Cutting just fat won't always cut it; cookie lovers count calories, too

Discount Store News, Nov 6, 1995 by Laura Liebeck

Snackers nationwide have gobbled up pounds of reduced-fat cookies only to gain unwanted pounds. Soon they may actually be able to drop a few with a new round of sweets that cuts calories as well as fat grams.

Cookie makers such as Nabisco, Keebler and others will pump sales in '96 with cookies stingy on calories as well as fat, while remaining generous on taste.

"We're trying to get the best of both worlds," said Ann Smith, spokeswoman for Nabisco. She noted that the nation's largest cookie maker is set to roll out a variety of new cookie items that hit the fewer-calories and less-fat mantra now being sought by consumers.

"You can no longer have a fat-free cookie with 90 calories in it," declared Karen Ratts, sales development manager at Keebler. "Reduced fat is not a complete panacea. It is part of the mix."

Both Keebler and Nabisco have been introducing reduced-fat and fat-free versions of their most popular cookie and cracker brands for the past two years, and retailer have responded favorably with increased shelf space for these products. In addition, special displa racks have been erected in retail locations as diverse at Genoves Drugs, Wal-mart and Hills to promote the cookies.

The most acclaimed of the reduced-fat cookie introductions has been Nabisco's Snackwell's label, particularly its devil's food cake cookie. Nabisco has been savoring its victory with the Snackwell's program and has recently entered into a partnership with Conagra, maker of Healthy Choice foods, to produce cookies and other snack products under the Healthy Choice label.

"It is our belief that there is room for both. Snackwell's is a $500 million business. One-third of American homes has a Snackwell's product," said Smith. She declined to name the new products slated for introduction. But she did say that the snacks will meet all nutritional requirements, including 30% of calories or less coming from fat, and that sodium and cholesterol levels will be controlled. Products will begin rolling out sometime next year.

At Keebler, Elfin Delights, a reduced-fat line introduced last year, is now being expanded. Recently, Keebler introduced reduced-fat fruit bar cookies in apple, blueberry and raspberry, with a Vitamin C punch, playing to consumer interest in healthy snacks, Ratts explained.

Nabisco is due to expand its popular Newton's line with Newton's Cobbler, a cakelike product with more fruit, no fat and fewer calories than traditional Newton's, plus new Newton's flavors, blueberry and cranbeny.

Currently, the percentage of reduced-fat and fat-free products is 20% of the cookie category's sales, Ratts said, quoting IRI data. She predicted that the reduced-fat and fat-free craze will flatten out at about its current level if the category doesn't evolve. The new angle of low-calorie in addition to lower-fat levels is an opportunity to further grow the category.

"Cookies are still going to be cookies," Ratts said. "They are still a treat and they are still 80% of the aisle." As a result, Keebler has been expanding its offerings in traditional cookies with its new Simply Sandies shortbread cookies; Fudge Truffies, a graham cookie filled with chocolate creme; and Classic Collections, a butter-based cookie recipe line.

Overall, cookies are a $4.1 billion business for food stores, drug chains and mass merchandisers, according to Infoscan data supplied by chicago-based information Resources Inc. for the 52-week period ended June 18, 1995. About 86% of cookies are sold through food stores, 10% at mass merchandisers and 3.7% at drug-stores. Compared to a year ago, sales are up 1.1% at food stores, up 10.6% at drugstores and up 27.6% at mass merchandisers.

According to IRI scan data for a more recent 52-week period, the top-selling cookies at supermarkets (breakouts for discount and drug chains are not available, said IRI spokesman Ray Wisbrock) were:

* Nabisco's Chips AHOY, $301.7 million, uP 1.4%, with an 8.3% share of the market; on in

* Nabisco's Oreo, $274.7 in sales, down 0.3%, and a 7.6% share;

* Nabisco's Snackwell's, $265.0 million, uP 22.1%, a 7.3% share;

* Nabisco's Newton's, $225.9 million, down 16.3%, 6.2% share;

* Keebler Chips Deluxe, $105.6 Million, up 14.5%, 2.9% share;

* Keebler Fudge Shoppe, $85.5 million, down 6.8%, 2.4% share;

* Pepperidge Farm Distinctive, $67.3 million, up 18%, 1.9% share;

* Keebler Sandies, 160.7 million, up 42.3%, 1.7% share;

* Nabisco's Nilla Wafers,$5 .6 million, down 4.4%, 1.2% share; and

* Nabisco's Nutter Butter, $50.3 million, down 8.5%, 1.4% share.