Norwegian discounters, Rema 1000, Extra and KIWI, had sales campaigns during Easter. They sold healthy snacks for about EUR1,00 per 100 grammes. Shoppers received these promotions very well.
Extra reported that they sold 16 tonnes of healthy snacks over the first four days of the week in question. Rema 1000 has sold 136 tonnes of healthy snacks this year so far. They say that they sold more than usual in the past week. KIWI also says health snacks sold well, but they do not have definite figures yet.
20 tonnes at Extra
"Over the first four days, we sold 16 tonnes of unpackaged healthy snacks at Extra. We expect to reach 20 tonnes by the end of the week", Christian Hoel, Extra's director told Norwegian online newspaper, Nettavisen. He added that customers could pick and choose what they wanted rather than getting a prepackaged box with one type of fruit or vegetables.
"We have ordered an extra 1,000 pallets which are now on their way to the shops. That is 45 tonnes in total. It seems we have succeeded in creating a 'green wave'. We managed to sell 269,000 punnets of grapes and 27 tonnes of oranges in only one week, just at Extra. I am sure the Minister of Health will appreciate this", says Hoel.
Rema: 136 tonnes in 2018
Ann Kristin Pettersen of Rema 1000 reported that the supermarket sold 136 tonnes of snack vegetables in the first months of the year.
"In 2016, REMA 1000 began a trial with unpackaged mini tomatoes, snack cucumbers and snow peas. This was done to help our customers make healthier choices. In 2017, this project was expanded, and today these unpackaged items are sold in more than 500 of our shops", Pettersen told Nettavisen.
"The availability of these items in our shops depends on demand. This is done to prevent unnecessary wastage. With more than 10 tonnes of snack vegetable per week, there is no doubt that the demand from our customers is high", she added.
KIWI cups
KIWI does not sell unpackaged snack vegetables but rather in cups. The price per 100 grammes ranges from EUR0,60 to EUR1,00.
"We priced the unpackaged snack vegetables. We, however, found that the cups protect the products better and ensure a longer shelf life. KIWI has committed itself to halving its own food wastage by 2025. We are well on the way to achieving this", Kristine Aakvaag Arvin of KIWI told Nettavisen.
Snack vegetables flying off the shelves
"We sell healthy snack vegetables in all our 625 shops. The cups are very popular. The series was launched during Easter last year. This year we added a new product - yellow cherry tomatoes", said Kristina.
Positive
The Norwegian Minister of Health, Åse Michaelsen, is pleased that the supermarket chains offer healthy choices. She met representatives of the supermarkets on Friday to fill Easter eggs with healthy snacks.
"Supermarkets are competing for healthy snacks. This shows that our supermarkets mainly want to contribute to supplying our citizens with healthy food. I really appreciate this", said Michaelsen.
"I am pleased that the foodstuffs industry is now making conscious choices regarding products and product placement. If vegetable snacks are placed at children's height, they enjoy taking these colourful snacks, which are healthy too. Of course, regular sweets are still there for the taking. This, however, makes it easier for families to make healthy choices", said the minister.
Source: Nettavisen