Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 3 February 2021
- The market
- More snacking during first lockdown boosts 2020 sales
- Gradual re-emergence of snacking out of home
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- Figure 2: Forecast of UK retail value sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2015-25
- Snacking firmly entrenched in British eating habits
- Strong interest in healthy eating
- Government emphasis on health intensifies under COVID-19
- Companies and brands
- Walkers extends its lead in crisps segment
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- Figure 3: Leading brands’ shares in the UK crisps retail market, by value, 2019/20*
- Pringles leads growth in sales of other savoury snacks
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- Figure 4: Leading brands’ shares in the UK potato-based, baked and other snacks market, by value, 2019/20*
- Butterkist drives most of the growth in popcorn
- Flavour innovation a major theme in NPD
- Different levels of spice intensity being explored
- Format diversification a feature of brand extensions
- Dip in advertising spending during COVID-19 pandemic
- Walkers in strong position as most trusted brand
- The consumer
- More than nine in 10 eat crisps, savoury snacks and nuts
- Crisps/crisp-style snacks have most frequent usage
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- Figure 5: Frequency of eating crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
- Snacking the primary driver of usage
- Daytime snacking holds further potential for nuts and popcorn
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- Figure 6: Occasions when crisps, savoury snacks and nuts eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
- Strong interest in products featuring world cuisines
- Alcoholic drinks and dips pairings hold more potential
- Opportunity for more pulses in savoury snacks
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- Figure 7: Behaviours related to eating crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
- Premium varieties well placed to add value to the market
- Most people open to being swayed by healthier options
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- Figure 8: Attitudes towards crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
Issues and Insights
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- COVID-19 increases importance of targeting in-home consumption
- People snacking at home more during COVID-19
- Demand for on-the-go snacking dampened by COVID-19
- More remote working and snacking at home expected long term
- Kids’ lunchbox occasion hit by school closures
- Focus on healthy eating presents a challenge and opportunities
- COVID-19 increases spotlight on health
- People cutting back on crisps/crisp-style snacks a threat to sales
- Government plans restrictions on promotions of HFSS foods
- Better-for-you variants have permission to play in the category
- Opportunity for more pulses in savoury snacks
- Highlighting different usage occasions will help to support sales
- Evening snacking continues to warrant attention
- Daytime snacking holds further potential for nuts and popcorn
- Lunch pairings a good way of encouraging more eating
- Marketing and merchandising should leverage eating with alcohol occasion
- Suitability for dipping worth emphasising
- Flavour innovation central to keeping users engaged with brands
- World cuisine flavours have strong appeal
- Constant newness keeps four in 10 buyers buying
- Keeping their finger on latest flavour trends important
- Premium varieties well placed to add value to the market
- Spotlight on health also highlights potential for premium segment
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- More snacking during first lockdown boosts 2020 sales
- Larger formats gain at the expense of single packs
- Gradual re-emergence of snacking out of home expected
- Snacking firmly entrenched in British eating habits
- Kids’ snacking helps drive sales
- Strong interest in healthy eating
- Government emphasis on health intensifies under COVID-19
- Decline projected in most frequent core younger eaters
Market Size and Forecast
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- More snacking at home helps drive sales of savoury snacks
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- Figure 9: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 3 February 2021
- More snacking during first lockdown boosts 2020 sales
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- Figure 10: UK retail value and volume sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2015-25 (prepared on 3 February 2021)
- Easing restrictions will dent volumes in 2021, modest growth ahead
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- Figure 11: Forecast of UK retail value sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2015-25
- Figure 12: Forecast of UK retail volume sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2015-25
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 13: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s market forecast, 2015-2025 (prepared on 3 February 2021)
- Learnings from the last recession
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- Figure 14: Growth in value and volume retail sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2008-12
Market Segmentation
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- Potato-based and other snacks show further growth
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- Figure 15: UK retail value sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, by segment, 2015-20
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- Figure 16: UK retail volume sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, by segment, 2015-20
- Potato crisps return to growth in 2020
- Baked snacks show modest growth
- Popcorn sales boosted by more evenings in
- Meat snacks benefit from more snacking at home
- Nuts benefit from strong nutrition credentials
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- Figure 17: UK retail value and volume sales of nuts, by sub-segment, 2018-20
Market Drivers
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- January 2021 lockdowns will mean more snacking at home again
- Snacking firmly entrenched in British eating habits
- 68% of people who snack do so at least daily
- Majority eat a wide variety of snacks
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- Figure 18: Repertoire of types of snacks eaten, March 2020
- Kids’ snacking also helps drive sales
- Strong interest in healthy eating
- COVID-19 increases spotlight on health
- Government emphasis on health intensifies under COVID-19
- Decline projected in most frequent core younger eaters
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- Figure 19: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2015-25
- Income squeeze will hit discretionary spend
- Brexit trade deal means minimal impact on crisps and savoury snacks
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Walkers extends its lead in crisps segment
