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Proper is targeting growth in the microwave popcorn segment with the launch of what it claims is the UK’s first Pop-up Microwave Popcorn Box, designed to bring added convenience and theatre to at-home snacking.

Unveiled in London earlier this week, the new format transforms from a flat pack into a ready-to-eat popcorn box in the microwave in just two minutes, eliminating the need for a separate serving bowl.

Microwave popcorn remains a loyal segment within savoury snacking, with more than half of shoppers not purchasing other popcorn formats; however, the category has seen limited innovation in recent years.

Proper’s Pop-Up Box aims to address this gap by introducing a cinema-style experience into the home, offering both functionality and novelty, designed to enhance the sensory and visual appeal of microwave popcorn, an area the brand believes has been underdeveloped despite strong consumer engagement.

According to Sandie Dilger, chief marketing officer at Proper Snacks, microwave popcorn should be exciting, but the category hasn’t kept up with evolving consumer trends.

She said: “With the PROPER Pop-Up Box, we’ve set out to change that, bringing the iconic popcorn box that we all know from the theatre and movies into the home. It’s about as experiential as snacking can get - giving people an exciting new way to practice proper snacking at home and retailers a reason to re-energise a category that has felt stale for too long.”

The launch also marks the introduction of Proper’s best-selling Sweet & Salty flavour into its microwave range for the first time. The variant joins Sea Salt in the new format, giving consumers access to the brand’s two strongest-performing SKUs.

The Pop-Up Microwave Box is launching exclusively in Tesco stores from 16 March, available in a single 90g format with a retail price of £2.25.

The product maintains the brand’s health credentials, including wholegrain corn, high fibre and fewer than 100 calories per serving.