Cookie Category Heats Up Supermarket Bakeries

MODERN BAKING

Despite the economic uncertainty, consumers still are searching for convenience. The cookie category offers time-starved consumers an easy solution when it comes to a sweet treat or comfort food.

Cookies are becoming an increasingly convenient treat for time-starved consumers.

Also, as ingredients are more closely monitored for allergy concerns, many home-baked goods are no longer allowed at school functions. This further served to boost cookies in overall sales and in contribution to total bakery.

Nationally, cookie sales accounted for 9.8% of total bakery department dollar sales during the 52 weeks ending Nov. 29, 2009, up from 9.4% the previous year. Cookies grew at a faster rate than the bakery department in year-over-year sales.

Cookies averaged $929 per store per week, an increase of 5.8% from $878 last year. Sales peaked during the week of Dec. 20 at $1,570 per store, driven by holiday celebrations. Specifically, cookie platters drove the significant increase that week. The subcategory increased sales 85% over the average weekly store sales, reflecting the convenience of cookie platters during the holidays. As usual, the first week in January registered the lowest sales, averaging $646 per store.

The East region experienced the greatest dollar sales during the 52 weeks ending Nov. 29, 2009, with an average of $1,170 per store per week and an average of 9.1% contribution to bakery department sales. The Central and the West regions outpaced the 9.8% national average contribution to the bakery department. Cakes traditionally dominate the South region, and cookie contribution to the total bakery department was the smallest among the four regions. The South still showed growth in cookie sales over the previous year.

Cookies increased sales year-over-year in each region. The West region saw the greatest growth in dollar sales, increasing 9.5% year-over-year. All regions also experienced an increase in cookie contribution to total bakery department compared to last year.

Nationally, everyday cookies led the category with 58.4% dollar share, followed by iced cookies at 15.5%, specialty cookies at 6.8%, cookie platters at 5.2% and message cookies at 4.4%. Mini cookies, filled cookies and cookie doughs and mixes, identified as “Other Cookies” on the graph, combined to contribute less than 4%.

This sales review, provided by the Perishables Group FreshFacts powered by Nielsen, includes supermarket in-store bakery scanner data results from the 52 weeks ending Nov. 29, 2009, representing more than 62% of the national supermarket ACV share. It originally appeared in Modern Baking, a sister publication of SN. For more information, contact the Perishables Group's Kelli Beckel at (773) 929-7013 or [email protected].