Product innovation for category growth

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New Laager Rooibos Cappuccino

Maintaining growth in the older, more established FMCG categories is a difficult task for any brand manager and introducing new consumers to the category is as important as ensuring they choose your brand when buying. In a mature category, product innovation should form a corner stone of any successful growth strategy and if implemented correctly will help to grow the category as well as the brand. Product development is expensive and requires significant financial and human capital investment.

Retailers are often reluctant to invest shelf space to products in a category that has low or in some instances negative growth so it’s important that they are aware of the product’s appeal, as well as the intention to develop the category. Retail buyers ultimately play the role of St. Peter at the “pearly gates” for any brand, so it is important to consider them as partners and include them as early as possible in the development cycle.

The Laager brand has aggressively pursued a strategy to develop the tea category and have used product development and the positioning of Rooibos tea as a healthy hot beverage alternative to access and develop new markets.

Have a look at some of the fantastic innovations.

· NEW! Laager Rooibos Cappuccinno
· NEW! Laager Shake4Kidz

Innovation within FMCG categories is crucial in driving category growth

BRAND NEW PRODUCTS

NEW! Laager Rooibos Cappuccinno All the natural goodness of rooibos in an indulgent Laager Rooibos Cappuccino read more
NEW! Laager Shake4Kidz Great Tasting Chocolate & Strawberry flavoured Rooibos shake for kids! read more
Add a twist of flavour to your food with Lecol Flavoured Lemon Juice The Lecol taste and convenience you have come to trust and rely on will be available from August 2010 in three delicious new flavours. Look out for Lecol Lemon with a twist of garlic and herb flavour, butter flavour and peri-peri flavour at a supermarket or a grocery store near you. read more

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Convenience is leading the expansion race in the global grocery market. And nowhere is the trend more pronounced than in the U.K., where recently released figures from intelligence agencies Nielsen and IGD verify that convenience store growth is outrunning that of out-of-town supermarkets.

Given that only 15% of convenience stores are owned by supermarkets, the FMCG retail heavyweights are keen to seize hold of unoccupied territory. Sainsbury's is one of a number of UK grocers to target convenience as a central vehicle for growth. The retailer aims to add 75 - 100 new convenience stores to its 335-strong number in 2010/2011, and has its sights set on another 100 thereafter.

Not only was the convenience sector one of the key beneficiaries of recessionary shopper behaviour, but the consequent improvements made to its offering - particularly by way of private label and fresh produce expansion - have helped it retain its appeal to the post recessionary, value-coveting consumer. And, with the convenience store concept denying any manner of standard format, the scope for profit-yielding, complementary - rather than competitive - activity across city centre, high street and neighbourhood operations is almost a given.

In South Africa we have seen a similar trend of inversion of big and small where smaller stores, more accessible locations and abbreviated product assortments have secured return on investment. And it is the forecourt retailer that leads the trend as stakeholders Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Fruit & Veg City jostle for pole position.

New Products

VOILA! They’re here! Two new Premium Rusks from Bokomo. The gourmet treat for connoisseurs. Get these deliciously different rusks now and savour the flavour of a whole new taste sensation. Bon appetit! read more
Introducing new Heinz Pre-Bake Pies Now Heinz is offering you 3 premium quality pre-baked pies - Chicken & Mushroom, Pepper Steak, Steak & Kidney read more
Introducing the first full revitalising grooming range Revitalising is a major need and is already proven successful in the market with Revitalising Q10 Moisturiser, the top performing sku in the NIVEA FOR MEN portfolio. read more
Ceres Fruit Juice in Tetra Pak - Smart for your health and for the planet Smart consumers care about a product’s impact on the environment – that’s why Ceres Fruit Juice packed in Tetra Pak is the best possible packaging when choosing fruit juice. read more
Beechies Is Now Too Good Not To Share Beechies is back with a bang! Natela Importers is celebrating the re-launch of the Beechies brand into the South African market by to introducing eight new, long-lasting flavours. These include Mixed Berry Splash, Luscious Strawberry, Menthol Eucalyptus Rush, Peachy Apricot, Magic Musk, Peppermint Blast, Sweet Cherry Kiss and Spearmint Shock. read more