Scottish Brand Footprint 2022 (c)
A ranking of the most chosen FMCG brands
SCOTTISH
BRAND
FOOTPRINT
2022
A ranking of the most
chosen FMCG brands
Introduction
To mark the 10th anniversary of Kantar’s Brand Footprint
we have produced this special edition of the most chosen
food and drink brands in Scotland.
At Kantar we measure this by the percentage of households in the country who are buying each brand multiplied by how frequently they buy it. This gives us a measure of Consumer Reach Points - how many times a brand has been chosen by consumers.
Levers for growth
Brand growth is the most sought after metric in terms of defining brand success and at Kantar we know that to grow, brands need to work hard
to be more relevant to more consumers. Kantar has identified five levers which can be used for growth and this report looks not just at the most chosen brands in Scotland, but also how they achieved this status.
Click on the image to view the video.
Consumer choices in 2021
The timeline we are looking at covers the 52 weeks to 20 February 2022 versus the previous 12 months. This also coincides with the pandemic so the brands that feature will have navigated this growth in a period where consumers have adapted to restrictions imposed on their behaviours and freedoms.
The value of food and drink in Scotland for the grocery channel is £10.3bn, up 11% versus pre-pandemic levels. The manufacturers, retailers and supply chain that contribute to this value, and the people they employ,
are integral to Scotland’s economy.
This was a period where there were less promotions: 27% sold on promotion versus 31% pre-pandemic. The partial closure of the hospitality sector meant that for many consumers a higher proportion of their total food and drink spend was in the grocery channel. This has been one of the most dynamic periods in retailing which resulted in double-digit value growth for the retailers and even higher growth for some categories such as alcohol.
This has been a time when we changed where and how we shopped with an increase in online market share as shoppers across all ages embraced digital shopping and delivery. This also led to an increase in the use
of aggregators and apps to facilitate other innovative methods of delivery.
How do we shop in Scotland compared to Great Britain?
There are still some fundamental differences to the Scottish grocery channel metrics compared to total Great Britain. In Scotland, we shop more frequently, our average basket spend is less, the convenience channel is more important and a higher percentage of our spend is
on brands while the value sold on promotion is less.
The most chosen
brands in Scotland
How changing needs impacted
brand choices during 2021
Scotland's
top 20 brands
Warburtons retains its crown as both Britain and Scotland’s most chosen brand and is in the list of brands that make up Scotland’s top six for the last five years. Warburtons and Heinz have both occupied the same first and second positions over the past five years. This speaks to the enduring power of our most-loved brands and confirms that in a crisis we reach
for what we know and trust.
A more serious reflection is that looking over the last five years, there have only been two Scottish brands who have made it to the top 20 and stayed there: Graham’s Family Dairy and Irn Bru. This year they are joined by Tunnock's, the well-loved biscuit brand appearing for the first time in the top 20 list.
Click on the table to see the ranking in more detail
Visit our website to read the British and Irish Brand Footprint
report and to explore the data, including the top 50 brands
overall and in each sector.
The most chosen
Scottish brands
In addition to the top brands in Scotland, Brand Footprint also looks
at the top Scottish Brands in Scotland and, as in previous years, this
list is quite different to the global brands.
In Scotland our loyalty to the brands that shoppers love is well documented. For many shoppers these are brands that they have grown up with and this is shown in the higher percentage of value that is spent on brands in Scotland. This has increased by 16% since
the pandemic. Click on the chart opposite to view in more detail.
Looking ahead
Despite the turbulence in the market and the changes consumers have experienced, we haven’t seen any change in the brands that occupy the top ranks.
The two top Scottish brands remain Irn Bru and Graham’s the Family Dairy, both having jostled for the number one and two positions over
the past five years.
These two stalwarts of the Scottish shopping basket are closely followed by the Bells Food Group, Tunnock's, Barr’s and Baxters. These six brands have appeared in the top 10 ranking every year of the last five years. The biggest movement in rank has come from Mackie’s and Tennent’s, both increasing their ranking by seven places compared to their position in 2018. Mackie’s make it into the top five this year for the first time.
The consistent rules for growth
Kantar believe that brands grow by increasing the number of people who buy them.
There are five levers that can be used to appeal to more consumers. Analysis of the
top Scottish brands show how they have used these levers to continue to grow
and hold their ranking
Looking ahead
Brands will need to be agile to counter
this year’s challenges.
Food inflation and pressure on household
spend means that for many consumers one method of managing their spend will be to shop for more items in a cheaper store or switch to a slightly cheaper brand or own
label equivalent. Being physically and digitally available in as many places as possible to counter increased shopping around will be key.
It is also worth noting that this movement from brands to own label is not homogenous. For some brands in specific categories the treat and enjoyment of a consumer’s favourite product may be one of the sacrifices that they are not willing to make. Brands will need to work harder than ever to demonstrate what makes them uniquely different to the other products on the shelf and how they can
appeal to more consumers.
Similar to the rest of Great Britain, Scottish brands will also need to navigate the macro influences below.
• With tougher economic times ahead, history tells us that how brands frame the value that they offer to consumers will become a more significant factor in their success as retailers compete with each other to demonstrate their own value messaging.
• Glasgow hosted the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November last year. With government, industry and consumers themselves expecting more action from brands, the sustainability agenda may have taken a temporary back seat to the cost-of-living, but it will continue to exert influence and come to the fore again. An example of this is the Deposit Return Scheme which, although delayed, has
at its core the aim of a circular economy and reduction in plastic waste which continues
to be important to shoppers.
• Scotland’s relationship with obesity is a nationwide challenge and as pressure grows on consumers to make healthier choices, coupled with government intervention, brands can expect further controls being placed on where and how they can advertise and promote.
If and when HFSS legislation is introduced in Scotland, it will impact store layout and promotional strategy.
• And finally, global events have exerted more influence in the last five years than the market has seen before. Brexit, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have all impacted on domestic supply chains, energy and transport costs. These have then directly impacted on brand manufacturers and retailers with increases in oil, fertiliser, vegetable oil prices and feeding costs expected to exert further pressure on costs, driving food inflation for consumers.
The brands that continue to appear
on this list in the future will have focused
on understanding shopper behaviour, developing what makes them unique,
growing their categories, targeting new
needs and moments whilst ensuring that
they are available in as many places
as possible
For more information, please contact:
Lesley Ann Gray,
Strategic Insight Director, Scotland
Lesleyann.gray@kantar.com
07810 853154
