Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: Total UK retail value sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Market factors
- Companies, brands and innovation
- Masterbrand strategy helps United Biscuits extend its lead in sweet biscuits
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- Figure 2: Leading manufacturers in the sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars market, by value share, 2014/15*
- Jacob’s masterbrand strategy boosts sales in savoury biscuits
- Kellogg’s retains top spot in breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars despite falling sales
- Free-from launches leap ahead, healthier sweet biscuits remain rare in NPD
- The consumer
- Nine in 10 adults eat sweet biscuits
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- Figure 3: Frequency of eating sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits/cereal bar, savoury biscuits, crackers and rice cakes, December 2014
- Snacking remains central to biscuits
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- Figure 4: Occasions for eating sweet biscuits, savoury biscuits, cereal bars and crackers, December 2014
- Health concerns are a barrier to eating sweet biscuits
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- Figure 5: Barriers to eating sweet biscuits, December 2014
- Dryness is biggest barrier to savoury biscuits, crackers and crispbread usage
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- Figure 6: Barriers to eating crackers, savoury biscuits and crispbread, December 2014
- Reduced calorie versions of favourite biscuits interest one in five
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- Figure 7: Interest in selected sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal bars product concepts, December 2014
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Lower-calorie sweet biscuits appeal to users
- The facts
- The implications
- Breakfast biscuits with protein or fruit attract interest from users
- The facts
- The implications
- Savoury biscuits, crackers and crispbread not considered a snack on their own
- The facts
- The implications
Trend Application
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- Trend: Sense of the Intense
- Trend: Transumers
- Trend: Life Hacking
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Consumers find themselves in a better financial situation in 2014
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- Figure 8: Consumers’ financial health index, January 2009-January 2015
- Sugar attracts negative media in 2014
- Growth of core sweet biscuits users good news for the market
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- Figure 9: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2009-14 and 2014-19
Strengths and Weaknesses
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- Strengths
- Weaknesses
Who’s Innovating?
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- Key points
- Healthy claims remain rare in sweet biscuits
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- Figure 10: NPD in the UK sweet biscuits market, top 15 claims in 2014, 2010-14
- Free-from launches leap ahead in 2013
- Healthier sweet biscuits remain rare in NPD
- ‘No added refined sugar’ biscuits should appeal
- On-the-go positioning remains rare
- Modest activity in premium segment
- Biscuits continue to see category blurring
- Chocolate brands continue to explore biscuits
- Biscuits look to desserts
- Traditional biscuits from other countries enter the UK market
- Low-allergen claims leap ahead in savoury biscuits/crackers
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- Figure 11: NPD in the UK savoury biscuits/crackers market, top 15 claims in 2014, 2010-14
- NPD in breakfast biscuits helps to inject interest into the category
- Low-sugar and all-natural claims gain in cereal/snack bars in 2014
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- Figure 12: NPD in the UK cereal/snack/energy bar, top 15 claims in 2014, 2010-14
- L/N/R sugar claims remain rare
- Mainstream bars look to protein
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Market suffers from sugar concerns
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- Figure 13: Total UK retail volume and value sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Value sales expected to be propped up by inflation and trading up in the biscuits, cookies and crackers market
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- Figure 14: Total UK retail value sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Figure 15: Total UK retail volume sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Methodology
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Treat biscuits struggle
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- Figure 16: Total UK retail volume and value sales of sweet biscuits, 2009-19
- Figure 17: Total UK retail value sales of sweet biscuits, 2009-19
- Figure 18: Total UK retail volume sales of sweet biscuits, 2009-19
- Savoury biscuits leap ahead
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- Figure 19: Total UK retail volume and value sales of savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Figure 20: Total UK retail value sales of savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Figure 21: Total UK retail volume sales of savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, 2009-19
- Cereal/snack bars lose their momentum in 2014
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- Figure 22: Total UK retail volume and value sales of breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, 2009-19
- Figure 23: Total UK retail value sales of breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, 2009-19
- Figure 24: Total UK retail volume sales of breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, 2009-19
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- Figure 25: UK retail value sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, by segment, 2013 and 2014
- Figure 26: UK retail volume sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, cereal/snack bars and breakfast biscuits, by segment, 2013 and 2014
Market Share
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- Key points
- Sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars
- Masterbrand strategy helps United Biscuits extend its lead
- Fox’s embarks on revamp to re-energise sales
- Oreo continues strong growth
- Maryland looks to soft baked cookies for next hit
- Kellogg’s retains leading position despite falling sales
- Belvita gains share
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- Figure 27: Leading brands’ sales in the sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
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- Figure 28: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars market, by value and volume, 2013/14 and 2014/15
- Savoury biscuits, crackers and crispbread
- Jacob’s masterbrand strategy boosts sales
- Ritz leaps ahead with first TV campaign in decades
- New entrants make their mark
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- Figure 29: Leading brands in the savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes market, by value and volume, 2012/13 and 2013/14
- Figure 30: Leading manufacturers’ sales in the savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes market, by value and volume, 2012/13 and 2013/14
Companies and Products
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- United Biscuits
- Background
- Product range
- Product innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- Burton’s Biscuit Company
- Background
- Product range
