Krispy Kreme plays down impact of UK rules on unhealthy foods
The boss of Krispy Kreme doughnuts has shrugged off the impact of new UK regulations on unhealthy food in supermarkets, insisting that consumers could simply be “trained” to look elsewhere in shops for their sweet treats.
Major retailers have been banned from placing high fat, sugar or salt items near prominent store locations such as checkouts in a shake up of food rules in partial effect since October.
But doughnut kingpin Mike Tattersfield played down the impact of the new rules.
“You do have a short-term displacement but the opportunity starts to be that you just continue to train your customer in different parts of the retailer and other retailers that we are not in today,” Tattersfield told the Financial Times, adding that “customers still continue to look for what we do.”
8 comments:
I rather think their success here is due to a triumph of marketing; an aura of USA glamour based on a 1950s aesthetic and heavily promoted by placement in American TV series and films (although the glamour’s wearing pretty thin at the stand in Doncaster Services food court). People are buying an idea rather than the sickly-sweet reality (a bit like those Sex and the City-inspired cupcakes) so the boss is probably right that moving them in shops won’t affect sales.
The best doughnuts I’ve ever eaten were freshly made (once a fortnight by the dinner ladies at my primary school - happy days!); crunchy and smoking hot from the fryer with a dusting of sugar and sharp lemon sauce, a world away from Krispy Kreme’s products so I’ve never bothered trying them. In any case, I agree with you; the name would put me right off - why, I wonder, do USA food products of this kind have such infantile names: Twinkies, Tastykakes, Dreamies, Zoinks etc?
"doughnut kingpin Mike Tattersfield..."
We're deep into Alan Bennett territory here.
Cream doughnuts were a boyhood treat - Saturdays after swimming in the river. The cream was neither here nor there but the baker did make good doughnuts.
I too have never tried one - for I fear that one would not be enough.
Macheath - yes there is an aura of USA glamour based on a 1950s aesthetic. We recently saw some reproduction dining furniture based on the look of a 1950s US diner. There was a certain nostalgic appeal. Our grandkids tell us that Twinkies are nothing special and didn't even see them as a treat when we offered to buy them a pack.
Sam - yes we are in Alan Bennett territory. Gets up at four in the morning to mix the dough for Tattersfield Tasty Treats...
dearieme - our local baker made cream doughnuts which we saw as a treat, but I've always remembered being disappointed that they were gone in a few bites. My mother made them once or twice without the cream and they were pretty good.
DJ - it's a problem with sweet things. I'd probably eat more than one before discovering that I didn't particularly like them.
If your thing is diabetes in a box, enjoy.
Penseivat
He's not wrong though. People will get what they want, regardless of the 'nudges' to do the opposite. I used to buy one chocolate bar, because that was enough for me. Now I buy 2 because they've shrunk, partly to keep the price down and partly because of government dictat. Either way my sugar hit is the same, despite the nannying, even if it does cost me more. If people want Crispy Creme donuts they will get them, wherever they are hidden in the store.
Penseivat - I find them easy to resist, but I look around and many people obviously don't find that kind of thing easy to resist.
Sobers - yes, it sounds like experience, people will find them. Not a business I'd care to be involved with.
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