- Pringles leads growth in sales of other savoury snacks
- Flavour innovation a major theme in NPD
- Different levels of spice intensity being explored
- Format diversification a feature of brand extensions
- Better-for-you snacks look to tap healthy eating trend
- High/added fibre and protein messages continue to be pushed
- Dip in advertising spending during COVID-19 pandemic
- Walkers in strong position as most trusted brand
Market Share
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- Walkers extends its lead in crisps segment
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- Figure 20: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK crisps retail market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Pringles leads growth in sales of other savoury snacks
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- Figure 21: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK potato-based, baked and other snacks market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Butterkist drives most of the growth in popcorn
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- Figure 22: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK popcorn market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Sales of nuts dominated by own-label
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- Figure 23: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK nuts market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Strong year for branded and own-label meat snacks
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- Figure 24: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK meat snacks market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Flavour innovation a major theme in NPD
- Walkers ties up with restaurant chains for Taste Icons range
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- Figure 25: Walkers’ new Taste Icons range, 2020
- Different levels of spice intensity being explored
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- Figure 26: Examples of ranges featuring spicy flavours, 2020
- Christmas flavours another feature of NPD
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- Figure 27: Launch of Christmas flavours in crisps and savoury snacks, 2020
- Format diversification a feature of brand extensions
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- Figure 28: Launch of new formats and sizes in crisps and savoury snacks, 2020
- Meat snack brands extend with bars
- Better-for-you snacks look to tap healthy eating trend
- Exponent looks to build a better-for-you powerhouse
- Snacks made with pulses see more launches
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- Figure 29: Examples of launches in crisps and savoury snacks featuring chickpeas, 2020
- Popped and baked snacks continue to feature strongly
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- Figure 30: Examples of baked launches in crisps and savoury snacks, 2020
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- Figure 31: Examples of popped launches in crisps and savoury snacks, 2020
- High/added fibre and protein messages continue to be pushed
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- Figure 32: Proportion of new launches in crisps, savoury snacks and nuts market making high/added fibre and high/added protein claims, 2016-20
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- Figure 33: Examples of launches in crisps and savoury snacks making high/added protein claims, 2020/21
- Figure 34: Examples of launches in crisps, savoury snacks and nuts making high/added fibre claims, 2020/21
- Vegan claims increase on the back of plant-based trend
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- Figure 35: Proportion of new launches in crisps, savoury snacks and nuts market making vegetarian and vegan/no animal ingredients claims, 2016-20
- Figure 36: Examples of launches in crisps and savoury snacks making vegan/no animal ingredients claims, 2020
- Premium launches and references to provenance look to add value
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- Figure 37: Examples of premium launches in crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, 2020
- Product refreshes also an important part of launch activity
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Dip in advertising spending during COVID-19 pandemic
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- Figure 38: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts*, by media type, 2017-20
- Three advertisers dominate spending
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- Figure 39: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts*, by advertiser, 2019 and 2020
- Walkers Max leads spending by Walkers
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- Figure 40: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, by brand, 2020
- Walkers supports new flavour launches
- Taste Icons range featured two-for-one meal offers
- Sausage Roll flavour supports food bank charity
- Walkers Max promotes flavour, heat and crunch
- Brands look to tap healthier New Year eating
- Walkers Oven Bake promoted as simple swap
- Hula Hoops Puft targets healthier snacking
- New formats receive strong advertising support
- Doritos Stax highlights distinctive triangular packaging
- Wotsits returns to TV screens with tongue-in-cheek advert for new Giants
- McCoy’s promotes strength of Muchos corn chips
- Sharing occasions a big theme in premium snacks
- Tyrrells promotes provenance, heritage and snacking experience
- Kettle heroes its role for special occasions
- Propercorn makes TV debut with animated campaign
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Brand Research
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- Brand map
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- Figure 41: Attitudes towards and usage of selected brands, December 2020
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 42: Key metrics for selected brands, December 2020
- Brand attitudes: Walkers the most trusted brand
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- Figure 43: Attitudes, by brand, December 2020
- Brand personality: Pringles seen as being the most fun brand
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- Figure 44: Brand personality – Macro image, December 2020
- Walkers seen as the most traditional brand
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- Figure 45: Brand personality – Micro image, December 2020
- Brand analysis
- Walkers stands for consistently high quality
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- Figure 46: User profile of Walkers, December 2020
- Doritos seen as the most cool brand
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- Figure 47: User profile of Doritos, December 2020
- Pringles has shared strongest family brand and delicious image
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- Figure 48: User profile of Pringles, December 2020
- Kettle more associated with being indulgent or special than other brands
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- Figure 49: User profile of Kettle, December 2020
