Birds Eye is adding seven new SKUs to its Chicken Shop range to help retailers tap into the sales opportunity of the fakeaway occasion.
The new products include Loaded Burgers (in Tennessee Style BBQ or American Style Gravy), Buttermilk Chicken Tenders, Hickory BBQ Chicken Wings, Hot & Fiery Chicken Chunks, Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings, and Crispy Potato Ridges.
The new items will be available in grocery stores starting 9th September. The range is designed to provide a complete meal solution for a ‘big night in’, and the launch marks a significant shift for the brand in terms of focus, aiming to deliver the “perfect fakeaway centred around the taste and formats inspired by quick-service restaurants”.
Birds Eye pointed to research showing growth of the fakeaway occasion, with 65% of those who have had a fake-away in the past three months saying that they have a fakeaway at least once a week.
The launch of the new Chicken Shop products is accompanied by a packaging re-design, which follows the same principles and design cues as the rest of the Birds Eye portfolio. The new look intends to help shoppers navigate the freezer aisle more easily and help them with their purchase decisions thanks to a clearer messaging hierarchy.
Charlotte Vause-Cross, Brand Manager for Chicken Shop at Birds Eye, commented: “Our Chicken Shop brand is worth over £20m RSV and having grown 30% in the past two years, there is a huge opportunity beyond this for retailers.
“With Birds Eye’s Chicken Shop range driving incremental sales to the total frozen chicken category by bringing in younger shoppers, and with a focus on taste and inspiration from the Quick Service Restaurant sector, we’re sure that the new products in the range will help shoppers indulge in that Friday night feeling any night of the week.”
The launch will be supported by a £5.2m campaign, including TV, social media, out-of-home, gaming, PR, and in-store shopper activations. Birds Eye’s new Chicken Shop range will initially launch in Tesco and roll out to Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Ocado in due course, with an MRSP of £4.
