Biscuit sales breaking in two
Two opposing forces within the sweet biscuits market are at work globally, with the ‘treat’ image driving the premium sector forward, while rising health concerns are raising interest in better-for-you products, according to new research by Innova Market Insights.
Chocolate biscuits have been one of the main beneficiaries of rising interest in the treat image of biscuits, and the market has continued to see growth in most countries despite ongoing financial and health concerns, says the business analyst.
According to the firm’s research manager Lu Ann Williams, this is probably attributable to the ongoing demand for everyday treats and the continuing tendency to ‘trade off’ by mainly choosing healthy options but then having an indulgent product as a reward.
“Biscuits with some sort of chocolate content accounted for a significant 48 per cent of the global sweet biscuits launches recorded by Innova Market Insights in 2011, although this was down from over 60 per cent five years previously, perhaps reflecting the greater choice of biscuits varieties and flavours now on offer,” she says.
Nearly 30 per cent of global biscuits launches in 2011 were positioned on a health platform of some kind, rising to over 40 per cent for savoury biscuits and falling to just over a quarter for sweet biscuits.
