The four new, quintessentially British, dessert-inspired flavours sees McVitie's Milk Chocolate Digestive taking on a fruity form with Strawberry Cheesecake and Lemon Drizzle, while McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Hobnobs incorporate a touch of indulgence in Chocolate Brownie and Sticky Toffee Pudding flavours.
“McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives and McVitie’s Chocolate Hobnobs are two of our star performers – and you’d be hard-pushed to find a UK shopper who’s never tried one of these iconic biscuits,” said Emma Stowers, Brand Director for McVitie’s at pladis UK&I.
“During 2020, these brands proved more popular than ever, as shoppers enjoyed many more ‘hot drink moments’ at home. In fact, sales for the two brands grew by 35% between March and September.”
Stowers said the treat-focused new launches will help McVitie’s attract consumers between the ages of 25 and 40 to the biscuit aisle – and the everyday treats sub-category – while driving purchasing frequency among existing McVitie’s shoppers.
Building on the success of established brands within the McVitie’s portfolio with innovative NPD has proved an established route to incremental sales, she said.
Stowers added the brand has also launched a tropical flavour update to another of its shopper favourites this month with the rollout of McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Pineapple, while the ‘Best of British’ McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives range has achieved value sales worth £5m ($6.78m) since its launch last February.
“Innovation is crucial when it comes to keeping shoppers engaged with what’s on offer in the biscuit aisle. This is particularly important for younger shoppers who are increasingly seeking unusual and exciting flavour experiences. We’ve got a track record of success with introducing new formats and flavours to our bestsellers and we can’t wait to see what shoppers think of these exciting, new additions,” Stowers said.