San Francisco, CA – A new study on the microwaveable/steamable fresh potato segment conducted by Nielsen Perishables Group highlights the impact that Side Delights® Steamables have on retailer sales and identifies the desirable shopper groups that the growing brand is attracting. Side Delights® Steamables are the leading brand in the steamable segment, with 54.4% of all microwaveable bag volume measured by Nielsen and accounting for half of all dollar sales in the segment. During the 52 week period ending 6/27/15, Steamables posted eye-popping growth of 18.2% in volume and 17.1% in dollar sales. Just as impressive, Side Delights® Steamables achieved their dominant share of the segment despite accounting for only 7 of the 35 SKUs that Nielsen categorizes as microwaveable/steamable fresh potatoes.
Nielsen’s analytics determined that the source of Steamables’ impressive sales power comes from its superior sales velocity. Nielsen found that Steamables recorded dollar sales velocity on par with the rest of the products in the segment combined! Nielsen data also revealed the pent-up revenue potential that the Side Delights® Steamables brand is harboring. Despite its impressive success, today only a minority of food retailers are stocking the Steamables brand. But if Steamables enjoyed the same retail distribution that 5lb russet bags occupy, Steamables would be a $100+ million brand – and that is just in the retail chains that Nielsen measures!
According to Nielsen, retailers will be more likely to consider stocking the Side Delights® Steamables product line once they understand the positive impact that the brand has on transaction averages. Nielsen found that when Steamables were in the shopping basket, they resulted in nearly twice the register ring of a basket with any produce item, $108 versus $56 respectively, and 28% more than the average shopping basket that included fresh potatoes. And Steamables shoppers spend more on produce and across the retailer’s total store than average shoppers do.
The study also dug deep into which shoppers were buying microwaveable/steamable potatoes, and buying Steamables in particular. Using shopper insights gained from Oracle Data Cloud Shopper Intelligence, Nielsen found that Steamables shoppers tend towards affluent, fresh food- and waistline-focused small households looking for health benefits like gluten-free, and seeking out healthy items to snack on and cook with at home.
“The study by Nielsen Perishables Group was a real eye-opener for us” explained Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “We knew that Side Delights® Steamables were doing very well and outpacing the competition, but we hadn’t realized the sheer size of the opportunity that we’re on to. For instance, the Nielsen data tells us that 53% of American households are buying value-added vegetables, but that only just over 1% of households are currently purchasing Steamables. Just think if all of those value-added households were to discover the healthy, tasty convenience of Side Delights® Steamables – we could find ourselves with a business possibly fifty times larger than it is today. Now that’s what I would call a brand with growth potential!”
###
About Fresh Solutions Network, LLC:
Fresh Solutions Network is a group of family-owned growers & shippers who choose to work together to make the potato and onion industry better for everyone. FSN helps potato and onion buyers grow their categories, maximize category investment, and increase sales. We deliver competitive insights, collaborative innovation and customized assortment. Fresh Solutions Network, LLC partners are: Sterman Masser, Inc. (Masser Potato Farms and Keystone Potato Products in Sacramento and Hegins, PA), Michael Family Farms, Inc. (Urbana, OH), Basin Gold Cooperative, Inc. (Pasco, WA), Green Thumb Farms, Inc. (Fryeburg, ME), Red Isle Potato Growers, Ltd. (Prince Edward Island, Canada), NoKota Packers, Inc. (Buxton, ND), Sun-Glo of Idaho, Inc. (Sugar City, ID), and Mack Farms, Inc. (Lake Wales, FL).
Source: Fresh Solutions Network, LLC
