While volume sales of sweet biscuits are shrinking, 84% of Germans are eating sweet biscuits in 2024 compared to 81% in 2022, highlighting their role as a permissible mood booster in uncertain times. Brands can further their appeal by innovating in flavour and textures, taking inspiration from food and drink such as chocolate and other confectionery.
Sweet biscuit consumption showed stability between 2022 and 2024 with consumers on both the low and high ends of the income spectrum. Consumption did, however, show a notable increase among those in the mid-income range, suggesting that sweet biscuits benefit amid improvements in financial confidence following the income squeeze.
Still, higher ingredient prices driven by adverse weather conditions remain a constant threat to the market. An interest in healthier lifestyles also poses a challenge for the sweet biscuit market going forward. Brands that provide BFY sweet biscuits with functional ingredients and look to new consumption occasions can hope to reach the 16-34 year olds who make up the core sweet biscuit consumers.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Consumption frequency of sweet biscuits with younger consumers representing the core user group
- Finding new consumption occasions and strategies for sweet biscuits to better target younger Germans and men
- Innovating with flavour and texture as well as playfulness to bring the fun back to sweet biscuits
- Catering to health-conscious Germans with sugar reduction techniques and BFY ingredients
- The threat of own label to compete with branded sweet biscuits during a challenging economic environment
Promoting new consumption occasions can further boost the appeal of sweet biscuits. Fewer ingredients and more functional benefits can provide a more balanced image.
Khalid Peerbaccus, Food & Drink Senior Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Market size & forecast for sweet biscuits
- Value sales to rise…
- …but volume sales will stagnate
- The five-year outlook for sweet biscuits
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Leverage new consumption occasions to revive sweet biscuit sales
- Find new usage occasions for sweet biscuits
- Target younger Germans with sweet biscuits that complement hot chocolate and iced coffee
- Take a cue from Mondelēz and Coca-Cola
- Sporting event collaborations could boost appeal of sweet biscuits among men
- Provide sweet biscuits with a more balanced image
- Target health-conscious Germans with BFY sweet biscuits
- Cut the sugar content to appeal to concerned sweet biscuit eaters
- Lower the sugar content to win over health-conscious sweet biscuit fans
- Bring sugar content down, but be mindful of sweeteners
- Use fewer and more natural ingredients to imbue a less processed image
- Up the fun factor with innovative flavours, textures and playfulness
- Reach experimental young Germans through innovation rather than renovation
- Boost the appeal of sweet biscuits by offering multi-textures
- Provide escapism to younger Germans through flavour innovation
- Oreo positions its cookies as interactive fun with its ‘Trust the Twist’ campaign
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CONSUMER
- Consumption frequency of sweet biscuits
- Sweet biscuit consumption increases in 2024 as financial confidence shows signs of improvement
- Sweet biscuit consumption skewed towards younger Germans
- Graph 1: sweet biscuit consumption, by age group, 2022-24
- Mid-income Germans increase their sweet biscuit consumption in 2024
- Graph 2: percentage point change in sweet biscuit consumption in the last three months, by net monthly household income, 2022 vs 2024
- Sweet biscuits are consumed more often in 2024 than in 2022
- Graph 3: frequency of eating sweet biscuits, 2022 vs 2024
- Younger sweet biscuit eaters consume them more frequently than older
- Graph 4: frequency of eating sweet biscuits, by age group, 2024
- Types of sweet biscuits eaten
- In 2024 Germans are more likely to eat chocolate biscuit bars and jaffa cakes than in 2022
- Graph 5: types of sweet biscuit eaten, 2022 vs 2024
- Germans are eating more chocolate biscuit bars in 2024
- Germans aged 25-34 eat the greatest variety of sweet biscuits
- Graph 6: types of sweet biscuits eaten, 2024
- Sweet biscuit consumption occasions
- Sweet biscuits are bought mainly for hot drink pairings and snacking occasions
- Hot drink pairings and snacking provide the most popular occasions for purchasers sweet biscuit
- Graph 7: reasons for buying sweet biscuits, 2024
- Hot drink pairings motivate sweet biscuit buyers aged 55+
- Different beverages can provide opportunities for more tailored sweet biscuits
- Sweet biscuits are used as a pick-me-up by younger Germans
- KitKat positions itself as an ideal pick-me-up for tired students
