pladis launches bite-sized version of the nation's number one biscuit
pladis, the global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, is aiming another giant shot at snacking with two new mini formats of the UK’s bestselling biscuit.
McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate Minis has been created to extend the appeal of the iconic number one biscuit even further, by catapulting it into new occasions, including on-the-go, lunchtime and sharing moments. The new launch will be landing on supermarket shelves from this week in a multipack format, with sharing pouches following later this year.
McVitie’s Milk Chocolate Digestives – which is currently worth £108.8M in retail (+23.1%) – has been reimagined into a bite-sized format. It follows the recent launch of McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives, which saw the brand build on its core range to make it relevant to a new shopper base.
“McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives are loved by so many households across the nation, who stock their cupboards with this biscuit bestseller time and time again,” says Aslı Özen Turhan, Chief Marketing Officer at pladis UK&I. “However, we recognise that we need to continue to evolve our range to attract new shoppers – including through our bestselling lines – by creating convenient new offerings that will appeal to a new generation of biscuit snackers.
“McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate Minis does just that. Our multipack, which contains five individually wrapped snack packs and just 94 kcals per serving, is ideal for lunchbox moments, whilst our pouches are perfect for on-the-go or sharing with loved ones – at a time when the ‘togetherness’ trend is hotter than ever.”
The launches follow pladis’ move over the last couple of years to extend its core snacking portfolio by using the latest food trends to create new versions of its most famous brands.
Özen Turhan continues: “McVitie’s Rich Tea ‘The Light One’ was launched in 2022 to give shoppers even more choice on the biscuit aisle, and the product is now one of the most popular non-HFSS SKUs in biscuits.
“Meanwhile, McVitie’s White Chocolate Digestives are already worth £1M in retail, after just 6 weeks on supermarket shelves.
“We’re confident that McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate Minis will follow in similar footsteps, driving a new generation of snackers to the biscuit aisle, and opening the door to new sales opportunities for retailers in the process.”
The new McVitie’s launch comes at a time when visibility for the brand is at an all-time high. Earlier this year, McVitie’s launched the first leg of its True Originals Masterbrand campaign, which saw it return to screens encouraging the nation to Bring Back The Biscuit Break. Further marketing activity – including a return to TV screens – is kicking off from the 4th October.
The McVitie’s Digestives Milk Chocolate Minis multipack – containing five 19g bags at an RRP of £1.50 – has started rolling out in Tesco stores. The sharing pouch version (80g, RRP £1.50) will be following later this autumn. Both formats – as well as a PMP – will be available to convenience stores and wholesalers.
1 Nielsen MAT up to 22.07.23
2 Nielsen data to 12.08.23
