Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- The issues
- Bar sales continue to grow, but slowly
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-24
- One third of bar eaters have increased bar consumption in the past year
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- Figure 2: Reasons for increasing bar consumption, November 2019
- Bar buyers are flavor loyalists
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- Figure 3: Bar statements – formats, November 2019
- The opportunities
- Diverse functionality can help bars be the clear go-to
- Encouraging consumers to start the day with bars could spark all-day engagement
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- Figure 4: Bar consumption occasion, November 2019
- Sugar amount edges out price as a choice driver, can’t be ignored
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- Figure 5: Bar attributes of interest, November 2019
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Bar sales continue to grow, but slowly
- Performance bars and nutrition bars battle it out for number two spot
- Snacking grows, snack categories stay afloat
- Consumers look to whole foods and exercise as roads to health
Market Size and Forecast
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- Bar sales continue to grow, but slowly
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- Figure 6: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-24
- Figure 7: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-24
Market Breakdown
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- Performance bars and nutrition bars battle it out for number two spot
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- Figure 8: Total US retail sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by segment share, 2017 and 2019 (est)
- Figure 9: Total US retail sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by segment, 2014-24
- In their words: Consumers prefer to manage weight loss by other dietary means
- “Other” channels pull further ahead as bar sales leaders
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- Figure 10: Total US sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by channel, at current prices, 2014-19 (est)
Market Perspective
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- Snacking grows, snack categories stay afloat
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- Figure 11: Snacking frequency, January 2015 and November 2018
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- Figure 12: Percentage growth in select snack categories, 2014-19
Market Factors
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- Consumers look to whole foods and exercise as roads to health
- In their words: Consumers associate whole foods with nutrition
- Consumers are avoiding sugar
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- General Mills loses share, holds on to 22% of category sales
- Continued strong growth of Quest leads to acquisition
- Convenience plays a strong role in purchase intent
- Two brands reverse the tide for the weight loss segment, for now
Company and Brand Sales of Snack, Nutrition and Performance Bars
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- General Mills loses share, still holds onto 22% of category sales
- Quest’s continued strong growth leads to acquisition
- PepsiCo MULO dollar sales decline by 6%
- Bar brawl doesn’t hamper growth
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- Figure 13: Share of sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by company, 52 weeks ending November 3, 2019
- Figure 14: Sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by company, 52 weeks ending November 4, 2018 and 52 weeks ending November 3, 2019
What’s Working
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- Convenience plays a strong role in purchase intent
- Two brands reverse the tide for the weight-loss segment, for now
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- Figure 15: Multi-outlet sales of weight-loss bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Aiming at special diets can help short-term growth
- Quest edges toward nutrition bar dominance
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- Figure 16: Multi-outlet sales of nutrition bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Clif keeps climbing within the performance segment
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- Figure 17: Multi-outlet sales of performance bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Weight-loss bars make strongest movement on sugar reduction
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- Figure 18: Sugar totals in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
- Figure 19: Leading sweetener types in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
What’s Struggling
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- Activity in bar claims lacks luster
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- Figure 20: Leading claims in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
- Protein totals declining in protein-focused segments and that’s OK
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- Figure 21: Protein totals in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
- Weight-loss bars boost protein types
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- Figure 22: Leading protein types in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
- General Mills loses snack bar share
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- Figure 23: Multi-outlet sales of snack bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
- Chocolate dominated category could benefit from fruit introductions
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- Figure 24: Leading flavors in bar launches, by segment, 2017-19*
- Poor perception of value stunts purchase intent
What to Watch
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- More diverse functionality
- Coffee bars offer a morning boost
- Rooted in plants
- Ancient grains make everything old new again
- Mini bars boost convenience, shrink the sugar
- Seasonality may help boost perception of freshness, encourage trial
- Mainstream brands give kids bars of their very own
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Snack bars continue to lead bar consumption
- One third of bar eaters have increased bar consumption in the past year
- The majority of bar eaters do so as a snack, but competition is stiff
- Bar buyers are flavor loyalists
- Sugar amount edges out price as an attribute of interest
Bar Consumption
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- Snack bars continue to lead bar consumption
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- Figure 25: Bar consumption, November 2019
- Half of bar eaters eat just one type of bar
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- Figure 26: Repertoire analysis - Consumption, November 2019
- Men are drawn to performance bars, small formats appeal to women
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- Figure 27: Share of bar consumption, by gender, November 2019
- Performance bars appeal to younger consumers
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- Figure 28: Share of bar consumption, by age, November 2019
- One third of bar buyers keep a stash around
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- Figure 29: Bar statements – purchase habits, November 2019
Bar Formats
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- Bar buyers are flavor loyalists
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- Figure 30: Bar statements – formats, November 2019
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- Figure 31: Bar statements – new flavor, November 2019
- Variety packs appeal to parents
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- Figure 32: Bar statements – formats, by parental status, November 2019
Bar Purchase Location
