Mondelēz Malaysia (Mondelēz), part of the global snacking powerhouse Mondelēz International, announced the launch of a new product variation for its belVita Breakfast Biscuits range, belVita Banana & Oats.
The new offering is aimed at strengthening its category leadership in biscuits in Malaysia by diversifying its product offerings and catering to a wider group of audiences.
The company, home to iconic brands such as Oreo, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Tiger Biskuat, Jacob’s, Chipsmore, Choclairs and Twisties, employs over 1,100 people across three manufacturing plants in Shah Alam, Johor Bahru and Prai.
It launched belVita Breakfast Biscuits in 2016 in Malaysia, on the back of the company’s best performing year since its transition from Krafts Foods, despite challenging market conditions. This included achieving over RM705 million in revenue, recording the highest growth rate in five years and strengthening its category leadership of No: 1 in biscuits (with a market share of over 25%) and No: 2 in chocolates.
Speaking at the launch event, Sharon Tan, Head of Biscuit & Salty Snacks at Mondelēz International said, “Today marks two great milestones for belVita; the one-year anniversary since its launch in Malaysia and the introduction of the Banana & Oats flavour variant. The new flavour offering is part of our strategy to capitalise on belVita’s success and popularity in the local market.”
The product is available locally in three tasty flavours; Milk & Cereal, Honey & Chocolate and Banana & Oats. This was made possible following Mondelez’s investment of over USD$5.2 million (MYR21 million) to add the new production line of belVita to its manufacturing facility in Tampoi, Johor Bahru. To date, belVita’s production, contributes to 14% of the plant’s current capacity, fuelling the supply of the belVita range across Malaysia and other Southeast Asia markets.
Sharon added, “As a leader in the biscuits category, we are always focused on innovating and diversifying our product portfolio to meet the changing demands and expectations of consumers. By doing so, we are able continue growing our impact within the market, while extending our commitment in creating moments of joy and empowering consumers to make informed choices for their overall health and wellbeing.”
First launched in the UK as ‘the country’s only specially designed breakfast biscuit’ in 2011, belVita has since become a global breakfast icon, available in 54 countries around the world and delivering 32,500 tons of whole grains to global diets. The introduction of belVita followed the company’s concerted response to the growing consumer preference towards healthy snacking and convenient breakfast options. As a result, belVita has enjoyed high repeat rates in all of the countries that it is available in.