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Consumer Snacking Habits - Ireland - June 2020

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Key issues covered in this Report
Issues covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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
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
Figure 2: Types of sweet snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
Figure 3: Types of savoury snack food that consumers have eaten in the last two weeks, NI and RoI, April 2020
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
Figure 5: Agreement with the statements related to snacking and health, NI and RoI, April 2020
Irish consumers are impulse snackers
Figure 6: Agreement with the statements related to snack planning, NI and RoI, April 2020
Gut health in snacking interests Irish consumers
Figure 7: Agreement with the statements related to snacking innovations, NI and RoI, April 2020
Provenance can be leveraged more in snacking
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
Short-, medium- and long-term impact on the industry
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
Figure 10: How consumers’ financial situation has changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, IoI, 25 May 2020
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
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
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
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 
Food prices falling in RoI
Figure 15: Consumer Price Index for food, RoI, Jan 2018-Apr 2020
Figure 16: Consumer Price Index, by sub-category, RoI, Jan 2018-Mar 2020
UK/NI prices are climbing
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
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
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
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
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
Sweet snacks go vegan
Savoury snacks can do more with sustainable packaging
Healthy snacking must deliver on nutrition and low sugar
WHO’S INNOVATING? 
Savoury snacks lead in NPD
Figure 25: Total new products launched in snacks categories, UK and Ireland, 2015-2020*
Sweet categories innovate in vegan claims
Figure 26: New products launched in sweet snacks*, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20**
Figure 27: Top qualities associated with vegan/plant-based diets, NI and RoI, January 2020
Eco snacking goes mainstream
Figure 28: New products launched in savoury snacks, by claims, UK and Ireland, 2015-20*
Healthy snacking boosts no added sugar claims
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 
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 
Sweet snacks benefit from lockdown
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
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 
Crisps top savoury snacks – particularly for NI consumers
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
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
Fresh fruit eaten by seven in ten
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
Figure 36: Consumers who have eaten fresh fruit for a snack in the last two weeks, by age, NI and RoI, April 2020
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
Traffic light labels make it easier to navigate healthy snacks
Figure 38: Agreement with the statements related to snacking and health, NI and RoI, April 2020
On-pack endorsements may prompt better snacking habits
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 
Snacking is more of an impulse purchase
Figure 40: Agreement with the statements related to snack planning, NI and RoI, April 2020
Functional and sustaining snacks can tap into impulse buying
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
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
Figure 43: Top five associations with high protein diets, NI and RoI, November 2019
INTEREST IN SNACKING INNOVATIONS
Health boosting claims have a place in snacks
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
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
Around seven in 10 consumers are snacking less
Figure 47: Agreement with the statements related to snacking habits, NI and RoI, April 2020
Provenance carries appeal in snacking
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
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
Data sources
Generational cohort definitions
Abbreviations

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