Almost nine in ten (89%) retailers agree that trusted brands are important within the breakfast cereal category, new research from Weetabix shows.
According to the recent survey conducted by KAM, 76% of retailers said that best-sellers most inform what cereal is on their shelves and 69% agreed the second most crucuial factor is brands that consumers know and trust.
However, nearly two thirds (65%) of consumers ranked price as the top reason that encourages them to purchase one cereal over the other.
As 34% said they are currently looking for ways to shop more economically amid the cost-of-living crisis, 41% admitted that trusted brands are still preferable.
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Health was also found to be a prominent factor affecting what parents buy, as 60% claimed to purchase healthy products and 44% admitted that ‘healthy content’ influences their choices.
“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,” head of marketing, Lorraine Rothwell said.
“Knowing that parents are seeking products from trusted brands with strong health credentials is key for us.”
She said that “health combined with taste has always been a focus” for the Weetabix, with all of its branded kitchen-cupboard cereals, including Weetabix Chocolate, Chocolate Crispy Minis and Weetabix Melts being HFSS compliant.
The survey also found that just over half of retailers claim that they get information on what cereals to stock directly from consumer requests in-store.
Rothwell added: “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.”
