Do You Snack Bear Naked?
Consumer trends are clear -- better-for-you snacking options are driving growth in every food category. However, there is plenty of opportunity to better meet consumers' needs.
08/03/07 Beginning with the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, CA, Bear Naked, Inc. will be rolling out an expanded portfolio of snacking options this month. The #1 and #2 granola brand in the natural and conventional channels, respectively, will be available in several package sizes and configurations, accommodating both consumers' and retailers' requests for great-tasting, better-for-you snacking alternatives.
"From day one, Brendan and Kelly set the goal for Bear Naked to produce all-natural granolas that would, hands down, beat the competition on taste," says Tyler Ricks, Bear Naked's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We can confidently say we have reached our goal, as internal research shows that taste is the number one reason consumers eat Bear Naked." Consumers also enjoy Bear Naked's original soft-baked texture, because it allows them to eat their granola as a snack -- straight out of the bag. Adds Ricks, "According to industry data, Bear Naked is driving granola category growth and we believe its expanded use as a snack is the reason why."
Consumer trends are clear -- better-for-you snacking options are driving growth in every food category. However, there is plenty of opportunity to better meet consumers' needs. According to Mr. Ricks, "One perfect example is the checkout lane -- the final frontier of unhealthy food -- as a majority of the items here are still gum, candy and mints. Based on consumer trends, a more balanced checkout lane is inevitable. Our goal is to partner with retailers that are progressive and want to take the lead in driving this change."
One such partner is Shaw's, the second largest supermarket in New England and a division of SUPERVALU. "Bear Naked has been a popular staple in our Wild Harvest department, which provides natural and organic foods," says John Reppucci, Assistant Category Manager for Shaw's. "Our customers want healthy foods so we're making it easier and more convenient for them to find Bear Naked products by stocking them in additional areas of the supermarket." Its 2oz. re-sealable bag can be found at salad bars and plans are in place for the 1.35 oz. snack packs to be made available at checkout lanes.
Rachel Sanzari, MS, RD, CDN, Bear Naked's Director of Nutrition and Communications, couldn't be happier. "It's rewarding to partner with a retailer like Shaw's -- one that is willing to break from the mold and place our all-natural granolas in the checkout lane, an area historically dominated by candy and gum. I hope other retailers will follow Shaw's lead." Accordingly, Bear Naked is seeking distribution in locations that fit within consumers' on-the-go lifestyles, including drug and convenience stores.
To make better-for-you snacking easier to come by for on-the-go consumers, Bear Naked offers the following portfolio of snacking alternatives for its granola line:
-- Variety Pack: Twelve (12) 2oz. bags in three flavors; SRP = $8.49
-- 1.35 oz. Single-Portion Snack Pack: available in two flavors; SRP = $0.89
-- 6-pack of 1.35 oz. Snack-Pack: available in two flavors; SRP = $4.99
-- 5 oz. Re-sealable Bag: available in two flavors; SRP = $2.69
-- 2 oz. Re-sealable Bag: available in four flavors; SRP = $1.79
