Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
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- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Market poised for continued growth
- Widespread desire to lead healthier lifestyle drives growth
- Wellness bars dominate the category
- FDMx sales of diet bars spiked in 2010
- Athletic bar segment also posted growth
- Private label growth could threaten some national brands
- Grocery remains the dominant channel
- Clif Bar and Company, and General Mills, lead in FDMx sales
- Leading firms achieve growth through innovation
- Incidence of use remains steady
- Kashi, PowerBar, and Clif Bar are market leaders
- Desire for healthy snacks is a key usage driver
- Soy and whey are popular protein sources
- Fat and calories are primary concerns when selecting bars
Insights and Opportunities
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- Cause marketing could help drive sales
- Heirloom grains and non-GMO foods offer areas of differentiation
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- Figure 1: Incidence of concern about genetic modification of food, by gender and presence of children in the HH, October 2010
- Fat, fiber, and calories important considerations for product developers
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- Figure 2: Attributes that diet watchers look for in food, 2006 and 2009
Inspire Insights
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- Trend: Transumers
Market Size and Forecast
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- Key points
- Category resistant to recession; saturation could slow future growth
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- Figure 3: FDMx sales and forecast of nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2005-15
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- Figure 4: FDMx sales and forecast of nutrition and energy bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2005-15
- Fan chart forecast
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- Figure 5: FDMx sales and fan chart forecast of nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2005-15
- Walmart sales
Market Drivers
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- Key points
- Most report some health concerns and leading healthier lifestyles
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- Figure 6: Health-related concerns, by age, October 2010
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- Figure 7: Population by age, 2006-16
- Incidence of healthy eating on the rise
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- Figure 8: Incidence of eating healthier compared to last year, 2008-10
- About half are watching their diets
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- Figure 9: Incidence of presently watching/controlling diet, May 2004–March 2009
- Figure 10: Reasons for watching diet, by gender, July 2007–September 2008
- High incidence of obesity drives demand for nutrition and energy bars
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- Figure 11: Percentage of population aged 20+ who are overweight, obese, or extremely obese, 1988–2008
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- Figure 12: Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents, aged 2-19, 1976–2008
- Increase in exercise could drive demand
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- Figure 13: Prevalence of Americans engaged in recommended and insufficient exercise, 2001–2007
- Consumer confidence moderates growth
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- Figure 14: University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, January 2007–December 2010
Competitive Context
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- Nuts and dried fruit are primary competitive threat
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- Figure 15: Healthfulness rating of snack foods, September 2010
- Granola bars are another key competitive threat
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- Figure 16: Incidence of adult consumption of cereal bars, granola bars and granola, by product type, 2002–09
- Functional beverages may take share in some cases
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- Figure 17: Purchase of functional food and beverage, by age, January 2010
Segment Performance
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- Key points
- Segment performance remains steady; wellness category dominates
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- Figure 18: Sales of nutrition and energy bars, segmented by type, 2009 and 2010
Segment Performance—Wellness Bars
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- Key points
- Sales growth decelerated in response to recession, but still rising
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- Figure 19: FDMx sales and forecast of wellness bars, at current prices, 2005-15
Segment Performance—Diet Bars
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- Key points
- Diet bar sales rebound after steep 2006 declines
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- Figure 20: FDMx sales and forecast of diet bars, at current prices, 2005-15
Segment Performance—Athletic Bars
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- Key points
- Athletic bars benefit from growing interest in exercise and weight loss
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- Figure 21: FDMx sales and forecast of athletic bars, at current prices, 2005-15
Segment Performance—Private Label Nutrition and Energy Bars
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- Key points
- Private label positioned for impressive growth with premium offerings
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- Figure 22: FDMx sales and forecast of private label nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2005-15
Retail Channels
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- Key points
- Grocery remains dominant channel but mass is a key competitor
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- Figure 23: FDMx retail sales of nutrition and energy bars, by channel, 2009 and 2010
Retail Channels—Supermarkets
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- Supermarket sales of nutrition and energy bars
