Bread giant Warburtons has topped a list of the UK’s most-bought fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands. There are four bakery brands in the top 10.

According to Kantar Worldpanel’s 2016 Brand Footprint survey, Warburtons’ products were bought by 85.4% of the population on average 26.7 times a year, meaning it made 611m supermarket sales during the year. Kantar said the company’s new product developments (NPDs), including its Thin Bagels range, helped to increase consumer purchase frequency by 6%.

United Biscuits-owned McVitie’s came in third place, managing 88.8% penetration and upping unit sales by 2%. Kantar said the company had delivered a strong performance at a time when overall sales in the biscuit category were down, and credited its flagship chocolate digestive as a key growth driver.

Warburtons’ rivals Hovis and Kingsmill were the fourth and fifth most-bought brands respectively, although the report found Hovis had managed to increase volume sales by 3% while Kingsmill’s sales had actually declined by 1%. The report said Hovis had managed to increase both “penetration and frequency” with its Good Inside range, by tapping into consumer health concerns.

Sally Stanton, head of marketing communications at Warburtons, said: “We are proud to be named as the most chosen brand in the UK for the fourth consecutive year. The last 12 months have been some of the most action-packed in Warburtons’ 140-year history, with our mission to bring more excitement to the bakery aisle taking us from our heartland in Bolton to the bright lights of Beverly Hills.

“As we celebrate our 140-year milestone, our commitment to providing UK families with innovative, top-quality baked goods that everyone can enjoy remains as important as it was five generations ago. As a family business, it’s not just our top-selling products that keep us thriving – the support of our people and our customers is what has really helped us grow to become one of Britain’s most-loved brands.”

Kantar’s 2016 Brand Footprint survey reveals the strength of FMCG brands in 44 countries, covering 74% of the global population and 76% of global GDP. The data for the report was gathered over a 52-week period from 12 October 2014 to 11 October 2015.


Create column charts