Kantar research reveals the FMCG brands that have been the most frequently chosen by consumers
1. Warburtons
PROVING once again that dough rises to the top, Warburtons finds itself as the No.1 FMCG brand here in Scotland as Scots reach for those wax paper packs for their daily piece.
2. Coca-Cola
BUBBLING into second place is Coca-Cola proving a firm favourite for Scottish consumers’ soft drinks needs. The latest innovation from the brand saw it relaunch a former favourite with Coca-Cola Lemon which comes in Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon as well as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon.
3. McVitie’s
SCOTTISH consumers certainly like to take the biscuit and the McVitie’s range appears to be the popular one here as it rises up one place from 2023. Bringing a selection of cakes, biscuits and sweet treats, McVitie’s certainly wouldn’t go amiss next to a cup of tea, whether it be the brand’s Chocolate Digestives or the ever popular and long-debated Jaffa Cakes.
4. Cadbury Dairy Milk
IT’S been a big year for the Cadbury Dairy Milk brand as it has been celebrating its 200th anniversary. And, so far, it seems that this hard work has paid off for the brand in Scotland as it rises through the ranks to sit at No.4, jumping up three places from 2023.
5. Walkers
BRINGING in a crunch to the top five, Walkers Crisps offers its variety of savoury flavours as it rises up once place from 2023. Remaining an ever-popular choice for shoppers here in Scotland, whether this be as part of a meal deal opportunity or a snack to tide you over until dinner, the demand for its wide range of products couldn’t be clearer.
6. Heinz
WHETHER it comes on top of a burger or next to some chips, it is hard to ignore the impact Heinz has had on our tables now for over 150 years. And Scottish consumers definitely agree on that one, with Heinz coming in sixth place.
7. Hovis
A BOY pushing a bike up a hill has stuck with consumers just as much as their love for the Hovis brand all these years, as the baked goods manufacturer sits at No.7 for Scotland’s Top FMCG brands.
Starting out in 1886, the brand has come on leaps and bounds in this time. A mainstay in the bakery section across the UK’s shops, Hovis sports a wide range of options to suit all consumer needs, including a selection of breakfast items and a variety of loaves in white, wholemeal and Best of Both options.
Moving upmarket, the brand also has a more premium Bakers Since 1886 range, paying homage to the firm’s roots.
Most recently, the brand added its Rustic Bloomers loaves to this range, a three-strong selection made up of its Rustic White Bloomer, Rustic Seeded Bloomer and the Rustic Granary Bloomer.
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8. Cadbury
ENCOMPASSING all that remains after Dairy Milk, Cadbury chocolate is still a key addition to shopping baskets in Scotland. Boasting a wide variety of flavours and variants now, consumers are seemingly covered for all of their chocolate needs with Cadbury.
The latest innovations from the brand have seen it bring the Starbar into its Cadbury Duo line-up, as well as taking part in the Cadbury 200th anniversary celebrations, with limited-edition launches such as the return of Cadbury Top Deck.
9. Irn-Bru
SCOTTISH consumers just can’t be separated from their Bru as AG Barr’s Irn-Bru makes its way into the top ten FMCG brands in Scotland once again for this year’s list. And the firm has recently launch the latest additions to the Irn-Bru Xtra range with the return of its summer limited-edition flavours.
This year sees Wild Berry Slush and Raspberry Ripple take to store’s chillers in a bid to drive up popularity of the zero-sugar variant with shoppers throughout the year.
10. Müller
FROM Bavaria to the UK, Müller first got its start in 1971 when Theobald Alfons Müller took over the running of his father’s dairy farm. The firm hasn’t been shy on diving in on more sweet treats, either, with its Frijj flavoured milk options alongside a cream that is sourced entirely across British farms.
11. Graham’s The Family Dairy
ROLLING out from one family to countless families across the whole of Scotland, Graham’s The Family Dairy sits just outside the top 10 for this year, finding itself ranked as No.11. The brand hasn’t been shy on growing its range of NPD over the last year, which has seen Graham’s branch out into the gym lifestyle with the addition of new Protein 25 drinks, offering 25 grams of protein per drink.
12. McCain
WHETHER boiled, mashed or stuck in the oven for 20 minutes, Scottish consumers love potatoes and McCain is the evident winner with frozen options.