- Women are more likely than men to use sweet biscuits to treat friends and family
- Interest in trying sweet biscuits with certain attributes
- Consumers are interested in sweet biscuits made with healthier ingredients
- Graph 8: interest in trying sweet biscuits with selected attributes, 2024
- Reach more sweet biscuit buyers with healthier ingredients and unique flavours
- Sweet biscuits made with healthier ingredients appeal to women more than men
- Women show more interest than men in healthier ingredients when it comes to sweet biscuits
- Sweet tooth declines with age
- Vegan/plant-based sweet biscuits interest category consumers aged 16-34
- Younger consumers want functional ingredients
- Sweet biscuits with unique flavours interest younger category consumers
- Unique flavours can pique the interest of younger category consumers
- Attitudes and behaviours towards sweet biscuits
- Nostalgia and a shorter ingredients list are appealing to the majority of category users
- Graph 9: behaviours towards sweet biscuits, 2024
- Sweet biscuits with familiar flavours can provide comfort for stressed out Germans
- Sweet biscuits can provide a mood boost during sad times
- The majority of category consumers favour sweet biscuits with shorter ingredient list
- Natural ingredients can help counter an ultra-processed image
- Concerns about sugar intake causes sweet biscuit eaters to cut back
- Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners could be off-putting
- Strong interest in sweet biscuits that combine different textures
- Younger consumers are willing to pay more for ethical sweet biscuits
- Graph 10: agreement of willingness to pay more for sweet biscuits that are ethically produced compared to those that aren’t, by age group, 2024
- Most Germans think that the quality of own label sweet biscuits is just as good as branded
- Graph 11: attitudes towards sweet biscuits, 2024
- Consumers aged 25-34 are open to world flavour inspirations
- World flavour inspirations offer escapism to younger Germans
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INNOVATION
- Brands focus on renovation not innovation in sweet biscuits
- Graph 12: sweet biscuit launches, by type, 2020-24
- Own label remains stable, taking a backseat to branded innovation
- Regardless of financial health, Germans agree that own label and branded do not differ in quality
- Lidl emphasises its affordability
- Own label can add value through ethics and function
- Sustainable, environmentally friendly product and human ethical claims lead in NPD
- Graph 13: sweet biscuit launches, by top ten ethical claims, 2020-24
- Sustainable sweet biscuits presents an opportunity to appeal to 25-34s
- Organic remains the leading natural claim in sweet biscuit launches
- Graph 14: sweet biscuit launches, by top natural claims, 2020-24
- More scope for natural flavour claims in sweet biscuit launches to dispel the ultra-processed image
- Sugar content remains stable in 2024 despite interest in reduced sugar options
- Graph 15: avg. sugar content of sweet biscuit launches (g per 100g/ml), 2020-24
- Chocolate flavour dominates sweet biscuit launches in 2024
- Graph 16: sweet biscuit launches, by top ten flavour subgroups, 2020-24
- Uncommon flavours can stir up excitement in the category
- Crunchy is the most popular texture profile in sweet biscuit launches
- Graph 17: sweet biscuit launches, by top ten textures, 2020-24
- Scope for texture exploration
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MARKET
- Market drivers
- Cautious spending may boost the appeal of own labels
- Higher production costs dampen volume sales of sweet biscuits in 2024
- Healthier lifestyle intentions could give BFY sweet biscuits a tailwind
- BFY sweet biscuits could gain a boost from healthy lifestyle goals
- Sweet biscuits’ ultra-processed image puts more scrutiny on ingredients
- Market size
- While value sales increased, volume levels dipped in 2024
- Graph 18: volume market size for sweet biscuits, 2020-24
- Graph 19: value market size for sweet biscuits, 2020-24
- Value growth increases while volume sales suffer
- Market forecast
- Higher prices passed onto the consumer will see value rise by 2029
- Volume will stagnate as Germans prioritise health and buy fewer sweet biscuits
- Value is expected to grow steadily while volume sales will dip
- Market share
- Own label shows strongest growth in value shares…
- …and also growth in volume shares
- Own label remains dominant in 2024 in both value and volume
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- TURF analysis methodology
- TURF analysis
- A note on language
- Methodology – market size and forecast
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market size – value
- Market size – volume
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
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