The man from Del Monte declared bankruptcy – and it could have been avoided, writes Simon Forster
Del Monte Foods, a 138-year-old icon known for its canned fruits and vegetables, shocked the grocery world in late June by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announcing a search for a buyer.
There are reports citing a trend of consumers purchasing own-brand over big brands as a fundamental cause of their decline, but I believe their issues are much more category wide. Canned fruit and vegetables just aren’t relevant to modern consumers, who don’t share the understanding of convenience that’s dying with a post-war generation.
The category has become uninspiring, full of lacklustre brands and own-brand offerings. Of course, there’s no real reason to choose a brand over private label, but why is nobody doing anything to shake things up and remind people of the benefits? You can’t just pile the shelves with products and expect them to sell if nobody is willing to walk down the aisle itself.
It’s not a matter of format either. Consumers are perfectly fine with canned goods when it comes to fish, or even drinks! The expectation of freshness is explicit when you buy them – tuna straight from the boat, or beer from the brewery.
So, there must be something different going on with canned fruit and vegetables. Attractive fresh aisles overflowing with bright fruit and vegetables are probably to blame, but it feels like the canned alternative has given up the ghost! A peach canned fresh at the time of picking versus one that’s been transported halfway across the world, left bruised and sweating on the shelf all weekend? There’s definitely a case to be made.
Canned fruit and vegetables should be so relevant to modern consumers, especially as the rising cost of living means more households are struggling to consume enough of their five a day. They’re natural, fresh products, yet they have a long shelf life. They help with portion control and budgeting, with minimal food waste, and lock in vitamins and nutrients. All contained within infinitely recyclable packaging.
At Robot Food, we recently set ourselves the exact challenge Del Monte faced as part of ‘Project Disrupt’, a self-initiated brief taking aim at often-overlooked categories. Who says canned goods can’t be cool?
The result was ‘Prepped’, food for the end of the world. A satirical, utilitarian take on the category that couldn’t be further from consumer expectations.
There’s a story to Prepped – canned fruit and vegetables ready to answer all life’s last-minute disasters, whether it’s an empty fridge after work or a nuclear fallout from hungry kids. It’s a brand that’s prepped for anything, literally. Not a last resort, but a go-to pantry powerhouse.
All the compelling benefits of canned fruit and vegetables that Del Monte failed to communicate, built around a brand consumers are infinitely more likely to connect with.
Does your category need that kind of fresh thinking?
Simon Forster is the Founder & ECD of Robot Food
