Cereal maker Weetabix saw its profits in the UK grow by over 28% in 2009, despite sales of its main namesake brand being cannibalised by its Weetabix Bitesize line.

The company’s net profit grew to GBP97m (US$153m) for the year ended 26 December 2009, up 28.2% on the previous year.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Sales were up 2.5% to reach GBP322m, which the company said was below overall market growth, but “very much in line with expectations”.

According to accounts filed with Companies House, Weetabix’s sales for the year were driven by its cereal bar range, with its Alpen Light bars producing some “very strong like-for-like numbers”.

However, the company, owned by private-equity firm Lion Capital, said that overall Weetabix volumes were down “slightly” compared to the previous year, although the firm added that “the brand maintained its position as the largest selling breakfast cereal in the UK and sales value increased at a rate only slightly lower than the overall market”.

See Also:

During the year, Weetabix said it decided to focus on the quality of its sales mix by reducing the proportion of volume being sold on promotion. However, the company said that “while core sales remained strong, this did lead to the loss of some promotional volume to both private label and to other branded manufacturers”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Looking to the future, Weetabix said it plans to invest in marketing and product innovation, and its “cross-functional research and development team are continually investigating innovations that will create excitement in the cereal sector and provide valuable add-ons to our existing ranges”.