In our last blog we discussed the trend toward wood displays, particularly in the grocery store channel. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few of the important trends in the food bar market and highlight 5 cost-effective point-of-purchase energy bar displays.
Experts expect the combined market for cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars to continue to grow at double-digit rates, reaching an estimated $8.3 billion in 2016.
Energy bars and nutritional bars, collectively known as “food bars” represent a large and increasingly important product category. This category has been experiencing great success in the mass market, convenience store market and the natural products channel. Experts expect the combined market for cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars to continue to grow at double-digit rates, reaching an estimated $8.3 billion in 2016.
Underlying this growth are some important trends in consumer behavior such as the blurring of meals and snacks, increased desire for convenience, greater health awareness, and more emphasis on portion control. In addition, product manufacturers have become more sophisticated in marketing bars to different consumer segments and have continued to innovate in formulations and formats. When it comes to point-of-purchase displays, cereal/granola bar manufacturers need to ensure there is ample space to tell their story regarding how they are focusing more on nutrition and incorporating functional ingredients, such as added protein or fiber. Likewise, energy/nutrition bar manufacturers must ensure they are communicating how they are making their products different by incorporating more creative formulations to make their bars more appetizing.
Aside from the importance of messaging to capture the right target customer, it is important to keep in mind that food bars are a relatively cheap item. Therefore, to make the economics work food bar manufacturers need to ensure that they are providing displays that are very cost effective. Let’s look at 5 examples of point-of-purchase food or protein bar displays that incorporate opportunities for messaging while also being cost effective.
1.Abbott Nutrition Counter Display- This 2-shelf counter display is constructed using white sintra and includes generous side and header areas for product messaging. It is designed as a permanent display to be refilled rather than discarded like other corrugated displays in the market.
2.Abbott Nutrition Floor Display- This 4-tier floor display features a simple metal tube frame with wire shelves and die-cut side and header signs.
3.b Kind Snacks Floor Display- This wire rack floor display includes 4 flat shelves on the bottom half of the display, 5-stepped shelves on the top half of the display to show tiered product, and a large digitally printed PVC header.
4. Jungell Fold-Out Wire Floor Display- This knock-down fold-out wire floor display includes 6 wire shelves, 2 large side signs for messaging, and a die-cut header sign to promote the brand.
5. Kind Snacks Counter Display- This simple 3-tiered wire counter display holds 6 boxes of KIND bars and utilizes the header packaging graphics to promote the brand.
Jim Hollen is the owner and President of RICH LTD. (www.richltd.com), a 35+ year-old California-based point-of-purchase display, retail store fixture, and merchandising solutions firm which has been named among the Top 50 U.S. POP display companies for 9 consecutive years. A former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Stanford Business School, Jim Hollen has served more than 3000 brands and retailers over more than 20 years and has authored nearly 500 blogs and e-Books on a wide range of topics related to POP displays, store fixtures, and retail merchandising.
Jim has been to China more than 50 times and has worked directly with more than 30 factories in Asia across a broad range of material categories, including metal, wood, acrylic, injection molded and vacuum formed plastic, corrugated, glass, LED lighting, digital media player, and more. Jim Hollen also oversees RICH LTD.’s domestic manufacturing operation and has experience manufacturing, sourcing, and importing from numerous Asian countries as well as Vietnam and Mexico.
His experience working with brands and retailers spans more than 25 industries such as food and beverage, apparel, consumer electronics, cosmetics/beauty, sporting goods, automotive, pet, gifts and souvenirs, toys, wine and spirits, home improvement, jewelry, eyewear, footwear, consumer products, mass market retail, specialty retail, convenience stores, and numerous other product/retailer categories.