Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on Black consumers and snacking trends
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on Black consumers and snacking trends, February 2021
- Opportunities and challenges
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- Category and consumer insights
- Black consumers eat a wide variety of snacks
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- Figure 2: Black consumers’ past 3 month snack consumption, October 2020
- Black consumers switched snack shopping locations from mass to supermarkets
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- Figure 3: Black consumers’ snack shopping locations, October 2020 and November 2016
- Better-for-you snack purchasing attributes resonate with a majority
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- Figure 4: Snack purchasing attributes important to Black consumers, October 2020
- Increased label reading can lead to wider snack consumption
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- Figure 5: Snack purchasing attributes important to Black consumers, by snacking behavior during COVID-19, October 2020
Target Audience – Key Takeaways
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- Varied household composition impacts snack consumption
- Black people leaving the workforce impacts spending
- Updated nutritional guideline labels now include all snack manufacturers
The Black Population by the Numbers
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- The Black population holds steady at 13% of the total US population
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- Figure 6: US population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2021
- Half of Black households include single adults
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- Figure 7: Household composition, by race and Hispanic origin, 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on Black consumers and snacking trends
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- Figure 8: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on Black consumers and snacking trends, February 2021
- Lockdown
- Reemergence
- Recovery
Market Factors
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- Discouraged Black adults leave the workforce
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- Figure 9: Labor force participation and unemployment, total and Black, December 2015-December 2020
- Food at home spending during re-emergence phase falls to pre-lockdown pace
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- Figure 10: Sales of food at home and away from home, January 2010-November 2020
- Small and start-up snack companies must now adhere to new FDA nutritional label guidelines
- Lower-than-average income impacts snack product choice
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- Figure 11: Household income, by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
Market Opportunities
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- Emphasize snack ingredients to expand type consumption
- Push at-home prepared packaged snacks to young consumers to drive home consumption
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Snack advertising messages reach Black consumers in appealing media
Competitive Strategies
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- Snack brands primarily reach Black consumers on culturally appealing networks
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- Figure 12: TV snack advertising spending share on select cable networks, February 2020-February 2021
- Chocolate and candy top brand messaging on targeted and appealing TV
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- Figure 13: TV snack advertising on select cable networks, by snack category, February 2020-February 2021
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Black consumer segments show different motivations for eating snacks
- Black consumers eat, on average, 6.8 snack types
- Supermarkets become the number one retail location for snack purchases
- Snack ingredients of concern among a small share of consumers
- Sweet flavored snacks overwhelming favorite in comparison to new flavors
- Black consumers say that they eat more healthy snacks at home since COVID-19
- Black consumers balance between eating healthy vs tasty snacks
Black Consumer Snack Segments
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- Black consumers buy snacks that satisfy their hunger as well as emotional needs
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- Figure 14: Mintel Trend Driver – Wellbeing and associated Pillars
- Black snack segments show differences across their physical and emotional motivations to snack
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- Figure 15: Black consumer snacking segments, November 2018 and October 2020
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- Figure 16: Black consumer snacker segments, October 2020
- Health-conscious Snackers primarily snack to relieve hunger
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- Figure 17: Demographic profile of Health-conscious Snackers, October 2020
- Taste drives Indulgent Snackers’ snack consumption
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- Figure 18: Demographic profile of Indulgent Snackers, October 2020
- Motivated Snackers make the effort to eat healthy snacks that taste good
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- Figure 19: Demographic profile of Motivated Snackers, October 2020
- Conflicted Snackers eat indulgent snacks that do not align with their desire for a healthy diet
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- Figure 20: Demographic profile of Conflicted Snackers, October 2020
Snack Consumption
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- Black consumers eat a variety of fresh and packaged snacks
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- Figure 21: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, October 2020
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- Figure 22: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, by snack count, October 2020
- Middle-aged consumers eat the greatest variety of snack types
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- Figure 23: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, by age group, October 2020
- Black women’s lifestyles drive greater snack consumption
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- Figure 24: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, by gender, October, 2020
- Moms most likely to make snack choices for everyone in the household
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- Figure 25: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, by parental status, October 2020
- Increased fresh fruit consumption may be tied to wellness
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- Figure 26: Snack consumption changes by type, October 2020
Snack Shopping Locations
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- Black consumers consolidated their snack shopping locations
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- Figure 27: Black consumers’ snack shopping locations, October 2020 and November 2016
- Moms handle one-stop snack shopping for the household at mass merchandisers
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- Figure 28: Black consumers’ snack shopping locations, by parental status and gender, October 2020
- Affluent households shop where they have more product choice and shopping options
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- Figure 29: Black consumers’ snack shopping locations, by household income, October 2020
Snack Purchasing Attributes
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- Black consumers look for fresh, less harmful snack ingredients
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- Figure 30: Snack purchasing attributes important to Black consumers, October 2020
- Better-for-you snackers more likely to eat natural and packaged snacks
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- Figure 31: Black consumers’ past three month snack consumption, by important snack purchasing attributes, October 2020
Snack Flavor Preferences
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- Sweet and fruity flavor preferences extend to snacks
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- Figure 32: Black consumers’ snack flavor preferences, indexed to all, October 2020
- Men’s flavor preferences are aligned to their snack preferences
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- Figure 33: Black men’s snack flavor preferences, by age groups, October 2020
- Young women aged 18-34 gravitate toward spicy flavors
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- Figure 34: Black women’s snack flavor preferences, by age groups, October 2020
Snacking Behavior During COVID-19
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- Black consumers are eating healthier snacks at home
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- Figure 35: Black consumers’ snacking behavior during COVID-19, October 2020
- Familiarity with snack products and ingredients greatest influence on consumption
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- Figure 36: Black consumers’ snack consumption, by snacking behavior during COVID-19, October 2020
- Fresh snacks and reduction/absence of harmful ingredients drive consumption
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- Figure 37: Snack purchasing attributes important to Black consumers, by snacking behavior during COVID-19, October 2020
- Parents most likely to monitor snacking behavior of kids aged 6-11
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- Figure 38: Snacking behavior during COVID-19 pandemic, by parents and kids age groups, October 2020
Attitudes toward Snacks
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- Black consumers say they want healthier snacks, even while they still consume indulgent options
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- Figure 39: Black consumers’ attitudes toward snacks, October 2020
- Fewer ingredients gains importance over recognizable ingredients as consumers eat more snacks
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- Figure 40: Black consumers’ attitudes toward snacks – Select statements, October 2020 and November 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Consumer
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- Figure 41: Black consumers’ attitudes toward snacks, October 2020 vs November 2018
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