The breakfast category is constantly reinventing itself, with brands banking on quick and easy solutions for the busy shopper.
By Elena Dimama
Convenience and speed are crucial for breakfast shoppers, with demand rising for options that can be consumed on the go or at home.
Brands looking to tap into the growing trend of health keep innovating, focusing on convenience and versatility, which could in turn help independent retailers capitalise on the growing category.
According to the latest data from Mintel, cereal, bakery and porridge are the three most popular options for food to be eaten at breakfast, followed by fruit.
A healthy start
“We found that some still enjoyed a bowl of cereal at home or at work, but for others they returned to previous behaviours such as picking up a snack bar on the way or buying breakfast with their morning coffee,” Darryl Burgess, Head of Sales for Weetabix, says. “Therefore, it’s been a promising time for breakfast drinks and bars which are again showing signs of long-term growth.”
According to Burgess, 7% of breakfasts were skipped at the beginning of 2022, which then dropped to 5% at the end of the year. “The prediction for 2023 is this trend will continue as value-orientated shoppers look to snack a little less and focus more on three good meals a day, with a healthy breakfast that sets you up right for the day ahead,” he adds.
Health is one of the most noteworthy trends in the category with brands up and down the breakfast aisle vying for the healthiest credentials.
Courtney Lewis, Customer Director for Independent Convenience & Wholesale at Premier Foods, tells SLR: “Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day – and for many, this means looking to healthier options. Recognising this, Ambrosia has created its porridge pots that contain British wholegrain oats, real fruit, as well as providing a source of protein, fibre and calcium.
“The pots also contain less than 3% fat and no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.”
Meanwhile, zero-added sugar in products is a highly sought option, which Dole has also recognised.
“A recent survey by StreetBees of nearly 50,000 consumers showed that the number one attribute sought when deciding on what to eat and drink was ‘no added or low sugar’ content. This should be front of mind for retailers when considering their breakfast offer and confirms Dole’s fruit in juice and fruit in jelly cups as very credible options, as all the variants have zero added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or flavourings, are less than 100 calories per serving, and come in convenient and recyclable packs which can be eaten at home or on the go,” Andrew Bradshaw, UK Sales Director at Dole Sunshine Company, notes.
Holy coffee
Drinking is not to be undermined when thinking about breakfast sales; almost two-thirds (64%) of morning food-to-go occasions involve coffee, according to Lumina Intelligence. Within this, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee is becoming an increasingly popular breakfast choice, according to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), with its own research showing that one in five enjoy an RTD coffee with a morning snack.
“Costa Coffee’s RTD range is outperforming the segment by some margin, up 60.7% in value,” Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at CCEP, said. “This success can be put down to the widespread popularity of Costa Coffee, the nation’s favourite coffee shop for the last 12 years, and the quality of what’s inside the can.”
- Use secondary sitings and create an eye-catching dedicated breakfast display with the key products people will be on the lookout for – including cereal, porridge, pancake mixes and sweet treats as well as fruit and spreads, to inspire shoppers with products from trusted brands, such as Ambrosia Porridge and McDougalls Pancake Mixes.
- To attract those in a rush, create point-of-sale displays so that consumers won’t miss convenient breakfast options like the Ambrosia Porridge Pots.
