KP Snacks is continuing its mission to capture customer insights to deliver top retailing solutions by hosting the first SnacKPartners forum of 2017.

Working with both existing ambassadors and welcoming new influencers, the forum was hosted at the company’s Ashby Factory, home of the iconic Hula Hoops.

Discussions included the latest consumer trends, the benefit of on-pack promotions for smaller stores, format developments and recent issues facing the Crisps, Nuts and Snacks category. KP Snacks used the forum to give retailers impartial category advice on the snacking market, as well as a review of its future innovation and initiatives. The collaborative approach is a key part of the company’s strategy, informing its future brand and retailer activations.

Matt Collins, Sales Director for Convenience, Wholesale, Discounters & Foodservice at KP Snacks, says: “Our SnacKPartners initiative demonstrates our continued commitment to the convenience and impulse channel. These informative discussions provide real and invaluable insight which help us shape our future plans and ensure we are delivering the solutions retailers want and need to drive sales.

“Collaboration is crucial to our approach. We are an insights led company, so listening and working in partnership with retailers, particularly those in the convenience sector, goes hand in hand with our strategy.”

Dennis Williams of Premier Stores in Edinburgh, said: “I’m a relative newcomer to the SnacKPartner ambassador programme and I was genuinely impressed to see such a strong collaboration. With a strong representation from across the country, it was really interesting to hear from other retailers and share our experiences on the best ways to grow the category. I’m excited to see what future product and new POS we’ll see on shelf, and look forward to welcoming the team to my store to develop my Snacks fixture.”

Julian Taylor Green of Spar, Lindford in Hampshire, said: “The most important thing to me is that the team at KP Snacks really listen. Even at a time when my job is exceptionally busy, the forum is a great use of my time and an invaluable way of gaining information on how to grow snacks sales in my store.

“Over the past year or so, I’ve seen KP Snacks take feedback from these sessions and it then come to fruition. They really do use insights from these sessions to develop the category. Having a range of different retailers from various backgrounds is also hugely beneficial, and reassuring to hear my counterparts face similar issues and viewpoints on how to successfully evolve the category in the convenience sector.”

KP Snacks works with numerous retailers across the UK. The next SnacKPartners Ambassador Forum is due later this summer. For more information, retailers should contact the team at snackpartners@kpsnacks.com.