Biscuits soar in convenience
BISCUITS and cakes can mean big business for Scottish convenience stores, as the nation continues its love affair with the category whether it’s over tea or on the move.
Biscuit firms have backed this positive assessment of the category’s fortunes and they’ve suggested that while the market is changing, things continue to move in a positive direction.
Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats, highlighted the heady heights the biscuit category has climbed to in UK stores, with modest growth suggesting it is in rude health.
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£2.7bn
The total UK biscuit market has value sales of £2.7bn, growing at a rate of 0.4%.
– Mars
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“The total biscuits market has value sales of £2.7bn growing at a rate of 0.4% per year,” she said.
“Everyday treats (including cookies) is the largest segment within the sweet biscuits sub-category (18%) and is currently worth £0.5bn, showing growth of 2.2% in value sales.”
Looking to the future, Frost reckons the at-home occasion will increase its foothold on the biscuit category, and that her firm is in the right place to take advantage of this.
“The way biscuits are consumed is changing to align with the way more people are consuming confectionery at home,” she said.
“To capitalise on this opportunity, Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has recently launched a new range of chocolate cookies to be consumed as an everyday cookie treat as part of the growing stay home occasion, an in home weekday treat.”
Many shoppers may be partial to picking up some biscuits to have at home, but instant consumption and ‘on the go’ continues to play a key role in generating biscuit and cake sales according to Jo Agnew, brand director for sweet treats at Premier Foods.
The convenience and ‘on the go’ trend is also an important one for us and we continue to expand availability.
“The convenience and on-the-go trend is also an important one for us and we continue to expand our availability of Mr Kipling favourites such as Angel Slices, Cherry Bakewells in our on the go twin pack formats,” said Agnew.
“Our Cake on the Go team are making great headway into new channels and retail outlets with products that are designed specifically for an impulse, individual eat occasion.”
