Ireland’s biggest brands remain as popular and iconic as ever, as the rankings show in the latest edition of the Checkout Top 100 Brands. The rankings are produced by Checkout magazine, the leading magazine for the grocery retail sector in Ireland, in partnership with NIQ Ireland.
Six of this year’s top ten brands – Cadbury Dairy Milk, Avonmore, Brennans, Monster, Red Bull, and 7UP – have held on to the rankings that they achieved last year.
Pringles claims the number-ten spot, as it moves up by five places from number 15 last year. Tayto moves from the number-two position last year to number three this year, while Lucozade moves from third place last year to the number-two spot in 2023.
Read The Latest Edition Now: Checkout Top 100 Brands 2023
Flying high
Energise Sport makes the biggest leap up the rankings this year, climbing by no fewer than 28 places from the number-85 position in 2022, to number 57.
“This isn’t surprising, as we have witnessed the increasing popularity of energy drinks in recent years,” says Maev Martin, editor, Checkout.
“We are seeing some extremely impressive performances on our Top 100 list this year. For example, Deep River Rock climbs by 15 places, to number 31, from the number-46 position in 2022, while soft-drinks brand Fanta increases its ranking by 12 places, moving from number 58 to number 46.”
Confectionery brands Haribo and Cadbury Twirl leap up the rankings by 11 places, moving from number 40 to 29 and from number 66 to 55, respectively, while the Extra chewing gum brand moves up the rankings by four places, from number 16 in 2022 to number 12 in 2023.
Flying the flag
“It is encouraging to see so many Irish brands among this year’s biggest movers,” says Maev Martin.
“McCambridge Bread climbs from the number-78 position in 2022 to number 68 in 2023. Healthy bar brand FULFIL improves its ranking by eight places, moving from number 27 to number 19, while the Dublin-based Manhattan popcorn brand also performs well this year, moving from number 94 to number 93.
"Fitzgeralds Family Bakery continues to perform strongly in the rankings, moving from number 33 to number 30, Dairygold improves its position by four places, moving from number 32 to number 28, while the Keogh’s crisp brand climbs by five places, moving from number 61 last year to number 56 this year.
"Other Irish brands that have shown themselves to be firm favourites with Irish shoppers in recent years include Carroll’s of Tullamore, which moves up by one place this year, to number 21, and Brady Family and O’Donnells Crisps, which retain their number 20 and number 49 positions, respectively, from last year.”
The Checkout Top 100 Brands is based on branded value sales across the Irish grocery sector, making it the most accurate barometer of the biggest selling brands in the marketplace. In compiling the report, NIQ Ireland measures the sales performance of over 5,000 brands from over 200 product classes.
“Inflation has been a significant concern for many shoppers throughout the past year, but despite pressures on grocery budgets, brands remain resilient,” says Ruth Lloyd-Evans, senior business insights manager – retailer services, NIQ Ireland.
“It is inspiring to see so many iconic brands represented in the Top 100. It is testament to the hard work of brand owners and retailers alike that brands remain relevant and important to the Irish shopper in this competitive landscape. Irish brands hold an important place in the rankings, and many have consistently moved up the list year after year. To see Irish brands go from strength to strength is inspiring for new innovators who are striving to bring local successes to the Irish FMCG market and beyond.”
What’s new?
Newcomers to our Top 100 list include frozen-pizza brand Chicago Town, which enters the rankings at number 89, climbing by no fewer than 17 places from the number-106 position that it held in 2022.
“Several factors have contributed to the success of the brand, including increased distribution and promotion, and the fact that it is regarded as a premium substitute for both takeaway and dining-out pizzas,” says Maev Martin. “Ireland’s leading producer of branded ready meals, Chef In A Box climbs by eight places to secure the number-99 spot, having ranked at number 107 last year. Chef In A Box is also the number-one brand in the Fresh Meals category on our Top 100 Categories list.”
Top categories
A number of categories significantly improved their rankings in Checkout’s Top 100 Categories for 2023. The biggest jump from within the list has been made by the RTD Flavoured Milk and Shakes category, which rises by 14 places, from number 68 to number 54, with the Mooju brand retaining its position as category leader.
The Cough and Cold Remedies category makes the second-biggest leap from within the rankings, as it climbs by 12 places, moving from the number-94 position in 2022 to number 82 in 2023. Another category that improves its position by 12 places this year is Washing-Up Liquids, which moves from number 99 in 2022 to the number-87 position. The Instant Snacks category gets another boost this year, as it rises by eight places from the number-74 position in 2022 to number 66. This category moved up the rankings by ten places last year, from number 84 to number 74. We are also seeing the Salad Accompaniments category climb by five places, moving from number 60 to number 55.
Category leaders
Last year, we welcomed five new category-leading brands. This year, we have no fewer than ten new leaders. These include Stafford’s Bakeries, last year’s number-two brand, which is now the new leader in the Cakes category, taking the top spot from Cadbury, which moves to the number-four position, Finish Powerball All-in-1, which relinquishes its category leadership position in Dishwasher Products to last year’s second-placed brand, Fairy Platinum Plus, and Ambrosia, which is the new category leader in Ambient Desserts, pushing Chivers out of the top spot and into second place. In Air-Fresheners, Glade moves from the number-two position to claim the top spot, consigning last year’s category leader, Airwick, to second place.
In Fresh Pre-Packed Vegetables, Gilfresh enters the top five brands in the number-one position, having not featured in the top five in 2022. Vitamins and Minerals also has a new category captain, as Seven Seas pushes Beeline out of the top spot.
In Vegetarian Fresh Meals, last year’s number-two brand, Quorn, is the new category leader. Finally, the Indigestion Remedies category, which last appeared on our Top 100 Categories list in 2012, when Rennie was the top brand, now has a new category leader in Gaviscon.
Ireland’s top alcohol brands
Heineken is, once again, Ireland’s leading drinks brand on the Checkout Top 50 Alcohol list. No fewer than ten of the top 12 brands retain their positions from 2022 – Smirnoff, Guinness, Bulmers, Jameson and Coors are still the nation’s number-two, -three, -four, -five and -six brands, respectively, while Santa Rita, Casillero del Diablo, Rockshore and Corona retain their number-nine, -ten, -11 and -12 positions.
Beyond the top ten, three brands retain their 2022 positions this year. Irish lager Rockshore retains the number-11 position that it reached last year, Mexican lager Corona makes it three years in a row at number 12, while much further down the list, Molson Canadian retains the number-47 position that it claimed in 2022. When it comes to our Top 20 Wines, Santa Rita is Ireland’s favourite wine brand for the sixth year in a row.
Checkout Top 100 Brands 2023: The Top 10
- Coca-Cola
- Lucozade
- Tayto
- Dairy Milk
- Avonmore
- Brennans
- Monster
- Red Bull
- 7UP
- Pringles
* Produced in partnership with NIQ Ireland