The brand has expanded its horizons into the modern age recently, introducing its new Air Fryer range of chips, including French Fries and Crinkle Cut Fries options, designed to be cooked in Air Fryers.
Helping to build on this range, the brand has been working with foodie influencer Poppy O’Toole to craft some unique meal recipes using the newcomers.
Naomi Tinkler, category director at McCain Foods, said: “Being named as one of the Top 20 FMCG Brands in Scotland is a remarkable achievement and a testament to our commitment to innovation and to delivering quality products year-round. This recognition not only reflects McCain’s strong market presence but, equally, highlights the trust that customers place in our range of products.”
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13. Lurpak
THICKLY spread over a piece or dropped into the frying pan to bring some extra flavour, butter is an absolute cupboard-must for Scottish consumers.
And when it comes to what brand to pick, Scottish shoppers seem to gravitate towards Lurpak’s variety of options, including salted and unsalted options.
Made for over 100 years now, Lurpak’s recipe uses approximately 20kg of Danish milk for every 1kg of butter with the cream allowed to ripen before it’s churned into that golden block consumers seemingly just can’t resist.
The brand’s ‘When in Doubt Just Cook’ campaign emphasises the range of cookery options available to customers who make use of Lurpak butter, showcasing a variety of options including brownies, sage butter pasta and chicken biryani.
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14. Bird’s Eye
FROM frozen peas to fish fingers and beyond, Bird’s Eye remains a staple in freezers across the whole of Scotland. The brand has also joined forces with Team GB ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, holding it in good stead for the summer ahead, where it will enjoy a massive stage for UK consumers to see the brand on.
15. Pepsi
PEPSI has kept the top 15 fizzing away as it moves up one place from last year’s ranking. A major brand refresh at the start of 2024 has clearly had a positive impact on Scottish consumers, bringing a fresh new look to the popular drinks. And its recent product innovation promises to drive up the demand via TikTok fans thanks to its new Pepsi Electric.
16. KitKat
TELLING consumers to take a break since the 1950s has clearly worked for Nestlé KitKat as the brand finds itself at 16 on this list. Most recently, the brand has added to its pair-up with biscuit brand Lotus Biscoff through the launch of its KitKat Chunky Biscoff White, adding a white chocolate variant to its popular team up with Biscoff.
17. Nescafé
SOME consumers can’t face the day without a strong cup of coffee first thing and it would seem that Nescafé is the choice for Scots. The brand has also grown its team-up with Nestlé’s chocolate brands, with the addition of Nescafé Quality Street Green Triangle Mocha coffee and Nescafé Aero Peppermint Mocha coffee, building on the launch of its Aero Honeycomb Mocha variant from last year.
18. Batchelors
QUICK and easy solutions are the way to go with Scottish consumers as Batchelors goes to show here. Batchelors has gone on to produce a range of dried noodles and pasta with its Pasta ’n’ Sauce range, as well as its variety of options in Super Noodles.
19. Fox’s
BAKING for more than 160 years means you are bound to result in some pretty tasty biscuit recipes and that’s just the case for the Fox’s brand. Most recently, the firm behind the label, Fox’s Burton’s Companies (FBC), launched two new additions to its Crunch Cream brand – including a Salted Caramel flavour and a limited-edition Cherry Bakewell variant.
20. Tunnock’s
COMING to the end of the countdown, we have the final Scottish brand making the list, namely Tunnock’s.
With a biscuit range that every Scottish consumers out there knows, Tunnock’s has been a mainstay in Scottish houses for more than a century now.
First getting its start under Queen Victoria’s reign in 1890, the brand offers a range of sweet biscuit options that Scottish consumers have been flocking to for years now.
Including the iconic Teacakes, Caramel Wafers and Snowballs, the brand has expanded to introduced the likes of its Caramel Log and Wafer Cream.
A spokesperson for Tunnock’s said: “Tunnock’s has a worldwide reputation for quality chocolate biscuits. Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers, Tunnock’s Tea Cakes, Tunnock’s Caramel Logs, Tunnock’s Snowballs and Tunnock’s Wafer Creams are all regarded as the best of their kind.”
Visit the Tunnock’s website
Read more about the Top 20 FMCG brands in Scotland, including an overview from Kantar’s Lesley Ann Gray here.
