Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165618
THE CONSUMER KEY POINTS • Taste is perhaps the most important factor for consumers in choosing cookies. Nearly three-quarters of respondents eat regular cookies/cookie bars because of their taste, a higher level of agreement than any other attitude measured. For optimal success, cookie manufacturers should work to balance taste with both nutrition and value. • Teens eat cookies most frequently, at nearly nine instances in a 30-day period, so cookies can be marketed to teens as something that can be eaten any time of day. Due to the trending buzz of all things organic and natural, all-natural and whole-grain cookies are more likely to appeal to young consumers as well. • In regard to nutritional aspects, premium cookies appear to leave a similar impression on consumers as do healthy cookies. Respondents who buy premium cookies were about as likely as those who buy healthy cookies to consider their diet healthy, with 46 percent of premium cookie buyers maintaining a mostly healthy diet, and 47 percent of healthy cookie buyers saying the same. Considering the similarity in price point of these two varieties, there may be an opportunity for premium cookies to be marketed to health-conscious consumers as well. HOUSEHOLD USAGE OF COOKIES "What types of cookies does anyone in your household eat?" July 2008– Sept. 2009 Total 24,728 % Sandwich 47 Soft chocolate chip 43 Vanilla wafers 41 Regular (crunchy) chocolate chip 38 Bite-size 24 Other soft cookies 23 Fudge-covered 20 Fruit-filled 15 Chocolate (no chips) 10 Nut 10 Other 29 July 2009– Sept. 2010 23,656 % 47 44 43 July 2010– Sept. 2011 25,159 % 49 46 42 August 2011– August 2012 24,545 % 47 45 40 39 25 21 21 16 11 9 28 39 26 23 21 16 10 10 29 39 26 22 21 17 10 9 27 Household Usage of Cookies by Type, July 2008–August 2012 Base: Adults aged 18+ whose household eats cookies Source: Mintel/Experian Simmons Adult Summer 2008–2012 Full Year—Pop Sandwich cookies take the prize as favorite cookies, with nearly half of respondents choosing them today and in previous years. Soft chocolate chip cookies are also very popular, and have perhaps grown as more brands are suggesting that consumers heat these varieties at home for a bakery-fresh feel. Bite-size and fruitfilled cookies are two categories that have seen an increase in awareness since 2008, appealing to consumers who are taking a more health-conscious approach to buying cookies. HEALTH-RELATED ATTRIBUTES OF COOKIES "Thinking about the prepackaged cookies you purchase, which of the following health-related attributes do they have?" Total Lowfat Low sugar Low calorie All natural Trans fat–free High fiber Low sodium Low cholesterol Whole grain Organic Gluten-free Vegan None of the above All 1,524 % 23 23 19 19 18 17 15 15 15 10 8 3 44 18–24 216 % 25 21 23 24 12 14 12 9 19 13 11 4 41 25–34 35–44 298 299 % % 22 21 20 17 21 16 21 19 14 16 15 17 13 14 15 13 12 14 16 11 8 6 5 4 40 48 45–54 55–64 301 197 % % 21 21 25 26 18 18 19 17 19 26 18 20 16 20 14 19 13 15 9 7 9 7 2 2 47 49 65+ 213 % 32 31 17 11 22 20 20 20 19 2 6 0 43 Health-Related Attributes That Characterize Products Purchased by Age, December 2012 Base: Internet users aged 18+ who purchase cookies Denise Shoukas is contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. Close to 50 percent of respondents do not think much about healthrelated attributes when purchasing cookies. While this is not surprising given the general view that cookies are a dessert or indulgent snack, an opportunity exists for manufacturers to appeal to consumers in a new way by emphasizing healthful characteristics. Older respondents are more likely to buy products with claims such as lowfat, low sugar, trans fat–free, and low cholesterol, and all-natural and whole-grain cookies are more likely to appeal to young consumers. Organic skews higher for 25- to 34-year-olds, who can more likely afford them.