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- Figure 24: FDMx supermarket sales of nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2005-10
Retail Channels—Other FDMx Channels
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- FDMx sales up in other channels; private label could drive future growth
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- Figure 25: Other FDMx sales of nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2005-10
The Natural Channel Marketplace
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- Key points
- Following a decline, sales rebound
- Sales of nutrition and energy bars in the natural channel
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- Figure 26: Natural supermarket sales of nutrition and energy bars, at current prices, 2008-10
- Figure 27: Natural supermarket sales of nutrition and energy bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2008-10
- Natural channel sales by segment
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- Figure 28: Natural supermarket sales of nutrition and energy bars, by segment, 2008 and 2010
- Leading brands
Leading Companies
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- Key points
- Clif Bar & Company achieves growth
- General Mills sees strong growth from Fiber One
- Brynwood Partners VI L.P. readies for success with Balance Bar
- Kellogg Company leverages strength of Special K line in nutrition and energy bars
- Abbott Laboratories sees ups and downs with ZonePerfect
- Sales success at Atkins Nutritionals
- Nestlé (PowerBar)
- Key manufacturer sales
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- Figure 29: Manufacturer sales of nutrition and energy bars in the U.S., 2009 and 2010
Brand Share—Wellness Bars
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- Key points
- Clif Bar & Company achieves impressive growth with targeted products
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- Figure 30: Selected brand sales and market share of wellness bars in the U.S., 2009 and 2010
Brand Share—Diet Bars
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- Key points
- Low-carb, high-protein formulations drive growth in diet bar category
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- Figure 31: Selected brand sales and market share of diet bars in the U.S., 2009 and 2010
Brand Share—Athletic Bars
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- Key points
- PowerBar and Clif Bar & Company products drive strong growth in athletic category
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- Figure 32: Selected brand sales and market share of athletic bars in the U.S., 2009 and 2010
Innovation and Innovators
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- Key points
- Companies that lead in FDMx sales also lead in new product introductions
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- Figure 33: Number of new nutrition and energy bar launches, by company/brand, 2005-10
- Kosher, high protein, and no additives among most common claims
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- Figure 34: Product claims associated with nutrition and energy bars, 2005-10
- “Other” flavors still most common
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- Figure 35: Flavors of new nutrition and energy bar products, 2005-10
- Gourmet dessert flavors becoming more common
Brands and the Advertising Landscape
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- Overview of the brand landscape
- Clif Bar
- Coupons
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- Figure 36: Clif Bar coupon from Andronico’s Supermarket, January 2011
- Television ads
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- Figure 37: Luna by Clif Bar ad, 2009
- Website
- YouTube
- General Mills’ Fiber One
- Coupons
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- Figure 38: Fiber One ad from Women’s Health Magazine, January 2011
- Figure 39: Fiber One coupon from Lucky supermarkets, January 2011
- Website
- PowerBar
- Website
Nutrition and Energy Bar Consumption
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- Key points
- Overall incidence of use remains steady
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- Figure 40: Incidence of consuming energy/diet snacks and bars, 2004-10
- Young adults have a concentration of heavy users
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- Figure 41: Energy/diet bar consumption incidence and frequencies, by age, April 2009–June 2010
- Affluents somewhat more likely to be heavy users
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- Figure 42: Energy/diet bar consumption incidence and frequency, by household income, April 2009–June 2010
- Granola bars are most popular subcategory
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- Figure 43: Types of bars consumed, by age, October 2010
- Parents considerably more likely than non-parents to be users
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- Figure 44: Types of bars consumed, by presence of children in household, October 2010
Brand Preferences
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- Key points
- Increased incidence of Clif Bar and PowerBar usage drives brand sales
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- Figure 45: Brands of energy/diet snacks and bars eaten, April 2008-10
- Affluents somewhat more likely to use popular brands
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- Figure 46: Brands of energy/diet snacks and bars eaten, by household income, April 2009–June 2010
Reasons for Eating Nutrition and Energy Bars
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- Key points
- Desire to improve overall health and wellness is primary driver
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- Figure 47: Reasons for eating nutrition and energy bars, by age, October 2010
Where Nutrition and Energy Bars are Purchased
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- Key point
- Most purchases made in the grocery channel
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- Figure 48: Where nutrition and energy bars are bought, October 2010
- All income segments purchase in grocery “most often”
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- Figure 49: Where nutrition and energy bars are bought most often, by household income, October 2010
