Diwali is a five-day festival (5 to 9 November 2018) celebrated by the UK’s 800,000 Hindu community, as well 430,000 Sikhs and Jains.
Known as the “festival of light”, the event is a chance for celebrants to get together with family and friends to eat, give gifts and hold firework displays, and it gives retailers an opportunity to grow sales of traditional world foods, particularly confectionery, snacks and soft drinks.
Debbie King, director of commercial sales and marketing at Indian snacks brand Cofresh, says: “Diwali is one of the most important events in the Indian calendar and it opens up huge opportunities for retailers.”
Food and drink is a focal point of the festival and many celebrants will stock up on non-perishable and ambient products in advance. Shoppers will be on the lookout for non-perishable products to prepare traditional foods in advance, as well as confectionery, nuts and fresh snacks that can be eaten over the five days. James Logan, commercial director at soft drinks manufacturer Refresco, says convenience stores should stock traditional favourites as well as using Diwali to encourage trial of new and exciting food and drink products.
Exotic flavours
He says products such as exotic flavoured juices “come into their own” during Diwali, with volume sales last year increasing by 13% during October when compared with the previous month. Tropical and mango flavours of Refresco’s Sunpride juice drinks increase by 50% during Diwali, he adds.
These flavours include: Lychee, Guava & Lime; Pineapple, Guanabana & Ginger; Mango, Passionfruit & Rose; and Banana – all of which are available in one-litre packs. Logan says exotic drinks should be positioned at the front of the store to encourage people to stock up for the festival.
Adrian Troy, marketing director at AG Barr, says food and drink are at the heart of festival celebrations, and Diwali is no exception. The company’s Rubicon Deluxe duo of Mango and Guava flavours is a must-stock product for Diwali celebrations, says Troy, who adds that higher-sugar, more-indulgent products are ideal for special occasions. These drinks are often bought in advance, along with other ambient beverages and non-perishable sweets and snacks.
Festive snacking
Making traditional foods in the run-up to Diwali is viewed as an important social event among friends and family, and many celebrants will stock up on non-perishable ingredients in advance in order to honour this tradition. However, snack foods such as Bombay mix are also popular and will be bought throughout the five-day event – therefore, it is important to keep these products in stock throughout the event.
New to market this year from Cofresh are limited edition 650g and 900g “bumper value” bags of its Bombay Mix and Chakri Rice variants. It has also added five new flavours to its Asian Mixes & Grills range – Khatta Meetha and Chilli & Lemon flavours in 200g and 325g packs respectively, and Piri, Chilli Cheese and Sweet Chilli Grills flavours in 80g sharing bags. The brand’s Chilli & Lemon Grills are also now available in 5x20g multi-packs.
Cofresh is supporting Diwali this year by launching a “Share the Light” campaign that will help raise funds for the Sankara Eye Foundation, which works to eradicate curable blindness in India. Money will be raised through sales of Cofresh’s Bombay Mix packs, with 1p from every pack sold during Diwali going to the charity. Last year, the brand raised more than £1,000 for the foundation, which was used to fund 66 operations.
Cofresh says it will be undertaking a variety of in-store and consumer activations throughout the festival, including radio adverts and newspaper competitions, plus consumer gift promotions running across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Sweet treats
On the fourth day of Diwali, it is custom for families and friends to get together and give gifts to one another, usually traditional hand-made sweets called “mithai” and chocolate confectionery. Levi Boorer, customer development director at confectionery giant Ferrero, says: “Our retailers have told us that boxed chocolates are most commonly bought as gifts during Asian festivals. However, a large number of retailers do not actively engage with customers around the Diwali event.”
Ferrero is offering retailers a range of “stand-out” point-of-sale tools and promotional activity, which Boorer says will help retailers increase their boxed chocolate sales during Diwali by an average of 27%. He adds that when retailers make this event unmissable – when they actively promote it in their stores – more of their customers get involved with Diwali celebrations, which then drives sales.
Planning ahead
Ensuring a Diwali fixture is in place in advance is important, says Logan at Refresco, as many shoppers will stock up before the event. Grouping products together for a particular event will help shoppers find what they are looking for more easily, as this will not only alert shoppers to particular deals, but will also encourage shoppers to try new products and remind them of last-minute things they may need. Highlighting specific deals in-store is also crucial, as Logan says value for money is still “front of mind” for many shoppers around Diwali.
Boorer says retailers should look for ways to maximise events such as this, including advertising on social media and using secondary locations around the store. By making your store a “one-stop shop” for customers’ Diwali needs, shoppers will feel more encouraged to visit, knowing they will be able to find what they are looking for.
