FoodNavigator-USA gathered together a panel of snacking industry stakeholders last week to discuss the new trends in the market from refrigerated veggie and fruit bars to the next evolution of seaweed snacks while identifying opportunities for growth in the snacking category. You can listen to the webinar on-demand HERE.
FoodNavigator-USA gathered together a panel of snacking industry stakeholders last week to discuss the new trends in the market from refrigerated veggie and fruit bars to the next evolution of seaweed snacks while identifying opportunities for growth in the snacking category. You can listen to the webinar on-demand HERE.
Clockwise from top left, Brenden Schaefer, founder & CEO of Bright Foods, Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation & insight at Mintel, Tim Minges, co-founder of Nora Snacks, and Amy Peick, RD, LD, supermarket registered dietitian at Coborn's INC.
Register HERE to watch it on-demand.
Mintel: Only 6% of consumers say that they do not snack. More consumers are snacking more often. There’s been a rise of “super snackers” who are snacking 4-6 times per day.
Most (70%) consumers think that a snack can be anything, Dornbaser said, adding that consumers are defining snacks not by the category, but how convenient it is and and they’re looking for more snacks that are conveniently packaged.
"When thinking about what a snack is you have to get outside that salty snacks framework, but it’s not about reinventing the wheel. Look to your current portfolio of what could become snacks," Dornblaser said.
“They want snack sized portions of regular foods.”
According to Dornblaser, consumers are driven by brand, but they’re also driven by price. Two of the top three important attributes of a snack purchase are price related.
“For companies to be successful, they need some brand awareness, and they also need to be priced appropriately for what they are. It doesn’t mean that every product has to be the lowest price possible but rather it has to provide the right value for the money,” she said.
Millennials are seeking out unusual flavors and textures when it comes to snack purchases according to Mintel.
"Health and indulgence can fit together but they also have a place separately in the snacks category," Dornblaser said.
"Consumers want products that are good for them but offer unique benefits in terms of being single serve, portable, and having very specific kinds of ingredients."
Schaefer added, "To the extent where you can figure out how to make something indulgent without added sugar – that’s the sweet spot right now.”
Fresh snacking is taking off with traditional formats going chilled such as Bright Foods’ refrigerated Bright Bars made with whole pieces of fruit and super foods and bound together using high pressure processing.
"There are a lot of consumers who have gotten really tired of [shelf stable] bars and there aren’t a lot other great options out there. And we thought what if there’s a way we can package real food?" Schaefer said.
“You’re really starting to see a move towards chilled and that I think will lead toward premiumization and certainly improved nutrition,” Minges added.
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Nora seaweed snacks believes it can win over American taste buds on seaweed flavor by delivering the crunch and texture they come to expect with a potato chip, says Nora Snacks co-founder Tim Minges.
Retailers through the guidance of in-store registered dietitians can play a role in encouraging healthier eating/snacking habits among consumers by introducing shoppers to new food options coming into the store and “bust some myths they’re maybe seeing on Facebook or other social media outlets.”
Coborn’s Inc retail stores offer in-store consults and store tours to customers.
“It’s an opportunity for us to understand what is their lifestyle like? What are their snacking habits like? Are they on the verge of having those six smaller mealsor snacks per day?...The best part of our store tours is we get to show them all these new products coming into the store they have probably never seen before,” said Amy Peick, RD, LDN, supermarket registered dietitian at Coborn's INC.
Coborn’s has a shelf tag program and better-for-you checkout aisle to help consumers navigate the grocery store experience.
“There has to be ways to provide consumers some guidance. Our shelf tag program is a way that you get to shop with a dietitian without having us be right at your side. It’s great way to highlight some of those products we feel could be a great option within that category,” Peick shared.
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“A lot of consumers are lacking in fiber, but it’s a case by case basis. A general rule of thumb for the nutritional profile of a snack: 10-15 grams of carbohydrates, a protein and/or a healthy fat," Peick shared.
“And this an look very different. Sometime you can put together three different items together to make one snack.”
Photo: Jennifer Chong
“Online shopping is redefining what impulse can be. Anyone who has Amazon Prime you know that you buy an awful lot of things on impulse. It isn’t what you go there to get, but it’s what goes in the cart and eventually comes to your house,” Dornblaser said.
“Impulse is taking on a different nature, it isn’t just the perimeter of the grocery store anymore. Impulse can be now in your office canteen because you’re having snacks delivered or it can be at home because of Amazon Prime,” Minges added.
“I think what’s really driving snacks over time, it’s just a massive expansion, and continued expansion of availability,” Minges said.
