The cereal market for breakfast in Germany

Breakfast cereals are an agglomerate of nutrients, mainly from cereals such as wheat, oats or corn, with natural or artificial flavors and sugar.

Two types of cereals can be distinguished:

Ready-to-eat cereals are the most common and include wheat cereal, infant cereal, corn kernels, and granola;

Ready-to-prepare cereals: mainly oatmeal-based, such as porridge.

The breakfast cereal market includes two very distinct types of cereals: adult cereals and children's cereals. Each of these segments has different underlying dynamics. For example, the health aspect is very strong in cereals for children, while the diet and taste aspect is particularly important in the adult market.

The global breakfast cereals market is in good shape and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.78% from 2021 to 2025 [Mordor Intelligence].

The North American market, particularly the United States, dominates the global breakfast cereals market, followed by Europe. Asia-Pacific is expected to grow rapidly as China and India increasingly prefer warm cereals that contain rice or wheat. However, market growth is limited due to consumer preference for traditional breakfast products [Mordor Intelligence].

Numerous new players have emerged in recent years, with the market becoming increasingly fragmented. These players rely on demand for niche products such as organic-labeled products, local products, or products that consumers perceive as healthy, such as granola. This niche demand became particularly strong in 2020 with the pandemic and subsequent restrictions, as many Germans changed their consumption habits and turned to healthier and more balanced products: Organic products. Thus, the main market players have recognized this new trend and are increasingly changing their recipes to reach Nutri-Score types A or B.