Following the news that Morrisons is launching a £35 BBQ Food Box of pre-selected products for the VE Day bank holiday:

Thomas Brereton, Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on the situation:

“Numerous supermarkets have launched “prepacked” food boxes during the pandemic, including Aldi and M&S. Morrisons currently has the most comprehensive proposition, with eight different box options (including gluten-free, Ramadan, fish and vegetarian), and is now the first to launch an option focused around a particular event.

“The prepacked market has benefits for both consumers and retailers. Although shoppers are surrendering choice in product, boxes are being delivered quicker than a usual grocery shop (e.g. Morrisons offering next-day fulfilment), and (in some cases) the cost excluding delivery is lower than that of the products instore. And for retailers, greater consistency in product volumes allow for savings (which may be passed onto shoppers) on a supply side.

“If prepacked food boxes prove popular, there is scope to extend the concept over the upcoming months to include other occasions and diets – even beyond COVID-19. Retailers could also trial selling these in stores, allowing shoppers to use it as a base for a weekly shop and supplement with other items.”