Consumers’ closer eye on the pennies has also meant more brands have been embracing pricemarked packs. Burton’s Foods category and activation controller Simon Negus says that price-marked packs of biscuits help convenience store owners compete with the larger chains. “Convenience stores can now compete head-on with the multiples by offering today’s price-sensitive shoppers a range of iconic and well-known brands at highly competitive prices,” he says. “We know that this is particularly important in the convenience sector where half of all shoppers said pricemarked packs encourage them to buy. They currently account for about 20% of branded sales within convenience.”
Retailer’s view
“Brands such as McVitie’s and Oreos have price-marked packs so we’re able to offer a quality range at a decent price that customers trust. They like the fact that they know we’re not marking the price up and it’s all transparent. We also stock Crawford’s biscuits so we can cater for all price ranges. We have some Mini Cheddar savoury biscuits, but we stock them as more of a food-to-go option.
“We don’t stock as many cakes as we do biscuits in the shop, and those we do are mostly well-known brands such as McVitie’s and Bakin’ Boys, which also come in pricemarked packs. We don’t bake in-store, but we have a good local supplier who provides us with some homemade-style cakes on a sale or return deal that means we don’t lose money on wastage and allows us to have a unique offering for our customers.”
Ranjan Limbachia, Western News Store, Hove, East Sussex
He advises retailers to stock a range that spans both luxury and good value. “Focus on core range best-sellers and embrace price-marked promotional packs to maximise profits from the biscuit fixture,” he recommends.
United Biscuits’ commercial manager Nick Stuart agrees that consumer frugality has benefited sales of biscuits.
“The current economic climate has meant that consumers are increasingly careful about where their money is spent, but typically biscuits is one of the last areas that people look to cut back on, as they are seen as a relatively inexpensive treat,” he says.
“Given the fact that people are potentially more likely to stay in and treat themselves, rather than eat out in restaurants, the number of formal occasions is decreasing and the snacking occasion is becoming even more relevant. This also increases the ‘eat later’ opportunity in impulse outlets.”
He adds that the company’s Crawfords range of pricemarked packs provide value for money without sacrificing quality.
Read more:
Cash in: Cakes and biscuits - Comfort food
Cash in: Cakes and biscuits - On-the-go
Cash in: Cakes and biscuits - Healthy option
Cash in: Cakes and biscuits - Home values
Cash in: Cakes and biscuits - Ones to watch
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