United ditches Biscoff for Oreos but it may not hurt sales

Nabisco brand cookies with be available on flights in March

United Airlines is leaving Biscoff at the gate.

The airline announced recently that it will swap out the in-flight cookie option on all United and United Express flights in place of Oreo Thins. That rollout will happen in March.

“Our complementary snack options continue to be a hit and we’re always looking for opportunities to introduce new selections,” a United spokesperson told Fox News. “We plan to add Oreo Thins into the mix and look forward to the response from our customers.”

Though United said it continues to "switch up our snacks for variety," a spokesperson later explained to FOX Business, the airline plans to bring back Biscoff in May.

Lotus Bakeries, the maker of Biscoff, posted positive numbers in 2019.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
MDLZ MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL INC. 66.02 +0.02 +0.03%

The company reported that its group turnover, or the value of its goods sold last year, increased by 10 percent, or 56 million Euros ($60.43 million), to 612 million Euros ($660 million).

Lotus Biscoff, the “first and strongest” pillar of the company, according to its 2019 annual report, saw particularly strong growth as cookies, spread and ice cream hit international markets, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China.

“I am very pleased that our strategy has delivered this excellent result once more in 2019,” Lotus Chief Executive Officer Jan Boone said in a statement at the time. “We can not only record strong financial results, but are also investing more and more in sustainable projects.”

The company said it added sustainable practices to its manufacturing facilities internationally and that it aims to make all of its packaging 100 percent recyclable by 2025.

Oreos were also catapulted by parent brand Nabisco, which is owned by Mondelēz International. Mondelēz in 2019 reported organic net revenue growth of about 4 percent. But net revenue declined by 0.3 percent, according to its full-year report.

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Last year was “a major step forward for the company: Execution of our strategy, including investments in global and local brands, enabled us to deliver strong top-line performance and to meet or exceed all of our financial targets,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dirk Van de Put said in a statement.

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LOTB NO DATA AVAILABLE - - -

“We are increasingly confident that our incremental investments in brands and capabilities, emphasis on volume leverage and profit dollar growth will create a virtuous cycle that consistently delivers attractive growth.”

Mondelēz’s stock is up 21 percent on the year and Lotus’ is up 19 percent.

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This is not the first time United has chosen to shake up its snack offerings. In 2019, it brought back Stroopwafels after pulling the snack from its menu six months earlier.

The airline’s stock is down 9 percent on the year.

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This story was updated on 2/21/2020 to add a comment from United.