Turkey is back, say producers

Speaking to a company representative of Bernard Matthews last week, I sense a new optimism from the company that was hit by negative publicity a few years back. The health benefits of turkey are well rehearsed by the company in its marketing and on its web site so I will not repeat them here.

More interesting was our discussion of how effective independent shops are at providing a fresh and chilled offer to their shoppers. Many do not get the balance between soft drinks and fresh and chilled food right, with strong branding of the former and a weak offer of the latter.

If you are going to have one Bernard Matthews SKU, the chunks pictured are the ones to choose. The £1 offer mimics the red spots used by multiples and complements the green grass imagery of the packs, which also have clear nutritional information.

In a big display of Bernard Matthews products it looks great. But how would it stack up in your chilled offer? On its own, would the authority of the healthy message be lost? Would the £1 sticker convey value or its absence? The answer depends on what else you stock and how well it is merchandised.

While I sense there is an opportunity for many local shops with chilled, it is also clear there is risk as shopkeepers have to develop new skills - or perhaps just spread their existing skills into another category.

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