2021 Category Captain for Packaged Sweet Snacks: McKee Foods Corp.

In the midst of COVID-19, McKee Foods recognized the trends of decreased foot traffic and higher spend per trip, and pursued creative solutions to retain a healthy packaged sweet snacks category.

The supplier uses Opportunity Gap Analysis with retailers nationwide to show where a retailer can gain market share through a specific brand, subcategory, or even specific products. This has led to uncovering where retailers can take advantage of the growing trend in take-home products, as consumers are attempting to limit the number of stores they enter during a trip. Having multipack products in the store has led to incremental sales for the category at some convenience retailers that added the product because of the McKee analysis.

Another way McKee drove innovation and growth in 2020 was through working with retailers to develop shopper-marketing programs that align with both the supplier’s and the retailer’s opportunity. One initiative that has led to growth for the brand, as well as the whole sweet snacks category, has been collaborating with the foodservice operations of retailers. Co-promotions in partnership with fountain drinks, hot beverages and food have led to high incremental sales and increased household growth.

McKee Foods also leveraged the loyalty apps of retailers, unlocking the ability to target lapsed category buyers with promotions. With second-mile delivery service becoming an important part of the consumer’s path to purchase, McKee believes loyalty programs like these will become even more influential in the future.