When it comes to the crunch, much of the action in the biscuit aisle has been around multipacks and formats suited to lunchboxes.

Shoppers have a growing appetite for such products, with sales of United Biscuits UK's McVitie's Mini Jaffa Cakes and McVitie's Mini Chocolate Digestives rising 8% and 15% in value respectively [Nielsen 52w/e 22 May]. The overall market for multipack sweet impulse biscuits is up 3% year-on-year, adds UBUK commercial manager Nick Stuart.

"Consumers are careful about where their money is spent but, typically, bagged snacks, biscuits and cakes are some of the last areas people cut back on, as they are seen as a relatively inexpensive treat," he says. In March the company launched McVitie's Mini Shorties, a mini chocolate-covered shortcake.

Burton's Foods has been developing smaller packs, launching two-pack formats for Maryland Cookies, Cadbury Chocolate Digestives and Shortcake, and offering 40g bags of Maryland Cookies and Cadbury Mini Fingers. In June Kraft Foods launched Mini Oreos in packs of six mini bags.

On-the-go snacking is worth £499m [Nielsen 52w/e 15 May] and is a growing market, says Rachel Moffatt, brands sector director at Fox's, which last month launched Choc 'N' Oat Bars into Morrisons and Sainsbury's. However, she warns that biscuits face competition from the broader sweet snacking sector.

"The potential is great, but biscuits are going to have to fight for their share," she says. Another challenge is how to complement, rather than compete with, cereal bars which were included in 4% more lunchboxes this year [Kantar]. In June, UBUK launched a cross between a biscuit and a cereal bar McVitie's Medley. It comes in three variants, including Hobnobs with raisin & milk chocolate.

Focus On Lunchbox