MacSweens of Edinburgh has been named as the 2020 chieftain of the pudding race as more than one in four consumers surveyed said they would choose the brand for Burns Night.
It was ranked ahead of Simon Howie, which is favoured by 16% and Halls at 14%, according to a survey conducted by branding specialist TRKR ahead of this year's celebration. The poll found 77% based their choice mainly on brand loyalty and 70% on price. However, 34% who intended to buy Halls Haggis plumped for another brand instead.
The average age of people choosing the McIntosh brand, bought by 8%, was between 30-35, on a household income of just over £30,000 while Simon Howie buyers tended to be closer to 45, on a joint income of just under £40,000.
Tesco is the shop where more people do their Burns supper shop, at 36%, ahead of Asda at 21% and Aldi at 17%. But Marks & Spencer was a big winner as 5.6% choose to do their Burns buying there, against the 1.5% who get their regular messages in the store.
M&S was received the highest rating out of 10 from its customers at 8.5 for shopping experience, beating Aldi on 8.3 and Lidl on 8.2.
TRKR, which questioned 1000 consumers for the survey, found only 47% of them associated Burns Night primarily with Robert Burns himself. For 63%, it is an occasion to celebrate Scotland and for 56% an excuse to eat haggis.
TRKR director Carey McEvoy said in a blog:"For normal folk who eat haggis on Burns Night, the night means Celebrating Scotland, rather than Rabbie himself. Burns, and eating haggis, is simply the best way to do that. In the same way that St Patrick’s Day is less about the 5th century Christian missionary and more about celebrating Ireland and all things Irish."
