MACKIE’S NAMED ONE OF SCOTLAND’S TOP FIVE FOOD BRANDS

A family brand has captured the Scottish market as it experiences a jump in the number of households buying its products and an increase in the frequency of purchasing.

According to a comprehensive study by Kantar Worldpanel which highlights the brands shoppers are choosing to buy and why, Mackie’s of Scotland has jumped from sixth to fifth place in the top 30 chosen Scottish food brands in the country, marking its first appearance in the top five.

This climb up the rankings comes as Mackie’s achieves record results for its ice cream and chocolate business, with turnover increasing by 11% and profits rising by 19% according to annual accounts to the year ending 31 May 2021.

Its crisp and savoury snacking brand, a joint venture with the Taylor family and produced at their multi-generational Perthshire potato farm, saw turnover increase 22% and is now making on average more than half a million packs of crisps each month.

The report shows that over the last four years Mackie’s has experienced the biggest movement in ranking alongside Tennent’s. Both Scottish brands have increased seven places compared to their position in 2018. Irn Bru regained its top spot following another strong year.

Stuart Common, Sales and Marketing Director at Mackie’s of Scotland, said: “This has been a good year for Mackie’s across the board and we’re delighted to see it continue going from strength to strength, securing the title of one of Scotland’s most chosen brands.

For the first time, we have achieved one of the sought-after top five spots. To be ahead of major, famous brands is testament to the hard work of the team throughout the pandemic, to keep freezer aisles, supermarket shelves and cafes, restaurants and food outlets stocked.”

James Taylor, Managing Director at Mackie’s at Taypack says: “Taste is always at the heart of what we do and we’re continually looking to provide innovative products that consumers want, so it is extremely satisfying to see the results reflecting our efforts – breaking into the top five for the first time is a huge achievement.

This measure often brings up the daily necessities like bread or milk – so it’s great to see our treats like ice cream, crisps and chocolate up there with these other great Scottish brands.”

The report states that in Scotland, shoppers’ loyalty to local brands is well documented and only going in one direction, with the value spent on Scottish brands increasing by 16% since the outset of the pandemic, highlighting the importance of household names that bring a sense of familiarity for shoppers who have grown up with the products.

The Kantar report notes that for consistent brand growth, more targets, presence, categories, moments or needs are required for a brand to appeal to more consumers and hold its ranking.

The Mackie’s one litre ice cream tubs and crisps are a perfect example of brand growth being achieved through more presence, having seen increases in both penetration (% of households buying) and increased frequency of purchase which has contributed to overall brand performance.

Now celebrating its 10th year, Brand Footprint is Kantar’s global study of which brands shoppers are choosing to buy, and why. The metric used for Brand Footprint is called Consumer Reach Points (CRP) which is the most comprehensive measure available of how many times a brand is chosen from retailers’ shelves.

Mackie’s of Scotland produces luxury ice cream at its fourth generation Aberdeenshire farm through its ‘sky to scoop’ ethos where everything, from dairy products from its own herd to its packaging, is made on site.

Mackie’s at Taypack make crisps and popcorn at the fourth-generation Taylor farm in Errol, Perthshire.