Biscuits are in huge demand from worldwide consumers, particularly in the British retail industry, so there couldn’t be a better time for buyers to invest in such an advantageous food category.
The biscuit market has seen its strongest growth over the last five years, with annual UK biscuit sales at a staggering £2.96bn in the retail sector.
2020 was the year where the exponential growth of biscuits was truly laid bare, as the category grew by 7.2% and sales value increased by £212m according to a 2021 report by Nielsen.
The significant growth in the biscuit market has mostly been caused due to the changes in consumers’ lives as they altered their buying habits during 2020 because of the Covid-19 outbreak and consequent government lockdowns.
Morning snack occasions were driven by everyday biscuits, resulting in a significant increase of 104m.
With the highest growth, special treats have driven this biscuit occasion, as evening snacks boast an increase of 81m.
Significantly, since more people had to work from home, a trend which has continued from 2020 into 2022, in-home lunches became much more common. As a result, 163m lunches featured more biscuits, driven mostly by chocolate biscuit bars, as well as crackers and crispbreads.
In retail, there are ways in which you can increase your biscuit sales, such as optimising the position of products in your store (category management). To assist with this, the Smylies team has outlined just a few core principles for retailers to implement on the shop floor.
There are approximately 4,500 biscuit lines available in convenience, however, 80% of biscuit sales comes through just 8% of products. In order to drive sales, its key best sellers are in stock and in a prime location on your store’s shelves.
With shoppers finding it harder to shop in convenience stores than in supermarkets, It’s crucial that clear merchandising is implemented to make the fixture easy to shop. If shoppers can’t find what they’re looking for, 47% say they will walk away.
Stock up on new and innovative biscuit products to drive sales. By ensuring new products stand out in store, stores are more likely to increase impulse sales, as they take advantage of consumers’ desires to try something new.
A proven way to guarantee increased biscuit sales is to situate your biscuit products next to complementary products like tea or coffee. With 55% of convenience buyers making unplanned purchases on their visits to a store, they are much more likely to impulse buy.
Are you part of the procurement team for an international convenience store? Whatever your confectionary needs, Smylies exports the best of British biscuits to a host of global destinations.
Contact our friendly customer service team on 0333 331 5235 or alternatively, you can get in touch online.
Phone: 0151 653 3335
Email: sales@smylies.com
Unit 7 Riverview Business Park, Riverview Road, Bromborough, Wirral, CH62 3RR