Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Fresh fruit remains the most popular healthy snack option
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- Figure 1: Healthy snack consumption, May 2018
- Relatively few better-for-you snacks eaten on a daily basis
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- Figure 2: Healthy snack consumption frequency, by type of snack, May 2018
- Consumer skepticism a substantial issue for healthy snack marketers
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- Figure 3: Attitudes toward healthy snacking, May 2018
- The opportunities
- Younger healthy snackers respond to wider array of motivations
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- Figure 4: Snack motivation by occasion – Net of all occasions, by age, May 2018
- Opportunity to promote naturally healthy snacks to young adults
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- Figure 5: Healthy snack attributes, by age, May 2018
- Snack-size portions and portability speak to expanded role of snacks
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- Figure 6: Healthy snacking concepts, May 2018
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Salty snack segments represent increasing competition for BFY snacks
- Snacking continues to grow more prevalent
Market Perspective
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- Salty snack segments represent increasing competition for BFY snacks
- Protein trend drives meat snacks
- Premium ready-to-eat brands drive popcorn growth
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- Figure 7: Total US sales of popcorn and meat snacks, 2012-17
Market Factors
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- Snacking continues to grow more prevalent
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- Figure 8: Snacking frequency, March 2017
- Rise in health issues puts spotlight on better-for-you snacks
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- Figure 9: Growth in health issues in the US, 2013-15
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Healthy snack categories near or below all-snack purchase intent norm
- Sales of baked chips stagnate
- All-natural claim loses traction
- Functional snacking poised to gain
What’s Working?
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- Healthy snack categories mostly in line with “all-snack” purchase intent
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- Figure 10: Better-for-you snack purchase intent, by snack segment, 2017-18
- Fruit snacks seen as tasty, fun, refreshing, but necessarily unique
- Vegetable snacks seen as healthy and natural but not so tasty
- Fewer strong perceptions for other types of healthy snacks
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- Figure 11: Better-for-you snack attribute ratings, by snack segment, 2017-18
- Potential for high purchase intent exists across healthy snack categories
- Verbatims reveal category’s alternative status, a potential limit to growth
- Fruit-based snacks
- Bean-based snacks
- Cassava and other base snacks
- Rice snacks
- Vegetable snacks
What’s Struggling?
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- Sales of baked chips stagnate
- All-natural claim loses traction
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- Figure 12: Better-for-you snack product launches, by top health claims, 2013-18*
What’s Next?
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- Functional snacking poised to gain
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Fresh fruit remains the most popular healthy snack option
- Motivations shift from functional to more emotional during the day
- Freshness a key attribute for healthy snacks
- Snack-size portions and portability speak to expanded role of snacks
- Younger consumers’ healthy snacking habits in flux
- Consumer skepticism a substantial issue for healthy snack marketers
Healthy Snack Consumption
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- Fresh fruit remains the most popular healthy snack option
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- Figure 13: Healthy snack consumption, May 2018
- Young consumers a key target for packaged better-for-you snacks
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- Figure 14: Healthy snack consumption, by age, May 2018
- Opportunity to increase consumption frequency of better-for you snacks
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- Figure 15: Healthy snack consumption frequency, by type of snack, May 2018
Correspondence Analysis: Snack Motivation by Occasion
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- Methodology
- Motivations shift from functional to more emotional during the day
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- Figure 16: Correspondence analysis – Snack motivation by occasion, May 2018
- Figure 17: Snack motivation by occasion, May 2018
- Younger healthy snackers respond to wider array of motivations
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- Figure 18: Snack motivation by occasion – Net of all occasions, by age, May 2018
Healthy Snack Attributes
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- Freshness a key attribute for healthy snacks
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- Figure 19: Healthy snack attributes, May 2018
- Older adults more likely to prioritize low/no claims
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- Figure 20: Healthy snack attributes, by age, May 2018
Healthy Snacking Concepts
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- Fresh ingredients draw wide interest
- Snack-size portions and portability speak to expanded role of snacks
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- Figure 21: Healthy snacking concepts, May 2018
- Portability especially appealing to younger women
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- Figure 22: Healthy snacking concepts, by gender and age, May 2018
Healthy Snacking Behaviors
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- Consumers report purchasing more healthy snacks
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- Figure 23: Healthy snacking behaviors, May 2018
- Younger consumers’ healthy snacking habits in flux
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- Figure 24: Healthy snacking behaviors, by age, May 2018
Attitudes toward Healthy Snacking
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- Consumers interested in seeing more healthy snacks on store shelves
- Consumer skepticism a substantial issue for healthy snack marketers
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- Figure 25: Attitudes toward healthy snacking, May 2018
- Younger adults interested in more healthy snacking options
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- Figure 26: Attitudes toward healthy snacking, by age, May 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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