Inflation Bites at Breakfast Table in 2023

America’s Most Popular Cereals See Pricing Spike

Breakfast is likely to get more expensive this year for many Americans, according to our latest data analysis. The price of virtually every breakfast cereal is up compared to last year, and inflation remains a concerning factor for consumers heading into March.  

‍Why it matters: 96% of consumers buy at least one box of cereal every time they purchase groceries. This means that major price increases in breakfast staples impact nearly every basket at checkout.  

‍What we’re seeing: We analyzed consumer demand and pricing information for cereal brands on Amazon during every day of 2022 and 2023 so far to understand how economic forces are impacting consumer prices and demand. According to our analysis, the average price for all cereals rose by 13.6% from Q1 2022 – Q1 2023 with the following cereals seeing the largest price increases:

• Crunch Berries +113.98%
• Cap’N Crunch +41.85%
• Chex +36.82%
• Malt-O-Meal +23.73%
• Fruity Pebbles +23.01%
• Froot Loops +22.46%
• Frosted Mini Wheats +21.25%
• Raisin Bran +19.70%
• Life Cereal +17.68%
• Cheerios +16.72%

Yes, but: Despite these price increases, the most in-demand cereal types from our 2021 analysis witnessed smaller price increases:

• Cap'N Crunch +41.85%
• Chex +36.82%
• Fruity Pebbles +23.01%
• Froot Loops +22.46%
• Raisin Bran +19.70%
• Life Cereal +17.68%
• Cheerios +16.72%
• Special K +16.70%
• Frosted Flakes +14.34%
• Honey Nut Cheerios +11.73%
• Trix +10.83%
• Shredded Wheat +10.35%
• Honeycomb Cereal +7.48%
• Cocoa Krispies +7.41%
• Lucky Charms +7.03%
• Corn Flakes +4.66%
• Wheaties +3.39%
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch +3.21%
• Count Chocula +0.79%

Speaking of favorites: The most popular cereal by demand in 2022 was Cheerios, edging out Cinnamon Toast Crunch, which held the top spot in 2021. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Rice Krispies, Cream of Wheat, and Frosted Flakes round out the top five most popular cereals in America in 2022.

‍What’s more: Some of the most popular cereals of 2022 were also the least affected by inflation with some brands even seeing inflation reversal:

• Cap'N Crunch +41.85%
• Chex +36.82%
• Fruity Pebbles +23.01%
• Froot Loops +22.46%
• Frosted Mini Wheats +21.25%
• Raisin Bran +19.70%
• Life Cereal +17.68%
• Cheerios +16.72%
• Special K +16.70%
• Quaker Oats +15.88%
• Honey Bunches of Oats +14.74%
• Frosted Flakes +14.34%
• Honey Nut Cheerios +11.73%
• Shredded Wheat +10.58%
• Rice Krispies +10.35%
• Lucky Charms +7.03%
• Corn Flakes +4.66%
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch +3.21%
• Cream of Wheat -1.66%
• Pops Cereal -9.18%

The takeaway: Consumers can expect to pay more for breakfast cereal as inflation continues to ravage the economy. However, depending on the specific brand, customers may be able to save on the cost of breakfast for their families.  Pattern’s data science team uses consumer demand and pricing information to help online retailers strengthen their ecommerce strategies. If you’re interested in using data like these to power your brand’s online success, contact our team for more information today.