Sales at King Oscar USA continue to grow, with the company now proclaiming itself the largest sardine brand in the United States.
King Oscar USA sardine sales neared USD 25 million (EUR 21.8 million) between November 2017 and November 2018, according to the independent sales tracking firm IRI.
“We are extremely proud of our performance in 2018, on top of 8.3 percent growth in 2017,” King Oscar USA President John Engle said in a press release. “Not only are our sardines selections doing well, our new mackerel introduction is really contributing to the bottom line and our investment in innovation continues to pay off.”
The U.S. subsidiary of the Bergen, Norway-based seafood company, which is owned by Thai Union, said sales improved by 9.8 percent to reach USD 31.7 million (EUR 27.6 million).
Engle credited development of the company’s core premium canned product business for the gains, especially its King Oscar Sardines in Olive Oil and its Mediterranean Style brisling, which occupy the top two spots on the list of the top 10 premium sardine SKUs in the country. King Oscar also saw strong growth in sales of its Kipper Snacks (up 10.8 percent), mackerel (up 20.2 percent), and its and Skinless and Boneless Sardines (12.5 percent).
“We re-launched our Skinless and Boneless sardine line in June 2012, and our sales today are significantly greater than when we began this journey. It’s product innovation like that which has allowed us to get to the place where we are today,” Engle said. “We are using this year’s momentum to ramp up the launch of our newest, and first nationally branded line, the Royal Selection Premium Sardines. This line is an ultra-premium offering that will be on store shelves in April 2019.”
Higher sales enabled King Oscar to become the country’s fourth-largest shelf stable seafood brand in the U.S., trailing canned tuna companies Bumble Bee Seafood, Starkist, and Chicken of the Sea.
U.S. retailers that picked up King Oscar products included Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Walgreens, Albertsons/Safeway, Jewel, and ShopRite.
Photo courtesy of King Oscar USA
