Cost-of-living crisis won’t harm trusted brands, says Weetabix

The Weetabix Food Company has revealed new research that indicates even in the face of the current cost-of-living crisis, the power of a trusted, healthy brand still resonates.

The research, conducted by KAM, interviewed 200 convenience retailers and 300 UK adults who have children ages 2-14.

Value for money is the leading purchase consideration

It’s no surprise that the data outlined two-in-three parents of young children say value for money is vital when choosing what to buy for the family. In fact, price was ranked the top reason (65 per cent) that encourages them to purchase one cereal over another.

34 per cent say they are currently looking for ways to shop more economically, but 41 per cent say trusted brands are preferable – highlighting that even with rising costs of groceries, parents still want to buy products that they know they can depend on.

Health and convenience are king

Health is still a prominent factor that affects what parents buy, with 60 per cent of those surveyed claiming healthy products are the top pick and 44 per cent stating that ‘healthy content’ influences their choice of breakfast cereal.

Additionally, over half (59 per cent) say that they generally choose ‘what they know their children will eat’ which emphasises that they are hoping to minimise wastage and troublesome mealtimes.

‘Best sellers’ and ‘trusted brands’ are key to cereal sales, say retailers

Over two thirds (76 per cent) of retailers questioned stated that best-sellers most inform what cereal is on their shelves. The second most crucial factor is brands that consumers know and trust (69 per cent) which is further evidenced by 89 per cent of retailers agreeing that "trusted brands are important within the breakfast cereal category".

Consumers are also in the forefront of retailers’ minds when choosing stock, with over half (51 per cent) claiming that they get information on what cereals to stock from direct requests in-store.

“With the current cost-of-living crisis, we were really interested to see how retailer and consumer appetites for breakfast cereals had altered and what factors determined what was stocked and, most importantly, bought," said Lorraine Rothwell, Head of Marketing.

“Knowing that parents are seeking products from trusted brands with strong health credentials is key for us. Health combined with taste has always been a focus for us and all our Weetabix-branded kitchen-cupboard classics are already HFSS compliant, including our more indulgent products such as Weetabix Chocolate, Chocolate Crispy Minis and Weetabix Melts.

“On the flip side of this, it’s interesting that individual shopper requests influence what is stocked in store, further highlighting how local stores can stand-out and ensure a personalised experience for their community by stocking their consumers most-loved products”