The annual study ranks FMCG brands by Consumer Reach Points (CRPs) – how frequently they have been purchased.

Warburtons is the most frequently chosen brand in the UK for the sixth year in a row, followed by Heinz and Hovis. The two fastest CRP growers in the top 10 were McVities and Cadbury.

Additionally, consumers increasingly favoured lower sugar, natural or ‘free-from’ products – with Alpro the fastest-growing brand in the top 50 after selling 130 million times more than the previous year.

The research also found that UK retailers’ own-label products comprised half of all value sales for the first time – an increase of £3.3bn, while branded sales rose by £0.8bn.

The global FMCG industry saw relatively slow growth in 2017, at 1.9%, increasing from 1.3% in 2016. While Western Europe’s FMCG market grew by 2.2%, the US, which is the biggest contributor to FMCG worldwide, grew by only 0.5%.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “If consumers are given a reason to believe, they will choose the branded product. If they aren’t, they’ll choose the cheapest. The biggest gains inside the top 10 and beyond have been made by brands innovating in ways currently most relevant to consumers, making their lives healthier, happier and easier.” 

Josep Montserrat, global chief executive at Kantar Worldpanel, added: “This year’s Brand Footprint reveals that global FMCG growth remains sluggish. With the world’s biggest markets continuing to struggle – and emerging markets performing below expectations – it’s more important than ever for brand owners and manufacturers to understand the fundamentals to growth.”

The top 10 UK FMCG brands according to the Brand Footprint study are: