Case Study: Albert Heijn Kies & Kook

�Kies & Kook’ product group

The Dutch grocery store chain Albert Heijn (AH) introduced a new product group that is called �Kies & Kook’, choose and cook, which targets consumers with different preferences concerning their nutrition but the same preference concerning the time the preparation can take. All products are components, which can be combined to different meals and do not involve more than 15 to 30 minutes preparation time. This quality is designated as a feature of these products, quality food at which can be prepared to a full meal with little effort. The promotion of this product group is easy for AH, as a private label concept, AH can place the product in its stores after testing acceptance/demand in a select few of them.

�Kies & Kook’ �Kies & Wok’ �Koken met chefkoks’

Adult servings 4 2 2

Price 8 Euro 7 Euro 15 Euro

Preparation time 15 minutes 15 minutes 20 – 30 minutes

Quality Multiple components (sauces, potatoes, pasta, rice, vegetables and meat), healthy ingredients Different components (same as �Kies & Kook’, Asian labelled products to be prepared in a wok), healty ingredients Food �as if prepared by a chef’, more preparation and healthy ingredients are leading to sophisticated meal

Target Families Young Professionals, couples Highest Albert Heijn customer class

Survey

All interview partners replied that �Kies & Kook’ is a good idea in the first place. Less preparation time and the possibility of a quick shopping tour, already knowing what to choose from the variety of AH products appeared attractive to all participants of which all where students. All of them expected the food to be of �good’ quality (students point of view: more than just �edible’) whilst only one of them has already tried one of the products, which resulted in a “satisfying dinner for my girlfriend and myself”. The main benefits mentioned were that it would take a low proportion of time and a fixed amount of money to prepare a tasty and healthy meal. These qualities places �Kies & Kook’ products between the classical deep-frozen pizza and a fully-fledged meal like the participants were used to get while living at their parent’s houses. Also, the time variable makes this product interesting for students,