Billa Austria is relaunching its Billa Simply Good private-label brand, which offers a range of fresh, natural, and nutrient-rich meals free of unwanted additives.
The meals are 100% free from flavour enhancers, preservatives, artificial flavours, palm oil, hydrogenated fats, yeast extract, and seasonings, the retailer noted.
The Simply Good Buddha Bowl, for example, combines quinoa and vegetable protein sources such as tofu, chickpeas and lentils with a selection of vegetables, providing vegetable protein, fibre, and a diverse range of ingredients for a balanced meal.
Consumer Trends
The relaunch of the Simply Good range comes in response to evolving consumer needs and trends in Austria.
A study by Integral, which was undertaken on behalf of Billa, found that more than half of Austrians (57%) buy convenience products at least once a month. Among 18- to 29-year-olds, meanwhile, 28% reach for ready-made meals at least once a week.
Regular shoppers cite significant time savings (58%), ease of use (54%) and practicality in everyday life (43%) as the main reasons for buying convenience food products.
At the same time, frequent buyers of refrigerated ready meals state that poor ingredients (39%), too many chemicals (38%), unhealthy food (37%), and suggestions that said meals don’t provide a nutritious or balanced diet (30%) are the main reasons that would put them off from shopping the category.
Convenience food is most often consumed on the go (27%), followed by consumption over dinner (26%) and as a quick snack in between meals (25%).
While younger consumers turn to convenience food for dinner more often than average (34%), older generations integrate the dishes primarily into everyday family life (20%).
‘A New Level’
Klaudia Atzmüller, Billa‘s head of private labels, commented, “Together with nutritionists, we have completely rethought the recipes and thus raised convenience to a new level. The result is ultra-fresh, nutrient-rich products that consistently avoid unnecessary additives.
“With Billa Simply Good, quick meals and a conscious diet are no longer mutually exclusive.”