sponge pudding dessert custard

Discounters are steaming ahead in the hot desserts market - leaving many traditional supermarkets in the cold.

Aldi and Lidl both overtrade in hot desserts compared with their performance in the overall grocery market, according to data from analysts Kantar Worldpanel [52 w/e 24 May 2015]. In contrast, Sainsbury’s is the only big four supermarket to overtrade.

The discounters’ success comes as Brits show an appetite for sponge puddings, with value sales up 10.1% in a virtually static overall market.

The hot desserts category was a good example of how middle-ground retailers were being squeezed, suggested Kantar Worldpanel director Chris Longbottom.

“The discounters are very smart and will be up there with the latest trends such as demand for sponge puds through interesting ambient ranges at good prices,” he said. “At the other end of the market, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s are likely to be performing well in chilled and that will be holding back Asda, Tesco and Morrisons.”

Industry experts suggested discounters had benefited from attracting both lower-income shoppers and the middle classes. “They have a greater proportion of the older, and lower social scale demographic who tend to have traditional diets,” said Claire Nuttall of The Brand Incubator.

And Vhari Russell of The Food Marketing Expert said keen marketing had hit the mark with middle-class shoppers. “It is a great talking point to say the dessert is from Aldi or Lidl,” she added.