Saying thank you

More shoppers visit convenience stores when purchasing sweet biscuits as “that little token” of giving thanks, in fact, biscuit gifting is over-trading by 75%[1] compared to total gifting. Biscuits such as Fox’s Half Coated Cookies and Paterson’s shortbread are a must-stock here, combining traditional flavours with attractive packaging, to offer a thoughtful and tasty treat as a gift.

Last-minute rescues

We are also seeing increasing demand for biscuits from shoppers during all year-round events. We’ve recently seen Valentine’s Day, for next year consider that our hearty Jammie Dodgers sell between 11% and 25% more than a typical week in Valentine’s week![2] Ramadan, Mother’s Day, Easter, Thank You Teacher and Diwali. What’s more, 27% of total biscuit gifting spend in 2024 was for birthdays[3].  A lot of these purchases can often be last minute, so it is important for convenience retailers to stock-up ahead of key calendar moments to make the most of the opportunity. These occasions have clear value to shoppers and retailers. What better way to say thank you than with a biscuit?

Cross-category opportunity

There are clear connections between sweet biscuits and other categories around the store, especially when it comes to gifting. Biscuits can be paired with greeting cards, flowers and other sweet and savoury treats to create the perfect gift bundle for a loved one. Convenience stores have a particular opportunity as secondary locations around the store can be used to further encourage impulse purchases: highly visible displays, areas of high footfall and complimentary categories are key here.

We advise retailers to take a test and learn approach, to find out what works best for their customers to boost basket spend and make the most of the cross-category shopping opportunity. For instance, point-of-sale displays like free-standing display units and counter displays can lead shoppers to the biscuit fixture and amplify the opportunity in-store.

Retailers should also jump on key seasonal events and look to stock products that tap into these occasions such as bigger boxes and sharing packs. These biscuits can be merchandised in relation to the seasonal occasion, to ring in the changes throughout the year based on what appeals to their shoppers.

FBC’s portfolio has been perfectly crafted to help you make the most of the gifting opportunity. Head to https://www.fbc-uk.com/ to help build your gifting offering.

[1] Kantar, occasion share of category spent, 52 w/e 2024 – 05/05

[2] NIQ, Valetine’s week £sales as a proportion of annual sales last 3 years

[3] Kantar, occasion share of category spent, 52 w/e 2024 – 05/05