Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
- PHE aims to combat child obesity, shaking up the snacking market
- New calorie targets for kids’ snacks and adult meals
- Ageing population poses a challenge for snacks
- Companies and brands
- Dynamic growth in L/N/R allergen claims
- L/N/R sugar claim nearly doubles share
- Fibre and protein claims gain traction
- Sweet and savoury flavour combinations go beyond salted caramel
- Category blurring and brand stretch continue
- Advertising spend falls in 2017
- Sweet snacks put the focus on sharing and social connections
- Mars and Lindt focus on connecting with oneself
- The consumer
- Fresh fruit, crisps and chocolate are the nation’s top three snacks
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- Figure 1: Snacks eaten in the last two weeks, February 2018
- Snacks are on the daily menu for most
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- Figure 2: Frequency of eating snacks, February 2018
- Home is still where people snack the most
- Only two in five snackers look mostly for healthy snacks
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- Figure 3: How often people eat healthily and look for a healthy snack, November 2017 and February 2018
- No magic bullet – Health priorities vary
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- Figure 4: What people look for in a healthy snack, February 2018
- Snacks’ mood boost and energising roles chime widely
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- Figure 5: Snacking behaviours, February 2018
- Evenings in still a key occasion for snacks
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- Figure 6: Snacking attitudes, February 2018
- Ease of opening is under-utilised in snacks
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- Figure 7: Important convenience factors in snack choice, February 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Snacks’ energising role chimes widely
- The facts
- The implications
- Snack brands can stand out by catering to or countering busy lifestyles
- The facts
- The implications
- Demand for healthy and indulgent snacks, and more clarity
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- PHE aims to combat child obesity, shaking up the snacking market
- New calorie targets for kids’ snacks and adult meals
- People try to eat mostly healthily, but are more relaxed when snacking
- Busy lifestyles fuel snacking
- Ageing population poses a challenge for snacks
Market Drivers
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- PHE aims to combat child obesity, shaking up the snacking market
- Sugar reduction
- Calorie reduction
- 100-calorie recommendation for kids’ snacks
- New 400-600-600-calorie target for adults leaves room for snacks
- People try to eat mostly healthily, but are more relaxed when snacking
- Busy lifestyles fuel snacking
- Ageing population poses a challenge for snacks
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- Figure 8: UK population trends, by age, 2012-17 and 2017-22
- Discretionary incomes have little bearing on snacking
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Dynamic growth in L/N/R allergen claims
- L/N/R sugar nearly doubles share
- Fibre and protein claims gain traction
- Sweet and savoury flavour combinations go beyond salted caramel
- Category blurring and brand stretch continue
- Advertising spend falls in 2017
- Sweet snacks put the focus on sharing and social connections
- Mars and Lindt focus on connecting with oneself
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Dynamic growth in L/N/R allergen claims
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- Figure 9: New products in the UK snack market, by claim (top 15), 2013-18
- Pairing free-from claims with a rounded proposition
- Ethical packaging claims in long-term growth
- Widespread concern about plastic packaging
- Compostable, plant-based foil adopted by various smaller brands
- Vegan claims leap ahead
- L/N/R sugar nearly doubles share
- Leading players cut sugar in sweets…
- …cakes…
- …and chocolate
- Fibre claims gain traction
- Protein claims are niche, but rising rapidly
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- Figure 10: Share of new products in the UK snack market with a high/added-protein claim, 2013-18
- Sweet and savoury flavour combinations go beyond salted caramel
- Spice flavours and vegetables
- Savoury snacks go sweet
- Category blurring and brand stretch continue
- Taking flavour inspiration from other treats
- Updating traditional treats
- Brand extensions look to unlock new snack occasions
- Alcohol flavours appear from crisps to cupcakes
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Advertising spend falls in 2017
- Chocolate continues to lead on advertising
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- Figure 11: Total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on sweet and savoury snacks, 2014-18 (sorted by 2017)
- Sweet snack brands put the focus on sharing and social connections
- Cadbury Dairy Milk spotlights generosity
- Mr Kipling shows a kindly ‘thief’
- Butterkist focuses on family time
- McVitie’s shifts focus onto ‘Sweeter Together’
- Mentos looks to connect people
- Mars and Lindt prompt fans to relax, Snickers pushes hunger-busting
- Mars and Lindt focus on connecting with oneself
- KitKat continues to focus on having a break
- Snickers continues with hunger-busting message
- Diversity remains at the centre of Maltesers’ advertising
- Sweet and savoury snacks look to tap into the ‘big night in’ occasion
- Crisps/savoury snacks offer free films
- Nestlé links up with Sky Store
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Fresh fruit, crisps and chocolate are the nation’s top three snacks
- Under-35s and parents are top users of sweet snacks
- Snacks are on the daily menu for most
- Home is still where people snack the most
- Only two in five snackers look mostly for healthy snacks
- No magic bullet – Health priorities vary
- Snacks’ mood boost and energising roles chime widely
- Evenings in still a key occasion for snacks
- Ease of opening is under-utilised in snacks
Types of Snacks Eaten
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- Fresh fruit, crisps and chocolate are the nation’s top three snacks
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- Figure 12: Snacks eaten in the last two weeks, February 2018
- Under-35s and parents are top users of sweet snacks
- Biscuits buck the trend
- Savoury snacks’ usage holds up better across ages
- Fresh fruit appeals to all ages, under-35s drive trendy snacks
- Under-35s have widest repertoires
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- Figure 13: Repertoire of snacks eaten in the last two weeks, February 2018
Frequency of Snacking
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- Snacks are on the daily menu for most
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- Figure 14: Frequency of eating snacks, February 2018
Where People Snack
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- Home is still where people snack the most
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- Figure 15: Where people snack, February 2018
- Emotions come to the fore in at-home snacking
- Marketing campaigns shift focus to connecting people
- Two thirds of workers snack out of home
- Out-of-home occasions necessitate convenient formats
- Younger groups snack out of home the most
- Parents’ busy lifestyles fuel snacking out and about
Role of Healthiness in Snack Choice
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- Only two in five snackers look mostly for healthy snacks
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- Figure 16: How often people try to eat healthily and look for a healthy snack, November 2017 and February 2018
- Frequent snackers are much more likely to focus on healthy choices
What People Look for in a Healthy Snack
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- No magic bullet – Health priorities are fragmented
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- Figure 17: What people look for in a healthy snack, February 2018
- Low sugar holds the lead, followed by low fat
- Saying goodbye to sweet snacks beats low sugar
- Low-sugar and low-fat claims work together
- 100-calorie claim must work harder
Snacking Behaviours
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- Snacks’ mood boost and energising roles chime widely
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- Figure 18: Snacking behaviours, February 2018
- No authorised satiety claims under EFSA, but energy-yielding claims appearing
- Snacking seen as an aspect of busy lifestyles
- More scope for messages focused on catering or countering to busy lifestyles
- Snacking chips away at meals
- Breakfast and lunch are at risk
- Further blurring of boundaries ahead?
Snacking Attitudes
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- Evenings in still a key occasion for snacks
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- Figure 19: Snacking attitudes, February 2018
- Big night in benefits from people going to cinema less
- Brands look to align with evenings in
Important Convenience Factors in Snack Choice
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- Ease of opening is under-utilised in snacks
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- Figure 20: Important convenience factors in snack choice, February 2018
- Resealability speaks to waste concerns and stop-and-start snacking
- Mess-free appeals widely
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 21: Share of new products in the UK snack market, by sub-category, 2013-18
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