The decision to scrap the brand is a blow to the confectionery group. It had invested £15m in bisc&, which was hailed as the biggest development in the chocolate biscuit market for more than 10 years.
The range comprised biscuits covered with one of four toppings: Mars, Bounty, Twix and M&Ms. Masterfoods had hoped the products would provide it with a slice of the lucrative biscuit sector. However, it is believed that bisc& failed to gain cut-through in an already crowded market.
Its main rivals were Nestle Rowntree's Kit Kat and McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, both of which are well-established in the market.
Bisc& was operating in a growing sector, with the sweet biscuits category predicted to grow by 25% at current prices to reach almost £1.8bn by 2010, according to Mintel.
At the start of 2005 the range's ad account was moved out of Grey London and into German agency Scholz & Friends as part of a realignment of Mars' portfolio following WPP's acquisition of Grey.
Masterfoods was unavailable for comment.
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
