Biscuit manufacturer pladis has launched its 2020 Annual Biscuit Review, which urges retailers to build on lessons learned to propel future growth.
After a bumper year for biscuits, which demonstrated the strongest growth in more than five years – fuelled by shoppers returning to classic ‘biscuit barrel’ products in their droves – pladis predicts the category will touch £3bn by the end of the year.
“Biscuits had an incredible year amid a tumultuous 2020,” said Scott Snell, Vice President of Customer at pladis UK & Ireland. “And, while there were certainly winners and losers in this mix, overall, biscuits began to play an increasingly important role in consumers’ lives.”
The latest pladis Annual Biscuit Review reveals that while sales of Healthier Biscuits were hit as locked down shoppers turned away from on-the-go formats like breakfast biscuits, value sales in classic subsectors such as Chocolate Biscuit Bars (+11.5%), Everyday Biscuits (+15.1%) and Everyday Treats (+11.9%) grew.
It also sheds light on how changing shopper behaviour gave bestselling core products in the biscuit category a further boost. In fact, core products were responsible for delivering 84% of total category growth as shoppers popped an extra packet of bestsellers into their baskets.
The top 10 biscuit brands represented £1 of every £5 spent in the category – with seven of the top 10 recording double-digit value growth.
To build on last year’s learnings, the Review advises retailers in 2021 to acknowledge ‘savvy shopper’ behaviour by communicating value for money at the fixture.
It also suggests a strengthening of the Special Treats range so shoppers can indulge in premium biscuit options.
As lockdown eases and consumers leave their homes more frequently, products like breakfast biscuits should gradually return to growth. Therefore retailers are advised to incorporate Healthier Biscuits that help weight management into their range in response to returning demand.
Other advice includes the use of NPD to excite consumers, a strong focus on core ‘biscuit barrel’ products, and to prepare for a bumper Christmas.
With new regulations regarding products high in fat, salt or sugar looming, pladis also said this year will be about the preparations for any potential changes in where and how shoppers will buy biscuits as a result.
To request a copy of the pladis Annual Biscuit Review of 2020, email csaba.babak@pladisglobal.com.
