We’ve just closed a 500-shopper study into how the UK buys biscuits and cakes featured in The Grocers Focus on: Cakes & Biscuits. Here’s what stood out.
1. This is a treat aisle, and shoppers are honest about it
Taste (66%), value for money (62%) and “a flavour I like” (62%) are the three factors that decide the purchase. Health sits a long way down: low in sugar 14%, healthier option 13%, natural ingredients 12%.
Only 40% look at the ingredients list at all. Asked why not, the most common answers were that there’s no need, or simply that it’s a treat so it doesn’t matter. One shopper put it plainly: “I buy biscuits for enjoyment not as a health choice.”
The lesson for brands: lead with flavour and quality cues. Health claims support the decision — they rarely make it.
2. Own label is the second-biggest “brand” in the aisle
Digestives top the repertoire at 55%. Store own brands come next at 47% — ahead of every other branded name, including Oreo (46%), Lotus Biscoff (43%) and Mr Kipling (39%). When shoppers name a single favourite, McVitie’s leads on 24%, more than double Mr Kipling on 11%, and one in ten name own label or no favourite at all.
3. The better-for-you gap is a parent problem, not a shopper problem
Only 11% of shoppers without children think lighter options thin out as you move up the age range. Among parents of primary and secondary-school children, that rises to 25% and 27%.
“There are healthier products for babies and toddlers but not for older kids.”
Half the sample (49%) had never considered the question. That’s the definition of unmet need — and it is clearly addressable.
4. Pistachio is everywhere. Repeat purchase is not.
70% have noticed pistachio in cakes or biscuits, 66% Dubai-style, 41% matcha. But 31% have actually bought one, 47% still prefer classic flavours, and only 21% will pay a premium outright, with another 34% paying only for an occasion.
Of the shoppers who did try, 73% liked or loved it. Awareness and satisfaction are both strong. Trial and repeat are the weak links.
5. Confectionery crossovers are winning trial, not habit
66% know chocolate brands now make cakes and biscuits, and 68% have bought one. Yet only 25% buy them as a regular repeat, and 41% see them as an indulgent one-off. A third (34%) could see one becoming a regular buy — that’s the group worth converting.
6. Seasonal ranges land too early
56% bought a limited edition in the last 12 months. The expected window is 4–8 weeks out (41%). But 49% say Christmas stock in August or September makes them feel negatively about the retailer or brand. Early isn’t the same as first.
In summary
Taste and value win the sale. The growth is in the gaps: better-for-you for older children and adults, converting flavour awareness into repeat, and timing seasonal ranges to the occasion rather than the calendar.
Full report available — drop an email to robin@fieldagent.co.uk and I’ll send it over.