Healthy trends show in top 100 grocery brands

UK consumers have made significant efforts to improve their diets with sales of healthier products rocketing brands up the top 100 grocery brands league table, according to a Nielsen report.

“Health has dominated the consumer’s agenda. Many manufacturers and retailers have fundamentally changed their products to provide a healthier offering which has lead to phenomenal growth in sales for those companies that have placed this at the core of their business, says Eleni Nicholas, group managing director at ACNielsen UK and Ireland.
The report is compiled from actual sales data from major food retailers in the country and represents sales at more than 74,000 stores. In total, the top 100 accounted for over £14 billion (£23 bn) worth of sales.
Coca-Cola has maintained its position as the number one brand in the UK with the launch of Zero helping sales grow by five per cent.
Real fruit smoothie brand Innocent has entered the top 100 for the first time, at number 63, and is the fastest growing brand with sales up 140% last year to over £96 million (£143m). Danone Activia is the second fastest growing brand with sales up to 77% in 2006 to £98 million (£146m).
Bakery Warburtons has cemented its position as the number two grocery brand in the UK at £514m (£767m) with the highest growth rate of any in the top 10 – at 17.7%. Yeo Valley Organic also stands out, with sales growth of 25%. Yeo Valley is the first fully organic brand to enter the league at number 88.