- Product innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- Associated British Foods
- Background
- Product range and innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- 2 Sisters Food Group
- Background
- Product range
- Product innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- Mondelēz International
- Background
- Product range and innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- Eat Natural
- Background
- Product range and innovation
- General Mills
- Background
- Product range and innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
- Kellogg’s
- Background
- Product range and innovation
- Recent activity and promotion
Brand Communication and Promotion
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- Key points
- Adspend reaches a four-year high
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- Figure 31: Total above-the-line advertising expenditure in the UK sweet and savoury biscuits, crackers and breakfast biscuit/cereal bar market, 2011-14
- Figure 32: Above-the-line advertising expenditure in the UK sweet and savoury biscuits, crackers and breakfast biscuit/cereal bar market, by segment, 2011-14
- UB invests in the three-year ‘Sweeet’ masterbrand campaign
- Mondelēz leads total adspend
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- Figure 33: Above-the-line advertising expenditure in the UK sweet and savoury biscuits, crackers and breakfast biscuit/cereal bar market, by top five advertisers’ share, 2011-14
- Figure 34: Above-the-line advertising expenditure in the UK sweet and savoury biscuits, crackers and breakfast biscuits/cereal bars market, by top five advertisers, 2011-14
- Playfulness provides the advertising theme for Oreo
- ABF focuses on the versatility of Ryvita
Brand Research – Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
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- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 35: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, January 2015
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 36: Key metrics for selected brands, January 2015
- Brand attitudes: The majority of these brands tend to have images built on perceptions of quality and strong reputations
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- Figure 37: Attitudes, by brand, January 2015
- Brand personality: McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes and Fox’s enjoy the most upbeat brand images
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- Figure 38: Brand personality – macro image, January 2015
- Healthiness is often associated with being bland
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- Figure 39: Brand personality – micro image, January 2015
- Brand analysis
- McVitie’s Digestives is an accessible and traditional option
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- Figure 40: User profile of McVitie’s Digestives, January 2015
- McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes benefits from its unique product offering
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- Figure 41: User profile of McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes, January 2015
- Jacob’s accessibility creates usage despite a basic brand image
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- Figure 42: User profile of Jacob’s, January 2015
- Fox’s has an upbeat image but lacks the trust enjoyed by the McVitie’s brands
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- Figure 43: User profile of Fox’s, January 2015
- Nairn’s lacks indulgence but image of healthiness suggests potential for growth
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- Figure 44: User profile of Nairn’s, January 2015
- Oreo’s specific appeal to younger groups limits overall scores
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- Figure 45: User profile of Oreo, January 2015
- Ryvita most likely to be thought of as bland, but healthiness gives a specific purpose
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- Figure 46: User profile of Ryvita, January 2015
The Consumer – Usage of Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
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- Key points
- Nine in 10 adults eat sweet biscuits
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- Figure 47: Usage of biscuits, cookies and crackers, December 2014
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- Figure 48: Frequency of eating sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits/cereal bar, savoury biscuits, crackers and rice cakes, December 2014
- Lighter versions of biscuits eaten by less than half of adults
- Breakfast biscuits and light/low-fat biscuits attract similar users
- Women are core users of savoury biscuits, crackers and crispbread
The Consumer – Occasions for Eating Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
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- Key points
- Snacking remains central to biscuits
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- Figure 49: Occasions for eating sweet biscuits, savoury biscuits, cereal bars and crackers, December 2014
- Biscuits lack treat associations
- On-the-go usage remains low
- Savoury biscuits tailored to a cheeseboard
The Consumer – Barriers to Eating Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
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- Key points
- Health concerns are a barrier to eating sweet biscuits
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- Figure 50: Barriers to eating sweet biscuits, December 2014
- Healthier variants have untapped potential
- Perceived lack of portion control discourages sweet biscuit usage
- Dryness is biggest barrier to savoury biscuits, crackers and crispbread usage
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- Figure 51: Barriers to eating crackers, savoury biscuits and crispbread, December 2014
The Consumer – Sweet Biscuits and Breakfast Biscuits/Cereal Bar Product Enticements
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- Key points
- Reduced calorie versions of favourite biscuits interest one in five
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- Figure 52: Interest in selected sweet biscuits, breakfast biscuits and cereal bars product concepts, December 2014
- Sugar-free biscuits sweetened with stevia appeal to one in seven
- More indulgent biscuits could tap into treat behaviour
- Heatable cookies/biscuits blur boundaries with dessert category
- Breakfast biscuits with protein or fruit attract interest from users
- A quarter of users are drawn to high-protein breakfast biscuits
- Sweet biscuits tailored to hot drinks appeal to one in five
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 53: Total UK retail value sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 54: Total UK retail volume sales of sweet and savoury biscuits, breakfast biscuits, cereal/snack bars, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 55: Total UK retail value sales of savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 56: Total UK retail volume sales of savoury biscuits, crackers, crispbread and rice cakes, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
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- Figure 57: Total UK retail value sales of sweet biscuits, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 58: Total UK retail volume sales of sweet biscuits, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 59: Total UK retail value sales of breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
- Figure 60: Total UK retail volume sales of breakfast biscuits and cereal/snack bars, best- and worst-case forecast, 2014-19
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