CHIP SALES BOOSTED BY CHIP WEEK

Recent figures reveal:

• 43% of shops reported a positive impact in sales

• 85% satisfaction rating from outlets

• 8 in 10 want to be involved in Chip Week 2014

• Media coverage worth £3million

Chip Week continues to drive awareness and sales, according to industry feedback. A survey of participating fish and chip shops has revealed that this year’s campaign delivered strong media interest and positively influenced their business.

43% of shops questioned reported that sales increased during the Week (18 – 24 February). More than half (58%) revealed they benefited from improved returns of between 1-10%, for three in ten shops profits went up by 11-20% and 8% reported even higher returns. 

Potato Council marketing manager, Kate Cox, said: “This is a fantastic result and proves that Chip Week remains a very relevant and beneficial campaign for the sector. This year, not only did the number of participating outlets increase, but those reporting improved sales grew by 8%, which is a significant achievement and well above our targets.

Simon Shaw, owner of Chamberlains Fish and Chips is one such business. He said: “We’ve been open for two years and Chip Week has resulted in some of the best ever sales in both years. It really helps bring new customers through the doors and puts us on the local map – both of which are crucial for shops, especially new ones. 

“That said, it does mean getting behind the Week! We gave away free chips and advertised in the local newspapers, which despite the initial outlay still made us impressive returns. We also decorated the shop, used social media and entered in the Choice Chip Awards, all of which are easy and inexpensive ways to take part.”

From the official feedback forms, many shops stated that they received local media interest in their Chip Week activities and award wins that combined with the nationwide PR campaign generated extensive coverage – worth the equivalent of £3 million advertising spend. For the potato industry, this means that a return of £20 was delivered for every £1 spent.

What’s more, the overall approval rating for Chip Week was high, with 85% of shops satisfied with the promotion, which included eye-catching point of sale promotional kits, the Choice Chip Awards and useful marketing-focused research. The same numbers (85%) have stated that they are keen to be involved in the campaign for 2014.

Shops can already register their interest in Chip Week 2014 (17 – 23 February) by emailing chipweek@potato.ahdb.org.uk