Magazine: Price-value ratio matters more in salami and sausage buying

According to market data courtesy of Pick Szeged Zrt., last year sausage and salami performed differently: salami volume sales remained relatively stable and values sales grew, while sausage volume and value sales both dropped considerably from the previous year.

Zoltán Nagygyörgy, product manager with Pick Szeged Zrt. revealed that sausage volume sales fell probably because consumers are price-sensitive and some of them have become regular buyers of small regional meat processing plants’ products. It is likely that the level of home production also increased. It is a characteristic trend that as discounters increase their share from sales, private label product sales are on the rise. Shoppers are spending consciously in the categories, focusing on products with a good price-value ratio. As a reaction to this trend last year Pick Szeged Zrt. introduced its FAMÍLIA Harmónia product line. PICK Szeged Zrt. is working on creating a brand and product portfolio that falls in line with market demand more. Szilvia Vízhányó-Pitrik, senior brand manager of Pick Szeged Zrt. informed us that with the FAMÍLIA brand they focus on price-driven customers. This is a family brand with a wide range of products targeting those who would like to buy products with guaranteed good quality at affordable prices. With HERZ the company targets quality-conscious consumers who are loyal to the brand. Shopping decisions are still strongly influenced by price promotions so they are of key importance in both the sausage and the salami segments. Katalin Horváth, Pick Szeged Zrt.’s brand manager told about marketing activities that in the first half of 2014 they implemented a very important deli counter campaign using unique POS tools. From these the rotating PICK Winter Salami proved to be shoppers’ favourite. The activity resulted in increased sales from the deli counter. At Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport another highly successful PICK campaign was rolled out in cooperation with Heinemann duty-free stores, which was inspired by PICK Winter Salami becoming a Hungaricum product and broke all previous sales records. In ZIMBO Kft.’s Árpád salami range we not only find deli and paprika products but also pepper- and cheese-coated salamis. Sales of these new 100g sliced salami products are growing month after month. Commercial director Tamás Kováts told our magazine that they also distribute 350g imports salamis in 3 types of coating, manufactured by parent company the Bell group. ZIMBO also makes 100g Árpád sausage and 80g pepper- and cheese-coated sausages. They support sales with leaflet promotions and in-store tasting sessions. Customers are loyal to their products because of their reliable good quality. Last year was about a new start for Gyulahús Kft. (the firm started operating in a new format in February) and the company managed to return to both the Hungarian and the international markets – we learned from Éva Tamáskovitsné Gila, marketing manager of Gyulahús Kft. It was a real pleasure for them that Gyulai sausage made it to the list of Hungaricum products in 2013. What is more, Gyulai Kispáros Sausage won the Hungarian Product Grand Prize and Gyulai finished in the top 3 in the Magyar Brands ranking. Sales in the first quarter of 2014 were promising. Gyulai exported to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. As for domestic sales, the share of sales from the deli counter has been increasing. In innovation sausage made using traditional technology is the main direction: mildly hot Kézműves sausage is their latest product. 2013 was a successful year for KAISER FOOD in the salami and sausage categories. This year could turn out to be even better as sales have improved so far from the 2013 level by two-digit numbers. Tünde Bognárné Menyhárt, trade marketing assistant of KAISER FOOD Kft. told about their portfolio that they sell both sliced and whole products but the sliced segment is stronger. They are really proud of their top-quality Csabahús sausages made in Békéscsaba; Kaiser and Finomino salamis are also featured in their portfolio. The company’s experience is that the proportion of sales in promotion is growing. Csabahús sausages are made using traditional recipes and are smoked on real beech wood. Delicious Csabahús Mangalica sausage is the latest offering, which is made with special spicing. June will see the debut of new Békéscsaba sausages and sliced Salami trio that contains their ‘Top 3’ products.