Pladis, the owner of brands including McVitie’s and Carr’s, is tapping into the growing healthier snacking market with the introduction of a new range called Wholistic.
Launching with a duo of nut butter-filled, on-the-go snack bars – Wholistic Peanut, Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt and Wholistic Almond & Raspberry – the product aims to boost the relevancy of the healthier snacking category among younger consumers.
Alongside a nut butter centre, each of the two variants are made from various ingredients, from nuts and dried raspberry pieces to roasted cocoa nibs and date paste. The ingredients are ‘cold pressed’ – an on-trend segment of healthier bars – offering consumers an easy way to add a variety of plant-based ingredients to their diets.
Both snack bars in the new Wholistic range also contain extra health benefits to target the fast-growing space, with immunity and digestive health in the top three reasons to buy healthy lifestyle products in the UK. Wholistic Peanut, Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt provides digestive support and is high in chicory root fibre, while Wholistic Almond & Raspberry boasts immunity support due to enrichment with vitamins, plus added zinc and iron.
“Cold press bars are really popular right now and our new Wholistic snack bar range, which also includes a delicious, smooth nut butter centre, is destined to turn the healthier biscuits category on its head,” said Asli Akman, Health and Wellness Director – pladis UK&I.
“We know growing numbers of consumers take a holistic view on health, seeking to fill their bodies with food that tastes good, does good, and makes them feel good. That’s why we’ve worked hard – directly with consumers every step of the way – to develop a range that’s got the balance between great taste and health spot on. In fact, in trials, shoppers have already expressed their intention to purchase and try the bars .
“On top of Wholistic’s unbeatable flavour and texture profiles, we’ve incorporated an array of popular plant-based ingredients which will help consumers diversify their diets and contribute to their overall wellbeing.”
“Specifically, the new Wholistic range has been created to support consumers’ immunity and digestion. This is something that is already set to resonate, based on the success of the £2.2bn ‘Eat for Wellness’ occasion – which frequently puts product benefits front and centre on pack, plus over indexes among younger adults.”
Due to be launched under the pladis brand, Go Ahead, the Wholistic range is expected to broaden brand interest and enable pladis to tap into a bigger consumer base by increasing its appeal among younger shoppers.
“Given Go Ahead’s enduring legacy, it’s safe to say that we know a thing or two about what healthy snacking shoppers want,” noted Akman. “The brand has a loyal fanbase of snackers focused on weight management, and now we’ll be driving relevancy for Go Ahead among a new generation of health-conscious shoppers, allowing them to enjoy a whole lot of goodness, in every bite.”
The non-HFSS 40g Wholistic bars will be launching into Sainsbury’s Local, WH Smith, Amazon and Ocado – as well as in convenience and wholesale – over the coming months at an RRP of £1.69 to £1.95. The launch will be supported by in store and digital media from February, with further activity in the pipeline for later this year.
