It appears younger consumers (16- 24 year-olds) have the biggest appetite for traditional British biscuits such as Bourbon and Custard Cream – with six in 10 (60%) of them disagreeing that traditional biscuits are boring, compared to 55% of their older counterparts (55+).
And its not for lack of choice that consumers are turning to classic biscuits – as innovation in the UK biscuit market has never been higher. Launches more than doubled in the UK between 2007 and 2011, rising to over 300 in the past 12 months.
15% of Brits confess to eating sweet biscuits once a day or more and nearly half (47%) admit they like to treat themselves with foods that are not good for them. And when it comes to eating occasions, it seems biscuits are seen as a good way to help productivity, with nearly two in five (38%) Brits munching on them at work or college or university, rising to 58% users in full-time education.
50% of women feel guilty about eating biscuits
But despite Britain’s biscuit love – there is one thing casting a shadow across the popularity of the biscuit – the guilt factor. Overall, nearly two-fifths (36%) of British biscuit eaters say they feel guilty about eating biscuits, a figure that rises to almost half (46%) of all women.
A strong demand for healthier biscuit options is also reflected in the fact that 40% of consumers admit they would eat more if they were lower in sugar.
In terms of value, total retail value sales climbed by a sweet 26% since 2006 to reach £1.4bn in 2011. And it appears the sector has unwrapped success for the future too, as Mintel expects it to grow a further 21% to reach £1.7bn by 2016.
Source: Mintel
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