The chaos caused by the ongoing economic crisis seems to see consumers cling to the familiar sandwich options of ham and mustard or egg and watercress.
Yet with this outlook becoming business as usual, how can retailers differentiate their food to go (FTG) offer beyond the traditional?
Innovation within a traditional category has the ability to inspire current consumers and recapture lost ones, but it has to be anchored in a genuine need.
For example, wraps were born from an explosion of low-carb dieting which championed less bread and more fill and for a while challenged the sandwich.
The chicken caesar salad wrap even became Tesco’s number one sandwich in 2004.
An innovation explosion followed and wraps lost their way, deviating from the core health need they originated from as fill became increasingly indulgent and the reason to choose a wrap was lost.
Today the wrap has been redefined for the health conscious consumer, going back to its roots with a twist.
Waitrose’s breadless lettuce wrap reclaims lost ground and fills the white space it left behind. The stretch of this format is a clear demonstration of consumers’ involvement and confidence in trying - and even creating - more adventurous food.
So even in a climate accentuated by economic chaos, consumers continue to expect imagination and adventure from innovation, but they also expect an experience that resonates with them.
FTG today is about delivering nostalgia, comfort, lightness, escape and excitement.
This is putting pressure on retailers and sandwich manufacturers to further evolve FTG solutions to become something consumers would not, or could not, create at home.
The traditional ham and mustard or egg and watercress only go some way to meet these needs, so how do retailers fulfil needs beyond satiation to become an experience that’s different from everyone else?
Firstly, it's vital for FTG retailers to identify the white space that can be used as a springboard for innovation.
By continuing to challenge and stretch thinking, retailers can generate ideas to fill this space with products consumers will notice and that sit comfortably within the retailer's food proposition.
For example, Brand Potential draws on the expertise of our panel of food and retail thought leaders, called The Fringe, ensuring our ideas evolve into future-proofed experiences.
According to Brand Potential client James Gentle, UK group head of marketing for Hain Celestial, supplier of UK sandwich retailers, "The trick is finding where you can add value - which starts with an understanding of the consumers’ needs and motivations."
Will the humble sandwich survive? Gentle says: "Although I see the traditional sandwich remaining, we might well see its share start to decline as other hot and cold food on-the-go formats take off and new products are launched".
The lettuce wrap is a clear indication that format innovation is blurring the boundaries between product categories, in this case between salad and wrap.
As FTG matures, smaller consumer segments will emerge to further fragment the category.
But valued at £11.5 billion and growing 7% last year alone, there’s enough FTG opportunity for everyone.
Chris Molloy, director, and Mel Jackson, brand and innovation consultant, Brand Potential