Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the US Hot and Cold Cereal market including the behaviors, preferences, and habits of the consumer.
The vast majority of parents are interested in healthier kids’ cereals. 81% of parents whose households eat cereal agree that they would be interested in cereal formulated for children’s nutrition and 77% agree they wish there were healthier cereals for their children. Investments in healthier kid-focused formulations, such as those featuring reduced sugar, added protein or added fiber, are an opportunity across the category but will fill a specific gap in the kids’ cereal space.
The COVID-19 pandemic initially provided the cereal market with a strong dollar sales boost, as consumers shifted to spending mornings at home, opening more time for at-home breakfast. One of the biggest threats to the hot and cold cereal market will be the return of away-from-home breakfast. As consumers learn, work and eat away from home, more portable and on-the-go breakfast options, including snack, nutrition and performance bars and those from foodservice operators, will benefit. The category can take heart in the fact that remote working is here to stay for a share of consumers, and brands can position cereal as an easy, at-home breakfast for busy remote workers.
Snacking continues to be one of the biggest opportunities for the hot and cold cereal market, especially as the category loses breakfast relevance in 2021. Single-serving and portable formats will be important to snackers and an important focus for brands. However, category players will want to align their portfolios and positioning with different snacking dayparts, as consumers seek out different product attributes throughout the day.
Read on to discover more about the US Hot and Cold Cereal consumer market, read our Breakfast Eating Habits: Inc Impact of COVID-19 – UK – October 2020 report, or take a look at our other Breakfast Cereal Market Research research reports.
Brands include: Post Holding, General Mills, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, RXBar, Kind, Larabar, Trix, Frosted Flakes, TikTok, Magic Spoon, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, Purely Elizabeth, Kodiak, Bob’s Red Mill, Mush, Bear Naked Fit, RX Cereal, Kind, Kashi Go, Wonderworks, Three Wishes, Post, Magic Spoon, Dunkaroos, Sesame Street 123, Nature’s Path Envirokidz, Purely Elizabeth, Del Monte Oats to Go, Fiber One, Cap’n Crunch, Muesli.
This report, written by Kaitlin Kamp, a leading analyst in the Food and Drink sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.
The $11.1 billion hot and cold cereal market is expected to face a 3.8% dollar sales decline in 2021 as consumers shift their breakfast routines outside the home. Still, prolonged remote working will enable cereal brands to position themselves as an easy, at-home breakfast during the workweek. Long-term stagnation is expected through 2026 but can be disrupted if category players focus on the snacking occasion and invest in healthful positioning. Better-for-you kids’ cereals in particular will be a driving force for brands that get there first.
Kaitlin Kamp
Food and Drink Analyst
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