Consumer Snacking Habits - Ireland - July 2019

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Issues covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Market factors
Consumers snack twice a day
UK food prices on the rise while RoI prices tumble
Snacks move into meals on the go
Healthier snacks demanded as obesity rates rise
Lifestyle trends cause brands to innovate in healthy snacking
Companies and innovations
The consumer
Chocolate and crisps popular but fruit is the go-to snack
Figure 1: Types of sweet snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2019
Home remains the top location for snacking
Figure 2: Where consumers have eaten snacks in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2018
Parents monitor what children are eating
Figure 3: Agreement with statements related to snack foods and snacking habits, NI and RoI, June 2019
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Consumer snacking habits look promising
RoI food prices drop while UK prices soar
Traditional meals under threat from ‘sanctification’
Rising obesity rates shed light on unhealthy snacks
Lifestyle trends cause brands to innovate in healthy snacking
MARKET DRIVERS 
Most snack 2-3 times a day
Figure 4: Frequency consumers snack between meals on average day, NI and RoI, June 2019
Figure 5: Consumers who snack twice in a regular day, by gender, NI and RoI, June 2019
Food prices on the rise in the UK but falling in RoI
Figure 6: Consumer Price Index for food, RoI, May 2017-Apr 2019
Figure 7: Consumer Price Index, by sub-category, RoI, September 2017-April 2019
Figure 8: Consumer Price Index for food and drink, UK (including NI), May 2017-April 2019
Figure 9: Consumer Price Index, by sub-category, UK including NI, September 2017-April 2019
Snacks ‘eating’ into other meal occasions
Figure 10: Consumer agreement with statements related to breakfast, NI and RoI, August 2018
Figure 11: The amount of time consumers spent eating lunch on an everyday occasion in the last three months, NI and RoI, January 2018
Obesity rates rising could spell trouble for snacking category
Figure 12: Overweight and obesity levels in adults aged 16+, NI, 2010/11-2017/18
Figure 13: Overweight and obesity levels in adults aged 15+, RoI, 2015/16 and 2016/17
Children’s obesity rates cause parents to seek out healthier alternatives
Sugar crackdown prompts snacks to innovate
Figure 14: How consumers manage their sugar intake, NI and RoI, June 2017
A focus on protein remains in snacking but fibre is emerging
WHO’S INNOVATING? – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Environmental claims remain widespread in snacking
Snacks look to alcohol to appeal to adults
Adding vegetables to sweet biscuits gives a healthier image
Can healthy crisps be considered indulgent too?
WHO’S INNOVATING?
Snacking continues to be an innovative and dynamic occasion
Figure 15: Total new products launched in snacks categories, UK and Ireland, January 14-May 2019
Figure 16: Total new products launched in the snacks categories, by percentage growth of claims, UK and Ireland, 2014-18
Innovation in snack and energy bars almost doubles
Figure 17: New product development of snack, energy and cereal bars launched in the UK and Ireland, by select claims, 2014-18
Are collagen claims next for snack bars?
Pastries and sweet goods see 40% growth in NPD
Figure 18: New product development of cakes, pastries and sweet goods launched in the UK and Ireland, by select claims, 2014-19
Chocolate positions indulgence
Sugar reduction in chocolate becomes mainstream
NPD in sweet biscuits soars but opportunities exist in savoury biscuits
Figure 19: New product development of sweet biscuits/cookies and savoury biscuits/crackers launched in the UK and Ireland, 2014-19
Alcohol-pairing biscuits targets adults
Five a day crisps: the future?
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Chocolate favoured in sweet snacking but crisps top salty snacks
Home preferred for snacking but on-the-go consumption increasing
Healthy snacks preferred at retailer checkout
TYPES OF SNACKS EATEN
Sweet biscuits remain a favourite
Figure 20: Types of sweet snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2019
Chocolate is the most popular sweet snack
Figure 21: Consumers who have eaten chocolate in the last two weeks as a snack, by gender and generation, NI and RoI, June 2019
Figure 22: Chocolate and confectionery preferences, by branded vs own-label, NI and RoI, June 2018
Crisps are the top savoury snack
Figure 23: Types of savoury snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2019
Crisps can tap into foodservice trends
Figure 24: Consumers who have eaten crisps in the last two weeks as a snack, NI and RoI, June 2019
Yogurt remains popular for snacking
Figure 25: Types of other snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2019
Frozen fruit and veg snack pots can target waste-conscious consumers
Figure 26: Consumers who have eaten fruit and/or vegetables in the last two weeks as a snack, NI and RoI, June 2019
SNACKING LOCATIONS
Nine in 10 snack at home
Figure 27: Where consumers have eaten snacks in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2018
Home snacking offers potential for indulgence positioning
Figure 28: Consumers who have eaten snacks while at home in the last two weeks, by generation, NI and RoI, June 2019
Travelling creates more demand for on-the-go functionality
Figure 29: Consumers who have eaten snacks while commuting/travelling vs while out shopping in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, June 2019
ATTITUDES TOWARDS SNACKING
Eight in 10 monitor children’s snacking habits
Figure 30: Agreement with statements related to snack foods and snacking habits, NI and RoI, June 2019
Irish consumers support snack tax
Figure 31: Consumer agreement with statements related to snacking, NI and RoI, June 2019
Consumers dubious about ‘healthy’ snacks
Figure 32: Consumer agreement with the statement ‘I am concerned a lot of so-called healthy snacks are actually high in sugar/salt/fat’, by gender, NI and RoI, June 2019
Snacks have a potential to position de-stressing functionality
Figure 33: 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
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Data sources
Generational cohort definitions
Abbreviations