Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Spending on snacking maintains continuous growth
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- Figure 1: Best- and worst-case forecast of retail sales of major snack categories, China 2014-24
- Conservative growth in conventional snacking categories
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- Figure 2: Retail sales value of major snack categories, China, 2014-19
- Companies and brands
- Use healthy and category-blurring products to expand consumer base
- Provide products positioned at special occasions
- Fortify nutrition and focus on texture innovation
- The consumer
- Nuts and seeds become an essential part of daily diet
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- Figure 3: Consumption frequency, China, November 2019
- Diverse consumption purposes among different consumer groups
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- Figure 4: Purpose of consumption, China, November 2019
- Most indulgence occurs in the afternoon
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- Figure 5: Snacking occasions, China, November 2019
- Tolerant attitude towards snacking among parents
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- Figure 6: Attitudes towards snacking, China, November 2019
- All-natural is most associated with originality
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- Figure 7: Definition of all-natural, China, November 2019
- Add nutritious ingredients in snacks designed for children
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- Figure 8: Evaluation of healthiness, China, November 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Add healthy ingredients to conquer families with children
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 9: Product examples of snacks with added nutrients, Japan and South Korea, 2019
- Convey social attributes to premiumise
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 10: Bestore snack package
- Communicate product details to encourage purchase
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 11: Product examples of snacks with detailed nutrient information on packaging, USA, Netherlands and Canada, 2019
- Figure 12: Li Ziqi rice cake
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Spending on snacking continuously grows
- Diverse purchase channels facilitate the availability of snacks
- Snack nuts and small cakes & pies lead in growth
Market Size and Forecast
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- Stable growth in snack spending continues
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- Figure 13: Retail sales of major snack categories, China, 2014-19
- Further growth expected in the next five years
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- Figure 14: Best- and worst-case forecast of retail sales of major snack categories, China 2014-24
Market Drivers
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- Diverse purchase channels facilitate availability to consumers
- Changing demographic structure brings new consumption force
- Continuously expanding scope of snacks
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- Figure 15: Bestore red bean pearl barley & gorgon fruit cake
Market Segmentation
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- Snack nuts and small cakes & pies lead in value growth
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- Figure 16: Snack segments, China, 2019
- Weak growth in conventional snacking categories
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- Figure 17: Retail sales value of major snack categories, China, 2014-19
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- International brands are expanding their product options
- Bestore and Be & Cheery are adopting differentiation strategies
- Chacheer and Dali are focusing on freshness
- Three Squirrels is building alliance factories
Competitive Strategies
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- Advances towards sugar reduction
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- Figure 18: Cadbury Dairy Milk 30% less sugar chocolate
- Breaking the barriers between categories
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- Figure 19: Oreo Daily Nuts
- Figure 20: Lay’s Choco Ridged potato crisps
- Tap into special consumption occasions
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- Figure 21: Today Energy protein nuts bar
- Figure 22: Product examples of energising nuts and seeds from Superb, China, 2019
- Collaborate with cultural IP
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- Figure 23: Be & Cheery x Nation’s Greatest Treasures gift box
- Establish traceability systems
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- Figure 24: Lyfen’s food safety traceability platform
Who’s Innovating?
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- Innovation trends overview
- Active new product launches in sweet and plant-based snacks
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- Figure 25: New products launched in China, by category, 2017-19
- Figure 26: New snack products launched in China, by sub-category, 2017-19
- Growth in fortified nutrition claims
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- Figure 27: Growing claims on the new products launched in China, by category, 2017-19
- Classic flavours from foodservice
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- Figure 28: Pretz x Honeymoon Dessert crossover
- Figure 29: Product examples of snack crossovers with foodservice brands, Japan and Taiwan, China, 2019
- Innovative and rich textures
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- Figure 30: Lay’s sparkling potato crisps
- Figure 31: Weigang Dairy Qing Qi yogurt product
- Functional snacks
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- Figure 32: Product examples of functional sugar and chocolate confectionery, China, 2019
- Figure 33: Product examples of functional sugar and chocolate confectionery, Japan, 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Children’s demand drives the consumption of the family
- Snacking meets the demand for socialising
- Consumers are seeking some indulgence in the afternoon
- Communicate product detail to convey all-natural message
Consumption Frequency
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- Daily nuts need to capture young males
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- Figure 34: Consumption frequency, China, November 2019
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- Figure 35: Consumption frequency – Once a day or more, by age and gender, China, November 2019
- Less healthy categories are less consumed by consumers aged 40-49
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- Figure 36: Consumption frequency – At least several times a week, by age, China, November 2019
- Consumers with kids have high consumption frequency
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- Figure 37: Consumption frequency – At least several times a week, by family structure, China, November 2019
Purpose of Consumption
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- Indulgence is still the main purpose for snacking
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- Figure 38: Purpose of consumption, China, November 2019
- Consumers with kids snack for additional nutrition
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- Figure 39: Purpose of consumption – To get additional nutrition, by family structure, China, November 2019
- Socialising is an important purpose for females and high earners
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- Figure 40: Purpose of consumption, by monthly personal income, China, November 2019
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- Figure 41: Consumption frequency – At least several times a week, by selected purpose of consumption, China, November 2019
Snacking Occasions
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- Sweet baked goods and dairy-based snacks for morning
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- Figure 42: Snacking occasions, China, November 2019
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- Figure 43: Snacking occasions, by gender, China, November 2019
- Frozen snacks as after lunch desserts
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- Figure 44: Snacking occasions, China, November 2019
- Afternoon is ideal time for indulgence
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- Figure 45: Snacking occasions, China, November 2019
- Night can be tapped as potential occasion for functional snacks
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- Figure 46: Snacking occasions – After 8pm, by gender, China, November 2019
Attitudes towards Snacking
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- Snacking is a popular way to let off steam
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- Figure 47: Attitudes towards snacking, China, November 2019
- Figure 48: Be&Cheery’s healing snack sets
- Consumers have lower level of concern about salt in snacks than sugar
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- Figure 49: Attitudes towards snacking – Snacking would make me eat too much sugar, by age and gender, China, November 2019
- Partly rather than fully replacing meals
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- Figure 50: Attitudes towards snacking – Snacking can help control intake of main meals, by personal monthly income, China, November 2019
- Parents tolerate snacking
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- Figure 51: Attitudes towards snacking, China, November 2019
Definition of All-natural
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- All-natural is about originality
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- Figure 52: Definition of all-natural, China, November 2019
- No additives or preservatives is more related to all-natural among consumers aged 40-49
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- Figure 53: Definition of all-natural, by age, China, November 2019
Evaluation of Healthiness
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- Fat is an important factor in evaluating healthiness
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- Figure 54: Evaluation of healthiness, China, November 2019
- Healthy ingredients can offset the presence of unhealthy content
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- Figure 55: Evaluation of healthiness, China, November 2019
- Dark chocolates enjoy healthy image among females
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- Figure 56: Evaluation of healthiness, by gender, China, November 2019
- High earners are more generous towards the healthiness of snacks
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- Figure 57: Evaluation of healthiness, by selected monthly personal income, China, November 2019
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- Snack more often for more diverse purposes
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- Figure 58: Consumption frequency – At least several times a week, by consumer classification, China, November 2019
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- Figure 59: Purpose of consumption, by consumer classification, China, November 2019
- Social snacking is more common
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- Figure 60: Attitudes towards snacking, by consumer classification, China, November 2019
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 61: Total market value of major snack categories, China, 2014-24
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Appendix – Market Segmentation
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- Figure 62: Retail sales value of major snack categories, China, 2014-19
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Fan chart forecast
- Abbreviations
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