Worldpanel by Numerator’s 2025 Brand Footprint report reveals the most chosen FMCG brands by shoppers in Ireland. In this year’s ranking, the top five are led by local bread brand Brennans, followed by Avonmore at number two, Tayto, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, and Jacob’s.
Global data shows that just over half (50.2%) of FMCG brands were chosen more often in 2024, marking a rebound from 45% in 2023. This pattern, known as the ‘50:50 game’, highlights that even the world’s biggest and most recognisable brands can’t take growth for granted.
Ireland is seeing the same trend, with Worldpanel by Numerator stating that brands will need to make an extra effort to remain relevant to their shoppers. The study notes that every brand that experienced growth succeeded by striking the right balance between product appeal, brand strength, and the overall customer experience.
Highlights from the top performers in the 2025 ranking:
- McVitie’s climbed five places with a 19.4% Consumer Reach Points (CRP) boost, thanks to value-led campaigns like The Great Biscuit Break Bonanza, which combined savings with lifestyle rewards to appeal to budget-conscious shoppers. The CRPs are a metric that take into account a brand’s presence in Irish households, the frequency with which they are bought by shoppers, and the number of households in the country.
- Irish Yoghurts Clonakilty rose 25 spots due to a 5.3 percentage points gain in penetration (presence in Irish households), driven by strong local loyalty, high category relevance and increased in-store visibility.
- Glenilen Farm entered the Top 100 after a 42% jump in purchase frequency, helped by its ethical positioning, growing availability and alignment with health-conscious habits.
- Keelings climbed 12 places following the launch of its Love That Keelings Feeling platform, which refreshed the brand image and reinforced its link to fresh, feel-good produce.
- Pringles moved up three positions, fuelled by its new HOT! range and a gamer-focused promotion that tapped into younger, trend-driven audiences.
- Pepsi gained two spots with a 4.2% CRP increase, following a major rebrand and campaign that reconnected with consumers through a bold, unified identity across formats.
“For brands, the chances of finding a place in household cupboards and fridges around the world are as uncertain as a coin toss, with inflation and geopolitical pressures heavily influencing how people shop and which products they choose,” said Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator.
“That does not mean, however, that growth is purely down to chance. Even so, brands should anticipate that next year the odds of growth will decline from an even split (50:50) to something more like 45:55, which means they will need to work even harder to achieve success.”
Worldpanel by Numerator’s report for the UK saw Warburtons taking the top spot in the most chosen ranking, followed by Heinz at number two, McVitie’s, Walkers, and Coca-Cola.
NAM Implications:
- This says it all:
- Brands succeeded by striking the right balance between product appeal, brand strength, and the overall customer experience.
- The trick, as always, is making it happen…
- (and being a strong local brand also helps!)
