Polvorones, roscones and panettones, the products that gain the most weight in the Christmas shopping basket
In the shopping basket this Christmas, the products that are gaining the most weight are Polvorones, Roscones and Panettones, according to an analysis carried out by Worldpanel by Numerator (the former Kantar). It is estimated that, between Christmas 2021 and those celebrated last year (2024), polka dots have come to represent from 8.4 to 10% of the category while the roscones have grown from 7.4 to 9.4% and the panettones from 4.6 to 6.3%. Outside of these three, the rise in Advent calendars stands out, which, despite their minimal weight, have gone from 1.2 to 2.1% of the category. However, the classics continue to be the star products of these dates: nougats represent 31.3% of this entire rangebut 3 years ago it was 34.7%. They are followed by chocolate boxes, which also lose share slightly: from 25.1 to 24.4%.
Another proof that, at the consumption level, Christmas has its own characteristics is that among the chosen channels, its share improves significantly. hypermarketwhich adds up to 7 more points compared to the rest of the products not related to these festivities. It continues to lead the short assortment, the super conveniencebut its share is slightly lower than that of other products and stands at 34.8% compared to 37%. For its part, in the case of the more traditional supermarketsthese are stronger and represent 30.6% compared to 26.2% outside of items not associated with Christmas. The option of buy Polvorones or Nougat onlinesince it barely represents 1.6% of sales.
The white label also dresses up for Christmas, but less than in other categories. At a global level, on these datesin the last 4 years it represents 43.2% of sales. If we focus on Christmas items exclusively, the weight of the distributor’s brand grows much less between Christmas 2021 and 2024, from 30.3 to 34.4%. The manufacturer’s brand has a high impact in categories such as Polvorones/mantecados, Advent calendars, puff pastries and marquises.
The competition, tighter for Christmas
As for which is the supermarket preferred by consumers to purchase items as beloved as nougats, Polvorones or roscón, the analysis of ‘Worldpanel by Numerator’ points to the leadership of Mercadona with a 19.6% market share. However, there is a difference of 6 percentage points in relation to its general share, which according to the analysts of this consulting firm allows the distribution group chaired by Juan Roig to have a significant margin for growth compared to other types of products. Furthermore, the difference with respect to its immediate competitor is much smaller in the case of Christmas products. Carrefour accumulates a greater market share, 14.8% compared to the 9.5% it holds globally. They also have greater weight in the case of Polvorones, Nougats and similar distribution groups such as Lidl (7.7% vs. 6.5%), Day (5.8% vs. 3.6%), Alcampo (4.9% vs. 3%) and Eroski (6.4% against 4.4%).
The most striking case is The English Courtwho together with Carrefour and Dia, know how to get the best out of the Christmas campaign and the set of typical products of these dates thanks “to the great development of its own brand in this segment”. Compared to a general quota of 1.5% at Christmas level, the weight is much higher, 4.5%. ad
