Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Convenience store sales of baked sweet snacks reflected the tumult of the Hostess implosion in 2013, with unit figures for bakery snacks, doughnuts and muffins dropping. Cookies posted another strong year of sales growth—dollars and units both up around 6%, according to IRI—while the pastry, Danish and coffeecake segment also enjoyed strong gains in 2013, driven by strong growth for the top five brands.
| Segment | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit volume (millions) | PCYA |
| Bakery snacks | $631.2 | -8.9% | 504.5 | -4.9% |
| Cookies | $615.5 | 6.3% | 591.3 | 6.1% |
| Pastry/Danish/ coffeecakes | $608.5 | 9.8% | 492.8 | 8.6% |
| Doughnuts | $504.5 | -12.2% | 356.5 | -6.3% |
| Muffins | $143.7 | -1.4% | 86.9 | -5.5% |
Source : IRI
Category Management Tip
Consumers make their snack decisions based on the time of day, their mood and whether they are looking for a small nibble or something more substantial, according to research by General Mills. The key to merchandising the sweet-snacks section is to organize it by segment (cookies, bakery, and treats) and by brand, placing alike items together to make it easy for consumers, says Kelly Fulford, category development manager for General Mills Convenience. “For example, retailers can group nonchocolate sweet items together, and then transition into bakery-type items, leading into the more chocolate/indulgent offerings.” She advises retailers to group and organize cookies by brand and flavor.
Pastry, Danish and Coffeecake Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
With strong sales for all of the top 10 brands, pastry, Danish and coffeecakes grew dollar sales nearly 10% in 2013, according to IRI. The absence of Hostess allowed several brands and manufacturers to stretch out and pick up share.
| Pastry, Danish and Coffeecakes by Brand | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit volume (millions) | PCYA |
| Bon Appetit | $181.9 | 24.8% | 101.6 | 18.1% |
| Little Debbie | $126.9 | 30.7% | 177.8 | 22.4% |
| Mrs Freshley’s | $44.5 | 44.7% | 37.0 | 34.0% |
| Private label | $36.1 | 44.4% | 26.2 | 50.1% |
| Bimbo | $32.8 | 13.6% | 19.3 | 9.1% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $608.5 | 9.8% | 492.8 | 8.6% |
Source: IRI
| Market Share by Brand | ||
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
| Bon Appetit | 29.9% | 3.6 |
| Little Debbie | 20.9% | 3.3 |
| Mrs. Freshley’s | 7.3% | 1.8 |
| Private label | 5.9% | 1.4 |
| Bimbo | 5.4% | 0.2 |
| Others | 30.6% | NA |
| Market Share by Manufacturer | ||
| Manufacturer | Dollar share | Point change |
| Bon Appetit Danish Inc. | 30.9% | 3.8 |
| McKee Foods Corp. | 20.9% | 3.4 |
| Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. | 10.7% | 0.3 |
| Flowers Foods Specialty Group | 8.0% | 2.2 |
| Private label | 5.9% | 1.4 |
| Others | 23.6% | NA |
Source: IRI
Bakery-Snack Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
In 2012, Hostess was the No. 1 bakery snack brand in c-stores, according to IRI, but in 2013 the rankings scrambled. Former No. 2 Little Debbie from McKee Foods was the top-selling brand in this segment last year, followed by Tastykake and Bon Appetit, IRI reports.
| Bakery Snacks by Brand | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit volume (millions) | PCYA |
| Little Debbie | $130.1 | 54.3% | 158.6 | 44.4% |
| Tastykake | $75.9 | 51.6% | 48.1 | 50.7% |
| Bon Appetit | $70.6 | 20.5% | 39.8 | 14.2% |
| Mrs. Freshley’s | $39.6 | 164.4% | 30.4 | 140.1% |
| Private label | $33.4 | 64.4% | 27.2 | 60.6% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $631.2 | -8.9% | 504.5 | -4.9% |
Source: IRI
| Market Share by Brand | ||
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
| Little Debbie | 20.6% | 8.4 |
| Tastykake | 12.0% | 4.8 |
| Bon Appetit | 11.2% | 2.7 |
| Mrs. Freshley’s | 6.3% | 4.1 |
| Private label | 5.3% | 2.4 |
| Others | 44.6% | NA |
| Market Share by Manufacturer | ||
| Manufacturer | Dollar share | Point change |
| McKee Foods Corp. | 23.8% | 9.3 |
| Tasty Baking Co. | 19.0% | 5.7 |
| Bon Appetit Danish Inc. | 12.0% | 3.2 |
| Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. | 8.8% | 2.3 |
| Flowers Foods Specialty Group | 8.6% | 6.2 |
| Others | 27.8% | NA |
Source: IRI
Cookie Trends
C-store cookie sales rose more than 6% in 2013, according to IRI, with eight of the top 10 brands seeing strong gains. Frito-Lay’s GrandMa’s brand added a few hundredths of a point in share. It also contributed four of the top 10 cookie SKUs in 2013, according to Nielsen figures.
