Daily Research News Online no. 5834 - Brits Buy More Healthy Food

Brits Buy More Healthy Food - and Chocolate

August 16 2006

Healthy eating brands are on the rise in the UK... but so are those associated with indulgence, according to TNS Worldpanel's annual Biggest Brands survey for Marketing magazine.

The survey tracks take-home grocery brand sales and shows significant growth for both these categories across the grocery market. Kelloggs tops this year's biggest brands list with sales of up to £535m, followed by Heinz, Cadbury confectionery, Walkers crisps and Birds Eye.

Health and wellbeing brands like Warburtons and Danone show the public's taste for healthy food, posting sales growth of 17% and 21% respectively. TNS says the growth of Hovis (+14%) and Flora (+ 20%) shows they have benefited from promoting a wholesome, healthy image.

Edward Garner, Research Director, TNS Worldpanel says the British have adopted 'a credit-debit approach to the way we eat and drink. The healthy eating messages are getting through and we are choosing more wholesome foods, but feel the need to then reward our good behaviour with a treat, such as a glass of wine or some chocolate.'

Supporting this, the fastest growing categories in the past year have been fruit & vegetables and confectionery. Alcohol is still the biggest market, worth £8.4 billion, but has remained static in the last year.

Interestingly, Garner says convenience, the buzzword of many food trends surveys in the last few years, is less noticeable although still a factor in food choice. 'Retailers and manufacturers have taken on board the need for convenience in our cash rich/time poor society and most products are developed with this in mind.'

Craig Smith, Editor of Marketing, says the success of brands like Hovis and Warburton's, in a staple food category that is already bought by most UK households, can be credited to an innovative promotional strategy: 'That overall bread sales have grown by 9% is driven by the marketing approach of these brands'.

Top 10 Take Home Grocery Brands In Great Britain

[table]

Based on TNS Worldpanel data, 52 week ending 23rd April 2006

All data used to compile the 'Biggest Brands' list has been provided by TNS Worldpanel, TNS's continuous consumer panel. Worldpanel uses syndicated research and monitors the grocery retailer take home purchasing habits of 20,000 demographically representative British households.

In compiling the list, TNS Worldpanel has defined a brand as it would be seen in the eyes of the consumer. Products that have clearly defined branding on the packaging have been counted to make up the total brand value. For the purpose of this exercise all Private Labels have been separated into the Top 10 Private Label section and are not included in the 50 Biggest Brands list.

The 2005 figures may differ from those published last year, due to adaptations in the TNS methodology. Figures in the release above are all compiled using the same methodology. The agency is online at www.tns-global.com .