1. Parents want value for money when it comes to lunchboxes
2. The focus is now on healthy eating
3. Taste still matters though
4. Last minute lunchbox prep can drive sales
5. Lunchbox tastes are evolving
6. Retailers mustn’t ignore the staples
1. Parents want value for money when it comes to lunchboxes
We’re all watching the pennies and that means some planning ahead to ensure that a full lunchbox doesn’t mean an empty wallet. Consumers are craving healthy and tasty options without breaking the bank, according to trade communications manager at Mondelēz International Susan Nash.
“As parents adjust to the rising cost of living, value for money remains a top priority, especially during key moments like the Back-to-School season. Families are shopping earlier and focusing on affordable, practical options that support busy routines. Lunchbox staples, such as Dairylea continue to stand out for their trusted nutrition, convenience, and wide range of formats including spreads, slices, and snacks.
“At the same time, the cream cheese category is showing resilience, growing by +9.1% year-on-year. Philadelphia is well positioned to meet this ongoing demand, offering a broad variety of flavours, fat levels, and formats that give families flexibility and choice without compromising on quality. Dairylea is also well placed to deliver value, reassurance, and versatility, with a presence in one out of two UK households, as parents make more considered and intentional shopping decisions.
Managing director of retail at Booker Colm Johnson explains how important value is to consumers right now. “Value and convenience remain the biggest drivers in the lunchbox category, especially among budget-conscious consumers like students and families. Products that are affordable, easy to prepare, and portable continue to perform well. Snacking items and meal-deal style offerings are also increasingly popular as consumers look for quick, satisfying options throughout the day.
“Retailers can maximise the opportunity by clearly signposting value and convenience through meal deals and prominent price-marked packs. Stocking staple items like cold meats, cheese, juice and cereal from trusted own-brand ranges such as Jack’s is key.”
He believes that this trend isn’t going away any time soon. ”We expect continued growth in value-led options and products that offer both convenience and quality. Ready-to-eat chilled meals, snacking packs, and affordable lunch solutions will remain central, with more focus on price certainty though PMPs and ongoing promotions.”
Antoine Hours, general manager of Yoplait UK, outlines the opportunity for lunchbox sales in the UK.
“The UK is a country of lunch boxes. There are 17,000,000 lunch box occasions every year in UK and it’s growing significantly versus last year.”
Head of sales – impulse at Tropicana George Tuck says shoppers will save where they can but not scrimp on quality. “When it comes to convenience shopping, consumers are looking for both quality and value,” says Tuck. “As part of this, trust is vital, especially when consumers are making purchasing decisions for their families.
“Tropicana is a brand that’s synonymous with quality and natural ingredients, which makes its range the ideal choice for lunchboxes and the back-to-school occasion. In fact, Tropicana was voted the most trusted fruit juice brand in a survey of more than 17,000 shoppers with BrandSpark and Newsweek earlier this year.
“While the main driver for soft drink purchase is taste, there is no denying the rise in consumer demand for products that support healthy lifestyle choices. As a result, Tropicana’s range of fruit juices, which are made with all-natural ingredients and no added sugar, are the perfect choice for lunchboxes and the back-to-school occasion.
2. The focus is now on healthy eating
Colm Johnson doesnt’ think the health trend is going away either. “There will also be increasing demand for healthier choices, including fresh fruit, vegetables, and balanced snack alternatives, as health-conscious shopping continues to influence consumer behaviour – especially among parents and students.”
Georgina Thomas, marketing director for Cheese at Saputo Dairy UK explains how keeping it healthy and simple is key. “Consumers continue to be conscious of long ingredient lists and there is an increased focus on food that offers functional benefits. Many shoppers are turning to household staples they know and love such as cheese because of its simplified ingredient list and because it has the added benefit of not just providing natural protein, but also offering essential nutrients like calcium.
“Just over a third of the 664 carers of children we polled include cheese in their children’s lunchboxes at least 2-3 days a week. The nutritional profile of cheese is driving this - 65% of caregivers said they are motivated to include cheese in their children’s lunchbox because of its nutritional profile.”
3. Taste still matters though
There’s no denying the importance of healthy decisions when it comes to lunchboxes but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a little treat now and again, according to David Hebson, trade marketing director at FBC.
“Health is no doubt a central part of the decision-making for families; however, taste is still the main driver when it comes to the lunchbox occasion, and growth is being driven by functionality, says Hebson. “Sweet biscuits remain a cornerstone of the lunchbox mission, and formats such as minis provide an easy-to-pack option that will stay fresh in cupboards and lunchboxes. FBC performs well in the minis category, growing +2.4% YoY with a total value of £53.6 million. Minis also generally come in multipack formats, supporting families looking to stock up for the week ahead, by offering great value. Party Rings Minis, which recently expanded into new Under the Sea shapes, meet the needs of families seeking fun and colourful treats, and the X10 bag multipack format help them to stock up and get better value per bag for the week ahead.”
Hours says combining health and taste can be tricky. “So we are trying to really balance taste and health very precisely. When we do sugar reduction campaigns and reformulation like we did earlier this year and for part of our portfolio at the end of last year, we need to ensure that we keep consumer along the way because if we reduce the sugar too drastically, knowing that taste is the first driver of purchase, there could be a risk of losing consumers.”
4. Last minute lunchbox prep can drive sales
With busy lifestyles, one can be forgiven for forgetting to make a lunchbox or packed lunch until the morning – and it’s then that convenience stores really come into play. A parent that hasn’t rushed to the local store in search of lunchbox-friendly is tricky to come by. Retailers can both help out a stressed shopper and generate sales by making it as easy as possible to find what’s needed.