| Cookies by Brand | ||||
| C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit volume (millions) | PCYA |
| GrandMa’s | $93.8 | 8.6% | 97.0 | 9.3% |
| Nabisco Oreo | $39.9 | 5.5% | 28.3 | 2.4% |
| Little Debbie | $35.0 | 21.2% | 63.6 | 19.5% |
| Private label | $33.5 | 2.3% | 33.3 | 3.3% |
| Nabisco Chips Ahoy! | $31.6 | 16.7% | 17.7 | 18.4% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $615.5 | 6.3% | 591.3 | 6.1% |
Source: IRI
| Cookie Dollar Share by Brand | ||
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
| GrandMa’s | 15.2% | 0.3 |
| Nabisco Oreo | 6.5% | 0.0 |
| Little Debbie | 5.7% | 0.7 |
| Private label | 5.4% | -0.2 |
| Nabisco Chips Ahoy! | 5.1% | 0.5 |
| Others | 62.1% | NA |
Source: IRI
| Cookies by UPC | ||||
| C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013 | ||||
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| GrandMa’s Peanut Butter (2.875-oz.) | $21.4 | 1.3% | 21.9 | 1.6% |
| GrandMa’s Chocolate Chip (2.875-oz.) | $17.9 | 3.7% | 18.3 | 3.8% |
| Oreo Smile (2.0-oz.) | $15.8 | 9.5% | 17.0 | 6.1% |
| Chips Ahoy! Mini (3.0-oz.) | $12.7 | -1.8% | 8.3 | -9.6% |
| Nutter Butter (1.9-oz.) | $12.6 | 2.5% | 13.8 | 0.6% |
Source: Sources: The Nielsen Co., Kellogg Co.
Doughnut Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
McKee Foods’ Little Debbie brand topped the ranking of top-selling doughnut brands in c-stores in 2013, with 22.7% of dollar sales, according to IRI. Share was fairly fractured in the segment, with no one brand topping 30%.
| Doughnuts by Brand | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit volume (millions) | PCYA |
| Little Debbie | $114.7 | 26.1% | 140.4 | 24.0% |
| Krispy Kreme | $64.7 | -11.1% | 21.9 | -30.2% |
| Mrs. Freshley’s | $59.3 | 185.1% | 38.7 | 150.6% |
| Private label | $58.5 | 44.3% | 44.6 | 50.9% |
| Tastykake | $39.9 | 107.4% | 21.6 | 103.9% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $504.5 | -12.2% | 356.5 | -6.3% |
Source: IRI
| Market Share by Brand | ||
| Brand | Dollar share | Point change |
| Little Debbie | 22.7% | 6.9 |
| Krispy Kreme | 12.8% | 0.2 |
| Mrs. Freshley’s | 11.8% | 8.1 |
| Private label | 11.6% | 4.5 |
| Tastykake | 7.9% | 4.6 |
| Hostess Donettes | 5.8% | -23.7 |
| Mrs. Baird’s | 5.7% | 2.2 |
| Other | 21.7% | NA |
| Market Share by Manufacturer | ||
| Manufacturer | Dollar share | Point change |
| McKee Foods Corp. | 22.7% | 6.9 |
| Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. | 15.0% | 3.1 |
| Krispy Kreme Doughnut Co. | 13.5% | 0.6 |
| Flowers Foods Specialty Group | 11.8% | 8.1 |
| Private label | 11.6% | 4.5 |
| Other | 25.4% | NA |
Source : IRI
Customer in Focus
According to recent research by Packaged Facts, 28% of consumers agree strongly or somewhat that they are cutting back on their consumption of breads and baked goods because of concerns about wheat flour, while 23% are eating less because of worries about gluten. In this same survey, 60% of consumers strongly or somewhat agree that they look for whole-grain or multigrain products. Meanwhile, 38% strongly or somewhat agree with the statement that they are buying fewer shelf-stable baked goods.
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