Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day. To maximise opportunity, retailers must embrace household-favourite options and meet a returning shopper demand for quality over quantity.
Affordability has played a key part in cereal purchases as some consumers made the trade-off between brands and private-label during the cost-of-living crisis. However, with pressures easing and brand volumes recovering, shoppers are switching less, and are willing to pay more for premium, branded breakfast products that offer quality over quantity.
Clear nutrition labelling and credentials on the packaging continue to play a key part in this purchase decision; cereals that are compliant with HFSS legislation and feature no ‘red traffic lights’ represent an ideal and tasty choice for the whole family to enjoy. This includes functional claims, such as high protein, which still have strong links with health in consumers’ minds and are likely to drive longer-term trends. But it is important that these products also offer additional nutritional benefits, such as high fibre and low sugar, to be an attractive choice with continued uncertainty around ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
Transparency around sustainability and sourcing also continue to appeal to shoppers in their purchase decisions. This can be shown through having 100% recyclable packaging or only using locally sourced ingredients – such as Weetabix’s guarantee that all wheat is sourced within 50 miles of its mills, through the Weetabix Growers Group.
Finally, brands that are supported by on-pack creative activations, promotions, competitions and in-store marketing will always be a key driver in the breakfast aisle, providing retailers with the opportunity to maximise their offering, backed by the attention and investment of trusted household breakfast staples.
To support growth of its cereal brand, Weetabix recently launched a humorous national TV campaign, suggesting that the reason why Britain “hasn’t been so great of late” is because it “hasn’t been eating its Weetabix”. To view a brief video of the campaign, see below:
Maximising your breakfast aisle
Maker of the nation’s No 1 selling cereal [Nielsen] and a breakfast favourite, Weetabix recommends that retailers should look to three key targets when choosing what to stock in their breakfast aisles:
1. Focus on a core range of best-sellers to make it an easy choice for your customers
Include a variety of household brands that shoppers trust and are familiar with, to encourage routine purchase. Pairing best-selling cereals with new flavours and innovations will also help to draw more attention to exciting NPD on shelf.
2. Put the best-sellers in the middle of your shelves so customers can find them easily
Place high-demand cereals clearly in the centre of shelf displays, so that they are most visible to shoppers in the breakfast aisle. This makes them more accessible and eye-catching for consumers and accentuates premium branded cereals as a quality option.
3. Include a range of price-marked packs to help to communicate value to your shoppers
On-pack promotions, deals and competitions have great attraction as they add further value to your shoppers’ purchase. Cereal brands that are supported by in-store and consumer marketing campaigns are likely to draw more shoppers to purchase, making it key to display these prominently in line with new campaigns to maximise commercials.
What to stock
Weetabix Original
Weetabix Original remains the No.1 branded cereal in the category [Nielsen], with value growing by 4.7% and volume up 3.8% [Weetabix] in November. The number of households buying the brand also rose for Weetabix Original for the first time since 2020, resulting in a market out-performance for its iconic Yellow Box and giving the brand great momentum into 2025. Every pack is made from British wheat, sourced from within 50 miles of the company’s mills, 100% recyclable packaging and added value with on-pack competitions during the year.
Weetabix Crispy Minis Chocolate
As the fastest-growing top 10 tasty cereal brand [Nielsen], Weetabix Crispy Minis continues to resonate with households across the UK for its unique appeal of both great taste and nutrition. Non-HFSS compliant, it makes for a fun and nutritious breakfast cereal that can be enjoyed by all ages. The brand’s success is further highlighted by a +21% increase in new shoppers [Nielsen], indicating a growing base of loyal customers.
Alpen Original & Alpen No Added Sugar
The UK’s No.1 muesli brand [Nielsen], Alpen is made with 100% natural ingredients, is high in fibre and non-HFSS compliant. Backed by a £2m value investment this year, Alpen features new packaging and its best recipe ever with +30% more fruit, with further brand activations to come across the year.
Visit weetabixfoodcompany.co.uk to find out more about our full range of breakfast favourites
