Retail egg sales are on the march for the eleventh year running, rising by 250m (vol) in 2017 to top 6bn for the first time in more than 40 years, according to the latest data issued by British Lion eggs.
Annual sales grew by almost 5% in volume, and 6% in value, with an acceleration of growth seen in the final month of the year, following the recent change in official egg safety advice by the Food Standards Agency. Kantar Worldpanel December 2017 figures show 9% volume growth and 8% value growth y-o-y (4 w/e 31.12.17).
Andrew Joret, Chairman of the British Egg Industry Council, said: “The British love affair with eggs is alive and well, and truly flourishing. Just 15 years ago we were buying only just over 4bn eggs – the rate of growth has been phenomenal and at this rate we could break the 7bn barrier by 2020.
“Sales are up significantly for the eleventh year running, and the recent change in egg safety advice is likely to lead to more record breaking sales in 2018 as the good news continues to filter through to consumers. A £1m plus marketing campaign is underway to make sure that message is delivered to consumers.
“When it comes to eggs, it’s all good news – young people are eating more, consumer confidence in their nutritional benefits is buoyant, and importantly there is still plenty of room for it to grow further.”