Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Market factors
- Food prices climbing in the UK, falling in RoI
- Snacking is a once-a-day or more activity
- Potential taxes could prompt reformulation in the near future
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Snacking Habits
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- Figure 1: Expected impact of COVID-19 on snacking, short-, medium- and long-term, 8 June 2020
- Who’s innovating?
- The consumer
- Chocolate is the most popular in the sweet snacking category
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- Figure 2: Types of sweet snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
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- Figure 3: Types of savoury snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
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- Figure 4: Types of healthy snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Eating healthy meals allows for less healthy snacks
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- Figure 5: Agreement with the statements related to snacking and health, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Irish consumers are impulse snackers
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- Figure 6: Agreement with the statements related to snack planning, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Gut health in snacking interests Irish consumers
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- Figure 7: Agreement with the statements related to snacking innovations, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Provenance can be leveraged more in snacking
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- Figure 8: Agreement with the statements related to snacking habits, NI and RoI, April 2020
- What we think
The Impact of COVID-19 on Snacking
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- Short-, medium- and long-term impact on the industry
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- Figure 9: Expected impact of COVID-19 on snacking, short-, medium- and long-term, 8 June
- Opportunities and Threats
- How the crisis will affect key snacking consumer segments
- Affordable indulgence will be a bigger driver in snacking
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- Figure 10: How consumers’ financial situation has changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, IoI, 25 May 2020
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- Figure 11: Agreement with statements related to snacking, NI and RoI, June 2019
- Figure 12: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I eat indulgent snacks when I want to cheer myself up’, by gender and age, NI and RoI, June 2019
- Better-for-you snacks can also find a place during the pandemic
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- Figure 13: Consumer priority changes as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, NI and RoI, 12 May 2020
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the snacking sector
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- Figure 14: The impact of COVID-19 on economic and financial factors, NI and RoI, 25 May 2020
- Small-scale snack brands under threat but promoting locality could lessen the blow
- Marketing Mix
- COVID-19: Market context
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Affordable indulgence aids snacking market during COVID-19
- Food prices climbing in the UK and falling in RoI
- Most consumers snack once a day or more
- Snack brands need to be ready to respond to future taxes
Market Drivers
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- Food prices falling in RoI
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- Figure 15: Consumer Price Index for food, RoI, Jan 2018-Apr 2020
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- Figure 16: Consumer Price Index, by sub-category, RoI, Jan 2018-Mar 2020
- UK/NI prices are climbing
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- Figure 17: Consumer Price Index for food and drink, UK (including NI), Jan 2018-Apr 2020
- Figure 18: Consumer Price Index, by sub-category, UK (including NI), Jan 2018-Apr 2020
- Eight in 10 consumers snack at least once a day
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- Figure 19: Frequency consumers snack between meals on average day, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Figure 20: Daily snacking frequency, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Snacking needed to manage busy lifestyles
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- Figure 21: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘snacking helps to fuel a busy day’, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
- On-the-go nature of snacking gets derailed due to Covid-19
- The crisis may see obesity rates increase
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- Figure 22: Overweight and obesity levels in adults aged 16+, NI, 2015/16-2017/18
- Figure 23: Overweight and obesity levels in adults aged 15+, RoI, 2015-19
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- Figure 24: The impact consumers think the COVID-19 outbreak will have on the following factors, NI and RoI, May 2020
Companies and Innovations – What You Need to Know
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- Sweet snacks go vegan
- Savoury snacks can do more with sustainable packaging
- Healthy snacking must deliver on nutrition and low sugar
Who’s Innovating?
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- Savoury snacks lead in NPD
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- Figure 25: Total new products launched in snacks categories, UK and Ireland, 2015-2020*
- Sweet categories innovate in vegan claims
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- Figure 26: New products launched in sweet snacks*, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20**
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- Figure 27: Top qualities associated with vegan/plant-based diets, NI and RoI, January 2020
- Eco snacking goes mainstream
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- Figure 28: New products launched in savoury snacks, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Healthy snacking boosts no added sugar claims
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- Figure 29: New products launched in savoury snacks, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
- Figure 30: Top five concerns in food and drink, NI and RoI, November 2019
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Chocolate enjoyed most for sweet snacking
- Taste is king when it comes to snacking
- Snacking is more likely to be impulsive rather than planned
- Gut health in snacking interests Irish consumers
- Provenance can be leveraged more in snacking
Types of Sweet Snacks Eaten
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- Sweet snacks benefit from lockdown
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- Figure 31: Types of sweet snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Chocolate can experiment with textures to add newness to the category
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- Figure 32: Consumers who have eaten chocolate in the last two weeks as a snack, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
Types of Savoury Snacks Eaten
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- Crisps top savoury snacks – particularly for NI consumers
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- Figure 33: Types of savoury snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Affluent consumers more likely to eat crisps
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- Figure 34: Consumers who have eaten crisps/crisp-style snacks in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
Types of Healthier Snacks Eaten
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- Fresh fruit eaten by seven in ten
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- Figure 35: Types of other snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Fruit preferred by mature consumers
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- Figure 36: Consumers who have eaten fresh fruit for a snack in the last two weeks, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
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- Figure 37: Consumers who have eaten fresh vegetables for a snack in the last two weeks, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
Health and Snacking
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- Traffic light labels make it easier to navigate healthy snacks
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- Figure 38: Agreement with the statements related to snacking and health, NI and RoI, April 2020
- On-pack endorsements may prompt better snacking habits
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- Figure 39: Agreement with the statements ‘more should be done to make sweet/chocolate snacks healthier’ and ‘on-pack endorsement from health authorities (eg Healthy Ireland, British Heart Foundation) would appeal to me’, NI and RoI, April 2020
Snack Planning vs Impulse
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- Snacking is more of an impulse purchase
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- Figure 40: Agreement with the statements related to snack planning, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Functional and sustaining snacks can tap into impulse buying
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- Figure 41: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I am more likely to buy snacks on impulse rather than plan them’, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
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- Figure 42: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I snack instead of having a proper meal at least once a week’, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
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- Figure 43: Top five associations with high protein diets, NI and RoI, November 2019
Interest in Snacking Innovations
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- Health boosting claims have a place in snacks
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- Figure 44: Agreement with the statements related to snacking innovations, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Innovation in energy and gut health claims slow in snacking
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- Figure 45: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘snacks with gut health boosting properties are appealing’ and ‘snacks with energy boosting claims are appealing’, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Figure 46: Percentage of new product launches in snack categories* with functional energy claims and digestive/probiotic claims, UK and Ireland, 2018-20**
Attitudes towards Snacking
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- Around seven in 10 consumers are snacking less
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- Figure 47: Agreement with the statements related to snacking habits, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Provenance carries appeal in snacking
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- Figure 48: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘snacks with a NI/Irish origin appeal to me’, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
- Younger consumers more driven by environmental concerns
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- Figure 49: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘environmental concerns around packaging affect my choice of snack (eg recyclability, amount of plastic used)’, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Data sources
- Generational cohort definitions
- Abbreviations
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