The last-minute panic for lunchbox essentials presents an opportunity for brands, according to Yoplait’s Hours.
“You cannot expect parents to think about everything that they need to get on the big end of the week shopping mission. So that’s why it’s very important for us to have a suitable range as well in the convenience channel.”
“Cross-category merchandising can be a powerful tool, pairing biscuit snacks with lunchbox drinks or fruit pots in easy-to-navigate displays that drive higher basket spend,” says FBC trade marketing director David Hebson. “Here, convenience retailers can make it simple for shoppers to complete the lunchbox shop in one quick visit. Clear signposting, grouped displays, and even meal-deal-style bundles can all help c-stores compete with larger grocery players. Price-marked packs, which make up 48% of the Sweet Biscuit category’s value, are perfect for convenience retailers here as they boost price perceptions and build trust in the retailer’s pricing strategy. “
Brioche Pasquier retail sales manager Fabien Pasquier urges retailers to make it as easy as possible for shoppers. “Many parents dread the constant demand for enticing lunchboxes as children return to school. To simplify this, retailers should make shopping for back to school items as easy as possible, focussing on high quality yet convenient products and guiding parents to ensure they include the foundational components of a packed lunch: a sandwich, fruit or vegetables, a snack or sweet treat and drink.
“During the zenith of the back to school season (August and the start of September), convenience retailers should position displays for snacks and ambient lunchbox items by the store’s entrance or near the tills to ensure they catch their customers’ eye and are more accessible. Displays should be fun, and inspirational to help parents to pick up what they need quickly.”
Tilda’s head of marketing Anna Beheshti says having some cupboard essentials can help make a more fun lunchbox.
“While back-to-school is often all about the kids, there’s a real opportunity to cater to time-poor parents, students or professionals too.
“With more people packing lunches for work or study, there’s huge headroom to drive sales growth with convenience-led innovation that meets today’s demand for speed, nutrition and inspiration. Bestsellers like our Tilda Coconut and Tilda Pilau 250g pouches are easy to pair with leftovers or pre-cooked ingredients, making them ideal for time-pressed shoppers looking to make WFH-worthy or exciting office lunches.”
Marketing director for cheese at Saputo Dairy UK Georgina Thomas adds shoppers are looking for whatever shortcuts they can find. “Consumers are seeking out ways to reduce the time they spend prepping meals and now spend on average less than 15 minutes rustling up a meal at lunchtime. More than 1 in 4 pre-prepared cheese shoppers use it most often to assemble a quick lunch or breakfast. Since last year, sales of our Cathedral City grated format are up 10% by volume in total market.”
5. Lunchbox tastes are evolving
There are some old reliables when it comes to lunchboxes but palates have moved on and it can’t be cheese and ham sandwiches every day. While there’s still a quest for value, that doesn’t mean lunchboxes have to be boring.
Brioche Pasquier retail sales manager Fabien Pasquier is adamant that “affordable doesn’t necessarily mean cheap” and that “products which enhance lunchboxes are popular”. “Children no longer want a classic jam, or ham and cheese sandwich and parents are experimenting with ways to diversify their child’s palettes,” says Pasquier. “Including authentic French components, such as pain au chocolats and brioche rolls, can be a simple way of doing this as their slightly sweet taste is guaranteed to be popular with children. On top of this, parents are bombarded with health messages, so are tempted by products with clean labelling.”
Tilda’s head of marketing Anna Beheshti says shoppers are thinking global for lunch and retailers should be too. “Independent retailers need to think beyond traditional lunchbox fare. Shoppers now want big, bold, internationally inspired flavours – and fast. This is something Tilda has long been championing and it’s a demand reflected in the strong value and volume growth of our globally inspired Ready-to-Heat range.”
To this end, Jack Link’s has added some new flavours to its range, as Shaun Whelan, Convenience/Wholesale and OOH Controller, explains. “Peperami is bringing its protein-packed snacking expertise and iconic brand into the chicken category with the launch of our new £1 PMP Chicken Bites. As the UK’s number one chilled meat brand, we’re delivering bold, high-protein snacks that resonate with today’s convenience shoppers, offering retailers a strong opportunity to drive incremental sales and margins.”
It has also added Chicken Tikka Skewers, aimed at unlocking the in-home eating occasion.
Shaun Whelan, Convenience/Wholesale and OOH Controller at Jack Link’s, adds: “Our Chicken Tikka Skewers taste great, and we are delighted to bring unapologetic boldness to the chilled meat snacking aisle, delivering high-protein, full-on flavour snacks that resonate with modern shoppers looking for convenience and taste.
“With our relaunched Chicken Bites and now new Chicken Tikka Skewers, we are giving retailers even more ways to tap into the fast-growing meat snacks market.”
6. Retailers mustn’t ignore the staples
We may be craving international tastes for lunchtime but there are some elements that are must-stocks for independent retailers.
Head of marketing for butters, spreads & oils at Saputo Dairy UK Louise Reuby outlines the importance of staple lines.
“Butters and spreads remain essential to the lunchtime occasion, with 60% of the consumers we polled claiming to add butter or spreads to their lunch all or most of the time. This percentage rises to almost 70% for the 61% of consumers who prepare sandwiches or toasties at home.
“Our brands have a strong connection with UK households. Over a third (38%) of UK households reach for a Saputo Dairy UK butter or spread as our product portfolio caters for different audiences and shoppers. Taste and quality are the top two priorities for butters and spreads shoppers - we can’t argue with that and stand firm in the belief that taste and quality are non-negotiable. Our flagship brand, Clover, is much-loved by UK consumers – nearly 1 in 5 households (17.6%) buy Clover and 58m packs are sold in the UK every year.”
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