Preferred Protein Sources for Nutrition and Energy Bars
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- Key points
- Both soy and whey protein are more popular with younger consumers
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- Figure 50: Protein sources preferred for nutrition and energy bars, by age, October 2010
- Those from higher income segments show greater preference for soy and whey protein
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- Figure 51: Protein sources preferred for nutrition and energy bars, by household income, October 2010
Other Energy Supplements Used
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- Key points
- Over-35s more likely to use vitamins and minerals, young adults to use energy drinks
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- Figure 52: Other energy supplements used, by age, October 2010
Interests and Concerns for Nutrition and Energy Bars
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- Key points
- Reduced-fat and -calorie generate highest response
- The young are more likely to view nutrition and energy bars as appropriate only for really active people
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- Figure 53: Interests and concerns regarding nutrition and energy bars, by age, October 2010
- Parents less concerned about the amount of sugar in nutrition and energy bars
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- Figure 54: Interests and concerns regarding nutrition and energy bars, by presence of children in household, October 2010
Reasons for Not Eating Nutrition and Energy Bars
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- Key points
- Young adults are more likely to avoid bars because of taste
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- Figure 55: Reasons for not eating nutrition and energy bars, by age, October 2010
- High cost a primary barrier to adoption
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- Figure 56: Reasons for not eating nutrition and energy bars, by household income, October 2010
Cluster Analysis
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- Replacers
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Reducers
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Tasters
- Characteristics
- Opportunity
- Cluster characteristics
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- Figure 57: Energy bar clusters, October 2010
- Figure 58: Types of bars consumed, by nutrition and energy bar clusters, October 2010
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- Figure 59: Reasons for eating nutrition and energy bars, by nutrition and energy bar clusters, October 2010
- Figure 60: Protein sources preferred for bars, by nutrition and energy bar clusters, October 2010
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- Figure 61: Interests and concerns regarding bars, by nutrition and energy bar clusters, October 2010
- Cluster demographics
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- Figure 62: Nutrition and energy bar clusters, by gender and age, October 2010
- Figure 63: Nutrition and energy bar clusters, by household income, October 2010
- Cluster methodology
SymphonyIRI Group Builders Panel—Key Household Purchase Measures
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- Overview of snack bars/granola bars
- Nutritional/intrinsic health value bars
- Consumer insights on key purchase measures
- Brand map
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- Figure 64: Brand map, selected brands of nutritional/intrinsic health value bars buying rate, by household penetration, 52 weeks ending June 27, 2010
- Brand leader characteristics
- Key purchase measures
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- Figure 65: Key purchase measures for the top brands of nutritional/intrinsic health value bars, by household penetration, 52-weeks ending June 27, 2010
Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
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- Types of nutrition and energy bars consumed
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- Figure 66: Types of bars consumed, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 67: Types of bars consumed, by household income, October 2010
- Nutrition and energy bar brands eaten
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- Figure 68: Brands eaten, by age, October 2010
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- Figure 69: Brands eaten, by gender, October 2010
- Reasons for consumption
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- Figure 70: Reasons for eating nutrition and energy bars, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 71: Reasons for eating nutrition and energy bars, by presence of children in household, October 2010
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- Figure 72: Reasons for eating nutrition and energy bars, by household income, October 2010
- Purchase locations
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- Figure 73: Where nutrition and energy bars are bought, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 74: Where nutrition and energy bars are bought, by age, October 2010
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- Figure 75: Where nutrition and energy bars are bought, by presence of children in household, October 2010
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- Figure 76: Where nutrition and energy bars are also bought, by household income, October 2010
- Additional gender comparisons
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- Figure 77: Preferred protein sources for nutrition and energy bars, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 78: Other energy supplements used, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 79: Interests and concerns regarding nutrition and energy bars, by gender, October 2010
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- Figure 80: Reasons for not eating nutrition and energy bars, by gender, October 2010
Appendix: SymphonyIRI Builders Panel Data Definitions
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- SymphonyIRI Consumer Network Metrics
Appendix: Trade Associations
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