Nielsen: Top ten bread brands by value sales
Top ten bread brands by value sales  
     
  Value (£m) % change y-o-y
WARBURTONS 419.7 -3.0
HOVIS 296.4 -6.3
KINGSMILL 194.2 -6.4
ROBERTS 40.1 -3.9
BRACES 17.8 -13.8
JACKSONS 17.2 -2.5
ALLINSON'S 8.7 38.7
WEIGHT WATCHERS 8.1 -8.0
BURGEN 6.0 -25.6
VILLAGE BAKERY 6.0 -8.7
     
 Source: Nielsen 52 w/e 16 Mar 2019  

Nine of the top 10 bread brands have succumbed to value losses this year on the back of continued category decline and the growth of own label. 

Allinson's is the only brand in the top 10 to manage any value growth, successfully appealing to more affluent shoppers in smaller households willing to pay extra for quality. 

Outside the top 10, the St Pierre Groupe is seeing the fastest growth. Best known for its bakery snacks and rolls, the company is one of the biggest winners among the small brands thanks to the relaunch of its fresher for longer brand, Baker Street, and its strong c-store business.

Carol Ratcliffe, Nielsen

Kantar: top eight baked goods sectors by value
Top eight bread and bakery goods sectors by value  
  Value (£m) % growth 
 Wrapped Traditional Bread   1441.8 1
  ISB Bread   423.3 -1.3
  Sandwich Alternatives   357.5 5.3
  Treat Breakfast   315.7 7.2
  Rolls   292.1 9.5
  Tea Break   288.9 6
  ISB Rolls   282.9 -3.1
  Traditional Breakfast   252.5 3.1
Brands vs Own Label  
  Value (£m) % growth 
Branded 1821.2 -0.7
Own Label 2048.3 5.6
Retailer performance  
  Category value share % growth
 Tesco   24.7 0.0
 Sainsbury's   13.2 -1.3
 Asda   12.7 0.3
 Morrisons   10.9 1.9
 The Co-Operative   8.2 4.1
 Aldi   7.5 11.2
 Waitrose   4.9 5.5
 Lidl   4.7 13.2

Bakery has grown 2.5% in value despite a 0.1% decline in volume. The category has suffered from shoppers buying less per trip and shopping with slightly less frequency. 

The 2.6% rise in prices is partly down to a 9% reduction in sales on promotion. But it can also be attributed to the growth of premium offerings. This was led by a 19.8% increase in sales of premium own-label goods.

Own label continues to grow strongly, stealing share from branded competitors. Unlike the total market, own label has grown in volume - up 2.7% - as well as price. This is down to shoppers choosing own-label products more frequently and taking advantage of lower prices when compared against brands. 

Consumers are eating more treat breakfast products, which are enjoying the fastest volume growth in the category.

The strong performance of rolls, sandwich alternatives and tea break items demonstrates shoppers seeking variety to meet needs for different meals and snacks throughout the day.

Charles McAlindin, Kantar

Source: Kantar 52 w/e 27 January 2019