TRENDS
Biscuits in the Philippines continues to compete with chocolate confectionery. Many consumers continue to consume biscuits, usually chocolate-coated biscuits, as a cheaper alternative to chocolate confectionery. Brands such as Choco Knots, Knick Knacks and Cubee tend to steal shares from brands such as Kit Kat and Gandour. Consumers tend to perceive biscuits as a cheaper snack alternative and better value for money compared to chocolate confectionery in the Philippines.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
The Monde Nissin Corp is the leading biscuits brand manufacturer and is set to post a 34% value share in 2012, thanks to its wide product portfolio, popularity of its brands and continuous large investment on marketing and product innovation. The company had numerous multimedia advertisements in 2012 with about seven different television commercials promoting its various brands. Monde Nissin is one of the oldest manufacturers of biscuits and is proven to be a producer of quality biscuit products. Its Sky Flakes brand is the main driver of its growth and the major contributor of its value sales.
PROSPECTS
Competition between chocolate confectionery and biscuits is likely to intensify because both industries tend to target a similar market niche and use similar strategies to gain market share. Over the forecast period, both industries will be driven by innovation to keep consumers interested. Manufacturers are also likely to restrict unit price growth to stay competitive.
The packaged food sector in the Philippines is expected to rebound after the global economic recession, as consumers continue to move into urban areas and the number of hypermarkets/supermarkets expands. Consumers are expected to trade down brands, seeking lower priced packaged foods, but without sacrificing health concerns and convenience.
Most of the packaged food products purchased in the Philippines were sold in supermarkets/hypermarkets. The top five grocery retailers in