Supermarkets across the UK have unveiled a series of promotions for PGI Welsh Lamb in order to adapt to the ways consumers are shopping as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).
The autumn promotions are part of a partnership between retailers and HCC which aims to continue the positive growth in retail sales which has been seen so far in 2020. Retail spending on lamb during May, June and early July was up by 19.2% on last year, while shoppers spent 19.3% more on beef during the summer compared to 2019. The growth in retail sales at independent butchers has been even higher.
The new Welsh Lamb campaign will run online through social media as well as reaching out to shoppers directly.
Products will be featured in the store magazines of two major UK-wide retailers and on digital billboards outside 70 of Britain’s largest supermarkets.
“Our task now is to retain these new customers in the vital UK market, by making sure that they see our Welsh Lamb promotions wherever they do their shopping – in supermarkets, at independent retailers, or online.”
An on-pack competition will run with a premium retail chain in late-September and October, and HCC recipe materials have been made available in many independent butchers’ shops.
To target online customers, promotions will also run in digital versions of store magazines and on the online shopping website of one of the country’s largest retailers. This marketing will complement similar digital banner and social media adverts run by retailers in conjunction with the GB-wide #MakeItlamb campaign, jointly organised by HCC, AHDB in England and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) in Scotland.
HCC’s UK market development executive, Emily Rees, said: “We’ve been delighted by consumers’ response to our campaigns so far this year. Many have taken advantage of this period to try out new dishes with red meat, and we’ve seen groups of customers – particularly families with children – coming back to lamb or trying it for the first time.
“Our task now is to retain these new customers in the vital UK market, by making sure that they see our Welsh Lamb promotions wherever they do their shopping – in supermarkets, at independent retailers, or online.”
“We’re delighted with the engagement we’ve had from retailers this year. Our work over the autumn in partnership with many of the UK’s biggest chains will complement our ongoing successful activity over social and traditional media.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
