Coca-Cola still top of the pops as best-selling brand

Coca-Cola has held on to its position as the biggest selling brand in the Irish grocery market for 10 years, according to the latest Checkout Top 100 Brands report, produced by Checkout magazine in association with Nielsen.

Wed, 03 Sep, 2014 - 01:00

Avonmore Milk and Brennans Bread, the second- and third-biggest selling brands in the country, also remain long-term favourites among Irish consumers, having held their respective positions for the past five years.

Irish consumers remain fairly consistent when it comes to the brands they purchase most often, with only one new entry in the Top 10 this year: Pampers.

The remainder of the Top 10 shows Cadbury Dairy Milk up one place at fourth, while Tayto is also up one at fifth. Lucozade has dropped two places to sixth, 7UP remains unchanged at seventh, while Walkers has risen one place to eighth, and Jacobs has dropped one to eighth. Pampers is now 10th, up one place.

The Checkout Top 100 Brands measures sales across the retail grocery, convenience and forecourt sectors, and is acknowledged as the most accurate barometer of the biggest selling brands in the Irish market.

More than 6,500 brands from across 200 product classes are measured.

“While many consumers remain focused on value and shopping around in search of the best deals, brand owners are continuously investing in new product development and innovation in order to drive purchase,” says Checkout editor Stephen Wynne-Jones.

“Ireland’s biggest brands are engaging with consumers like never before, offering real, actionable solutions to shoppers, as well as taking a category leadership approach to help boost sales. Each of the Top 100 Brands understands the importance of keeping their products ‘front of mind’ with consumers, and are eagerly seeking to reinforce that point at any available opportunity.”

Among the other significant climbers in the Top 100 list are Wrigley’s Extra, which rises four places to 11th; Club soft drinks, up six places to 15th; Maltesers, up 19 places to 36th; Volvic, up seven places to 40th; Deep River Rock, up nine places to 42nd and HB Magnum, up 14 places to 44th. The biggest mover in this year’s list is confectionery brand Kinder, which rises a phenomenal 21 places to 35th.

Dropping down the list are Denny (sliced meat), down five places to 18th; Lyons tea, dropping eight places to 24th; Goodfella’s pizza, down eight places to 25th; Knorr Soup, down nine places to 47th and Weetabix, down 14 places to 56th.

This year’s list has also proved fruitful for many Irish brands, with Pat The Baker rising eight places to 17th; Ballygowan up nine places to 31st; Glenisk up six places to 33rd; Flahavan’s up four places to 55th (making it now the biggest brand in the breakfast cereals category); Cully & Sully up 11 places to 80th and Clonakilty rising 11 places to 87th.

“The Irish FMCG [fast-moving consumer goods] market remains challenging for retailers and brands,” says Matt Clark, commercial director of Nielsen Ireland.

“There are some positive signs that the European market is recovering. However, Ireland still lags behind its counterparts. As a result, it can be difficult to justify investment in brand building and maintaining awareness.

“However, investment in the tough times can lead to a competitive advantage as the market recovers, and being creative with your mix of activities can result in a more targeted approach.”

Taste test

A sweet tooth, a taste for alcohol, and a continuing attachment to smoking is revealed in the 2014 Checkout Top 100 Brands.

Confectionery is the biggest selling category in Ireland, followed by milk, bread, soft drinks, biscuits, and crisps.

Shoppers spend more on confectionery, biscuits, and ice cream than toothpaste, toothbrushes, or mouthwashes.

Equally, more is spent on frozen pizza than packed salads and more on frozen chips than frozen or fresh pre-packed vegetables.

“Despite the baby boom, we are also choosing to spend more on feeding our beloved pets than our babies,” the study reveals.

Pet food ranks in 13th, while baby milks/meals and rusks rank 27th.

The Top 50 alcohol brands is topped for the first time by Heineken. Smirnoff is the leading brand in the Top 20 Spirits list, Heineken again tops the Top 20 LADs list, while Blossom Hill leads the Top 20 Wines list for the fifth successive year.

Silk Cut is the biggest selling tobacco brand, followed by Benson & Hedges, John Player and Marlboro.

The big brands are aware of how price conscious customers have become and both Silk Cut and B&H have introduced ‘Big Box’ packets of 24 cigarettes.

— Dan Buckley

TOP 20 brands

1. Coca-Cola

2. Avonmore

3. Brennans

4. Cadbury Dairy Milk

5. Tayto

6. Lucozade

7. 7UP

8. Walkers