The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Asda snaps up Perthshire popcorn
Perthshire-based Mackie’s Crisps has struck a major deal with Asda for its flavoured popcorn.
The Errol firm’s deal is worth more than £100,000, with sales predicted to hit more than 500,000 units as Mackie’s expands into the £114 million market.
Produced by Mackie’s at Taypack, the crisps are among more than 115 additional Scottish lines being promoted by Asda in the supermarket’s Great Taste of Scotland event.
Customers at 50 of Asda’s Scottish stores will be able to get their hands on Mackie’s Sweet and Salted, Scotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper, Butterscotch and Lightly Sea Salted popcorn.
Shoppers will also be able to enjoy three new varieties of Mrs Tilly’s toffee – mint and liquorice and original.
The new deal with Mackie’s Crisps is the latest in a five-year relationship which already sees the supermarket stock 13 flavours of the crisp range.
Sales of the new popcorn lines are predicted to reach more than 500,000 units across retailers this year.
The Sweet and Salted and Scotch Bonnet Chilli Pepper lines have already been earmarked for permanent listing.
The decision for Mackie’s Crisps to expand into popcorn follows data suggesting that the one-time cinema favourite is now a market worth £114.3m and in the last year has grown by 30%.
The popcorn expansion is the first time a major Scottish brand has entered the market and will add to the 9.5m packs of Mackie’s Crisps sold each year.
Mackie’s is also exporting the range to Switzerland and Estonia, with crisps already retailing in 20 countries worldwide.
“In developing our new popcorn range, we looked for inspiration from our existing Mackie’s family of products’’ said James Taylor, commercial director at Mackie’s Crisps.
“Not only has our partnership with Asda helped to increase our product range and availability, it has also helped us expand on our local recruitment with now almost 50 based at our production factory in Errol.”
Asda’s Heather Turnbull added: “The new popcorn listing makes a fine addition to our already substantial Mackie’s offering.”