- Being delicious and indulgent relative strengths for McCoy’s
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- Figure 50: User profile of McCoy’s, December 2020
- KP Nuts has higher proportion of lapsed users than most
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- Figure 51: User profile of KP Nuts, December 2020
- Hula Hoops a good value, family and fun brand
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- Figure 52: User profile of Hula Hoops, December 2020
- popchips the brand most seen as healthy
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- Figure 53: User profile of popchips, December 2020
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- More than nine in 10 eat crisps, savoury snacks and nuts
- Crisps/crisp-style snacks have most frequent usage
- Snacking the primary driver of usage
- Daytime snacking holds further potential for nuts and popcorn
- Strong interest in products featuring world cuisines
- Alcoholic drinks and dips pairings hold more potential
- Opportunity for more pulses in savoury snacks
- Premium varieties well placed to add value to the market
- Most people open to being swayed by healthier options
Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behaviour
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- People snacking at home more during COVID-19
- Demand for on-the-go snacking dampened by COVID-19
- More remote working and snacking at home expected long term
- Kids’ lunchbox occasion hit by school closures
- Pandemic increases focus on health
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- Figure 54: Changes in eating healthily as a priority since the COVID-19 outbreak, by gender and age, 2-11 November 2020
- COVID-19 pandemic expected to heighten focus on sustainability
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- Figure 55: Changes in the environment being seen as a priority since the COVID-19 outbreak, by gender and age, 2-11 November 2020
- Changes to shopping behaviour favour well-known brands
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- Figure 56: Selected behaviour changes since the COVID-19/coronavirus outbreak, December 2020 and January 2021
Usage of Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
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- More than nine in 10 eat crisps, savoury snacks and nuts
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- Figure 57: Number of different types of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
- Three quarters eat potato crisps
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- Figure 58: Types of crisps/crisp-style snacks eaten in the last 3 months, October 2019 and November 2020
- Nuts eaten by half of consumers
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- Figure 59: Types of nuts eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
- Three in 10 consumers eat popcorn
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- Figure 60: Types of other savoury snacks eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
- Baked snacks the most popular better-for-you snack
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- Figure 61: Types of snacks eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
Frequency of Eating Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
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- Crisps/crisp-style snacks have most frequent usage
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- Figure 62: Frequency of eating crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
- Frequency of nut usage increases
Occasions for Eating Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
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- Snacking the primary driver of usage
- Crisps and crisp-style snacks lag behind competitors in evenings
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- Figure 63: Occasions when crisps, savoury snacks and nuts eaten in the last 3 months, November 2020
- Daytime snacking holds further potential for nuts and popcorn
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- Figure 64: Savoury snacks aligning with key snack needs and occasions, 2020
- Variations by age on when people are most likely to snack
- Lunches important for crisps and meat snacks
Behaviours Related to Eating Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
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- Strong interest in products featuring world cuisines
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- Figure 65: Behaviours related to eating crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
- Alcoholic drinks and dips pairings hold more potential
- Marketing and merchandising should leverage eating with alcohol occasion
- Suitability for dipping worth emphasising
- Opportunity for more pulses in savoury snacks
Attitudes towards Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts
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- Premium varieties well placed to add value to the market
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- Figure 66: Attitudes towards crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, November 2020
- Crisps/crisp-style snacks have an edge over sugary snacks on health perceptions
- Displaying calories will appeal to one in three
- Better-for-you variants have permission to play in the category
- Consumers want re-sealable packaging
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Forecast methodology
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- Figure 67: Total UK retail value sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, best- and worst-case forecast, 2019-24
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- Figure 68: Total UK retail volume sales of crisps, savoury snacks and nuts, best- and worst-case forecast, 2019-24
Appendix – Market Share
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- Figure 69: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK crisps market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Figure 70: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK potato-based, baked and other snacks market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
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- Figure 71: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK popcorn market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
- Figure 72: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK nuts market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
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- Figure 73: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK meat snacks market, by value and volume, 2018/19 and 2019/20
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Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 74: Share of product launches in the UK crisps, savoury snacks and nuts market, by sub-segment, 2016-20 (sorted by 2020)
- Figure 75: Share of product launches in the UK crisps, savoury snacks and nuts market, by claim, 2016-20 (sorted by 2020)
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