evans says, so the brand has “shaken things up on the shelf” with packaging that “pops”, is contemporary, and “excites customers”. “It’s the packaging people feel proud to display on their kitchen countertop,” she said. “We’re making the spice category and people’s spice racks look like something they want to show off.” Ms Evans believes opportunities are available for attracting more customers to seasoning, spice and flavouring offerings. “When you’re thinking of ‘what’s for dinner?’ you’re naturally going to select your protein and vegetables in the fresh section,” she said. “I think there are other opportunities to leverage these retail sections for flavour solutions, as well as the herbs and spices aisle. We think dual location near the meat fridges or in the fresh produce department would be a great opportunity to increase basket size and provide customers solutions in their decision making on the supermarket floor. “Something else to note is there are other seasonings in the market that claim to have ‘no nasties’. I encourage retailers to look for integrity with this. Customers see through these claims and want quality products that stand by what they say. This is how trust and value will stay in the herbs and spice aisle.” TO PAGE 40 38 RETAIL WORLD OCT, 2020