Florette has unveiled a plan to help convenience retailers increase salad sales by £31m by 2024, alongside the launch of a new Rainbow Crunchy salad.

Florette Rainbow Crunchy contains three types of leaves and three vegetables. It will launch exclusively in Sainsbury’s in April before rolling out to convenience retailers. It is available in 125g bags with an RRP of £1.10.

Packs will feature an on-pack pledge from the brand to donate 2p from every pack sold to NHS Charities Together, tapping into the rainbow symbol that has become associated with the NHS during lockdown.

The launch will be supported by a £1m campaign, which includes press advertising in food titles, as well as social media activity across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Unlocking a £31m opportunity

The produce market is growing within convenience stores, with vegetables up by 13%. A third of shoppers report that they will eat more fruit & veg this year, with 67% of customers now saying they like to cook from scratch.

While produce is the biggest category in the market across all types of retailers, within convenience stores it is the second biggest – behind dairy. Six in 10 shoppers buy produce from convenience stores, while 100% buy it throughout the year across all types of stores, indicating headroom for growth.

“In convenience, produce is purchased in one in every three trips, or about once per week,” said Polly Davies, category controller at Florette. “At a total market level it’s three times per week, so there’s an opportunity for retailers to drive frequency of purchase with the right range and by merchandising around shopper missions.”

“We think there’s a £31m opportunity for convenience retailers. We can get there by increasing the percentage of shoppers buying salad from 60% to 65%, by offering the right range and by offering shoppers everything they need for lunch and dinner.”

Three ways to drive salad sales

1. Offer the right range

2. Encourage shoppers to buy extra items

Merchandising around occasions is an effective way to increase basket spend. As 66% of convenience shopper missions are top-up shops, consider merchandising with specific meals and events in mind.

To the right is an example of how bagged salad can be promoted in a barbecue display.

3. Disrupt your shoppers

Place PoS around your shop reminding customers of items they might have missed. If they’re buying bread, offer recommendations for sandwiches.

“A lot of customers are confused by how best to use our products,” said Davies. “Use recipe cards to inspire your customers. Florette Rainbow Crunchy can be used to make spicy chicken tacos, for example. Recipe ideas are available on our website.”

Read more product news