Sweet Biscuits, Snack Bars and Fruit Snacks in Italy

2020 IMPACT

Sweet biscuits benefits from home seclusion and indulgence trends during lockdown but limited on-the-go consumption occasions restrict demand for snack bars

After savoury snacks, sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks was the stronger performer in Q2 2020, with increasing demand through retail notable across much of the category. With Italian consumers forced to remain at home for longer periods of time, they took comfort in small indulgences such as sweet biscuits including cookies, with the latter remaining popular amongst local consumers despite the health and wellness trend.

Nutella Biscuits suits indulgence trend during lockdown in Q2 2020 with impressive growth, disrupting sweet biscuits’ competitive landscape

Barilla Alimentare SpA retained its overall leadership of sweet biscuits, snack bars and fruit snacks due to its wide product portfolio including the largest category of sweet biscuits with brands such as Togo Pavesi, Gocciole Pavesi, and Mulino Bianco, in addition to snack bar Grancereale. Despite efforts to address consumers’ changing priorities in terms of health positioning whilst still maintaining a level of indulgence as offered by Mulino Bianco Cioccograno (which emphasises its sustainability credentials as it is produced with wholegrain flour and chocolate and without palm oil), the player lost notable value share in Q2 2020 within filled biscuits following the launch of Ferrero’s Nutella Biscuits in December 2019, which recorded triple-digit current value growth in its first year.

E-commerce experiences spike in value sales growth during lockdown

Hypermarkets and supermarkets remained the most popular distribution channels for the category overall, offering a wide range of products which were still accessible during the lockdown to Italians, as they were deemed essential retailers. Nevertheless, they lost marginal value share in Q2 2020 as an increasing number of consumers chose to shop online, with e-commerce recording the sharpest rise in growth, albeit from a low base.

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