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- Supermarkets leading purchase location
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- Figure 33: Bar purchase location, November 2019
- Performance bar buyers are most likely to utilize online outlets
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- Figure 34: Bar purchase location, by bar type purchased, November 2019
- Younger bar buyers can be reached at multiple outlets
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- Figure 35: Bar purchase location, by age, November 2019
Bar Attributes of Importance
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- Sugar amount edges out price as a choice driver
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- Figure 36: Bar attributes of importance, November 2019
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- Figure 37: Bar attributes of importance, December 2018 and November 2019
- Important attributes vary slightly by bar type and bar occasion
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- Figure 38: Bar attributes of importance, by bar type, November 2019
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- Figure 39: Bar attributes of importance, by consumption occasion, November 2019
- In their words: Portability and convenience drive snack bar consumption
- In their words: Snack bar eaters prioritize taste/flavor and ingredients
- In their words: Snack bar consumers keep an eye on sugar, but won’t sacrifice taste
- In their words: Nutrition bar eaters keep their eyes on sugar content
- In their words: Performance bar buyers want natural ingredients
- Women are generally more ingredient conscious
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- Figure 40: Bar attributes of importance, by gender, November 2019
Change in Bar Consumption
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- One third of bar eaters have increased bar consumption in the past year
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- Figure 41: Change in bar consumption, November 2019
- Increased consumption due to increased health, decreased time
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- Figure 42: Reasons for increasing bar consumption, November 2019
- Incorporating fruit equates to health in bar launches
- Close to half of performance bar eaters have increased consumption
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- Figure 43: Change in bar consumption, by bar type, November 2019
- Women are more likely than men to be reducing bar consumption
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- Figure 44: Change in bar consumption, by gender, November 2019
- Reduced consumption not solely the fault of bars, but can be mitigated
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- Figure 45: Reasons for decreasing bar consumption, November 2019
Bar Consumption Occasions
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- The majority of bar eaters do so as a snack, but competition grows
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- Figure 46: Bar consumption occasion - Nets, November 2019
- Encouraging consumers to start the day with bars could spark attention
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- Figure 47: Bar consumption occasion, November 2019
- Beyond snacking, women are targets for meals, men for exercise
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- Figure 48: Bar consumption occasion - Nets, by gender, November 2019
- Exercise focus should be on the young consumers
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- Figure 49: Bar consumption occasion - Nets, by age, November 2019
- All bar types used for snacking
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- Figure 50: Bar consumption occasion - Nets, by bar type, November 2019
- Snack bars are the ultimate on-the-go option
- Nutrition bar consumers do so for convenient energy and satiety
- Performance bar eaters look for energy and nutrition
Incentivizing Bar Trial
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- Snack bar trial strongly driven by flavor
- Increased claims activity and sampling can encourage nutrition bar trial
- Snack bar marketing will do well to focus on flavor-related ingredients
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- Figure 51: Qualitative word clouds - Ingredients of interest, by bar type, January 2020
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- Figure 52: Qualitative word clouds - Flavors of interest, by bar type, January 2020
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- Figure 53: Qualitative word cloud - Health benefits of interest, by bar type, January 2020
Food and Drink Shopper Segmentation
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- Figure 54: Food/drink shopper segmentation, February 2019
- Quality Seekers (34%)
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- Figure 55: Profile of Quality Seekers, February 2019
- Adventure Eaters (34%)
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- Figure 56: Profile of Adventure Eaters, February 2019
- Time Savers (17%)
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- Figure 57: Profile of Time Savers, February 2019
- Value Chasers (15%)
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- Figure 58: Profile of Value Chasers, February 2019
- Implications of food/drink consumer segments on snack, nutrition and performance bars
- Adventure Eaters are the most likely bar buyers
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- Figure 59: Bar purchase, by food and drink shopper segmentation, November 2019
- Increased snacking among Quality Seekers means health-focused brands can benefit
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- Figure 60: Reasons for increasing bar consumption, by food and drink shopper segmentation, November 2019
- Morning snack occasions presents an opportunity for appealing to Time Savers
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- Figure 61: Bar consumption occasion - snacking, by food and drink shopper segmentation, November 2019
- Multi-packs appeal to Value Chasers
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- Figure 62: Bar statements – formats, by food and drink shopper segmentation, November 2019
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 63: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
- Figure 64: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack bars, at current prices, 2014-24
- Figure 65: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
- Figure 66: Total US retail sales and forecast of performance bars, at current prices, 2014-24
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- Figure 67: Total US retail sales and forecast of performance bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
- Figure 68: Total US retail sales and forecast of nutrition bars, at current prices, 2014-24
- Figure 69: Total US retail sales and forecast of nutrition bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
- Figure 70: Total US retail sales and forecast of nutrition bars, at current prices, 2014-24
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- Figure 71: Total US retail sales and forecast of weight-loss bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-24
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Appendix – Retail Channels
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- Figure 72: US supermarket of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-19 (est)
- Figure 73: US drug store sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-19 (est)
- Figure 74: US convenience store sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at current prices, 2014-19 (est)
- Figure 75: US sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars through other channels, at current prices, 2014-19 (est)
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 76: Multi-outlet sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2018 and 2019
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