KANSAS CITY, MO — Cookies serve as both a snack and dessert, so it’s not surprising that more than three in four consumers eat them, according to Mintel’s 2023 “US Cookies Market” report. The strength of the category creates opportunities for brands to focus on innovation and highlight cookies’ versatility as a way to expand eating occasions and drive volume growth.

A Balancing Act

While overall, cookies reported more than $11.43 billion in sales, units are flat, according to Circana data for the period ending July 14, 2024. Shoppers are bifurcating their purchases, creating an uptick in private label sales, as well as sales of brands that are considered premium and not mainstream.

“Consumers continue to shift their spending and consumption and find cookies as both an affordable snack and reward,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive VP and chief advisor, consumer goods and foodservice insights for Circana. “Companies need to find ways to drive optimal price and size mixtures across channels.”

With consumers still challenged by the overall economy, price and value influence purchasing decisions. As a result, cookies in the club channel saw a 5.7% dollar sales increase and 4.2% unit sales growth vs. a year ago.

“The value for these consumers is larger package sizes so they can feed the household at an affordable price,” Lyons Wyatt explained. “There is continued growth for perimeter cookies in mass channels across units, volume and dollar sales at 14.3 percent, 14.3 percent and 11.1 percent, respectively, which points toward both value and deal seekers.”