Brits have lost their taste for everyday biscuits, buying 48.4 million fewer packs over the past year [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 9 October 2016].
As a result, £25.7m has been wiped off the sub-category’s value as consumers seek both healthier and more indulgent biscuits. Growth in these areas wasn’t enough to bolster biscuits’ overall performance, with value sales down 0.8% to £2.4bn on volumes down 0.7%.
“Volume losses can be attributed to everyday biscuit shoppers reducing their spend, as well as moving to other biscuit sectors - particularly healthier biscuits such as BelVita and cereal bars and everyday treats including Oreo and Jaffa Cakes,” said Kantar analyst George Guterres.
“Everyday treats are hitting more rewarding consumption needs, as consumers seek out more indulgent options.”
Oreo gained £11.8m in extra sales over the past year, nearly £3m more than the next biggest-growing biscuit brand, BelVita [Nielsen MAT 10 September 2016].
Owner Mondelez is hoping to build on the success further with its latest NPD, Oreo Thins.
The slimmer biscuit is targeted at the mid-afternoon ‘nibbling’ occasion. It will be available in two variants - Original Vanilla and Chocolate Creme - from 1 December with an rsp of £1.08 for a 96g pack.
The launch will be supported by a £3m investment, including TV, outdoor, digital and sampling activity.
“With this launch, we aim to recruit under-45s, those consumers that are currently buying Oreo for their family but now offering a product that they can purchase for themselves and in turn, continue to drive growth within the category,” said Helen Potter, Oreo senior brand manager at Mondelez International.
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