Australians are eating less biscuits: Roy Morgan Research
Australians are eating less sweet biscuits says a new study from Roy Morgan Research.
According to the data, 42.2 per cent of Australians 14 and older ate a sweet biscuit at least once a week in 2015. In 2011, 46.3 per cent of Aussies 14 and over were consuming sweet biscuits on a weekly basis.
Comparatively, between 2011 and 2015, Australians’ consumption of savoury cracker biscuits has fallen only slightly, from 33.1 per cent to 32.4 per cent.
Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 along with those aged over 65 are the country’s biggest sweet biscuit eaters. More than half of those aged 65 or older eat biscuits weekly. A little over 45 per cent of teenagers under 18 indulge in the sweet treat.
Sweet vs savoury biscuits eaten in last 7 days: by age
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), October 2014 – September 2015 (n=15,668). *NB: sweet biscuits include chocolate coated biscuits, cream/jam filled and plain (sweet).
Roy Morgan Research found 55 per cent of Australians who eat sweet biscuits only eat sweet biscuits.
Nearly 60 per cent of those who eat savoury crackers also eat sweet biscuits.
Andrew Price, General Manager of Consumer Products at Roy Morgan Research, says as the popularity of sweet biscuits decline manufacturers need to consider which sectors of the population are the best bet to target.
“As outlined above, teenagers and the 65+ demographic are more likely than other age groups to eat savoury and sweet biscuits, which presents an interesting challenge for marketers!” Price said.
“The plot thickens when we look at the bigger snack picture, and find that young Aussies aged 14-17 are more likely than any other age group to eat just about every snack category measured by Roy Morgan Research, while the older bracket tends to be below average for most snacks. So not only do these two groups sit at opposite ends of the age spectrum, they also have markedly different snacking habits – yet are somehow united by their penchant for biscuits,” Price started.
“Of course, despite the decline in consumption, sweet biscuits remain one of the country’s most popular snacks. However, several other snack categories – from natural yoghurt to nuts, icy poles to corn chips – are gaining in popularity, so it is crucial for biscuit brands to do what they can to enhance their competitiveness now,” Price said.
