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Snack, Nutrition and Performance Bars - US - April 2018

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Definition
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The issues
Dollar sales of bars grow 20% from 2012-17, slower growth projected through 2022
Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Future growth projected to slow in most segments
Figure 2: Sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by segment, 2012-22
A third of adults think bars are too high in sugar
Figure 3: Attitudes toward bars – Challenges, by bar consumption, February 2018
The opportunities
Two thirds of US adults eat bars
Figure 4: Bar consumption, February 2018
Three quarters of consumers turn to bars for snacks
Figure 5: Reasons for consumption – Any bar, February 2018
Protein amount is second only to good taste as a bar attribute of interest
Figure 6: Important attributes, February 2018
What it means
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Dollar sales of bars grow 20% from 2012-17, slower growth projected through 2022
Snack bars lead; performance bars gain share
Convenience store sales see strongest growth from 2012-17
Competing categories make a play for cleaner functionality
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Dollar sales of bars grow 20% from 2012-17, slower growth projected through 2022
Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
MARKET BREAKDOWN
Snack bars lead, performance bars gain share
Figure 10: Sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by segment share, 2012-17
Future growth projected to slow in most segments
Figure 11: Sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by segment, 2012-22
Convenience store sales see strongest growth from 2012-17
Figure 12: Total US retail sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, by channel, at current prices, 2012-17
MARKET PERSPECTIVE
Competing categories successfully make a play for functionality
MARKET FACTORS 
America’s love of snacking benefits snack categories
Figure 13: Snacking frequency, March 2017
Close to half of consumers eat breakfast on-the-go or skip altogether
Figure 14: Weekday and weekend behaviors, May 2016
Three quarters of adults are currently managing their weight
Figure 15: Weight management status, July 2017
Diet health may be a stronger focus than exercise
Figure 16: Lifestyle statements, February 2018
84% of consumers are limiting the amount of sugar in their diet
Legislation grows less sweet on sugar
Aging population may justify need for functional nutrition
Figure 17: Share of population by age, 2013-23
KEY PLAYERS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
General Mills controls 25% of MULO dollar sales of bars
Smaller brands gain big in the nutritional and performance segments
Chocolate dominates across all segments
Protein claims continue to climb in most segments
COMPANY AND BRAND SALES OF SNACK, NUTRITION, AND PERFORMANCE BARS
General Mills controls 25% of MULO dollar sales of bars
Sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars by company
Figure 18: Share of Multi-Outlet sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by leading companies, 52 weeks ending Dec 31, 2017
Figure 19: Multi-Outlet sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
WHAT’S WORKING?
General Mills brands represent more than a third of MULO sales of snack bars
Figure 20: Multi-Outlet sales of snack bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
Smaller brands make big gains in the nutritional bar segment
Figure 21: Multi-outlet sales of nutritional bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
Chocolate dominates across all segments
Figure 22: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by leading flavors, 2014-18*
Figure 23: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by growing flavors, 2014-18*
Protein claims continue to climb in most segments
Figure 24: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by leading claims, 2014-18*
Figure 25: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by growing claims, 2014-18*
Whey proteins appear among leaders in most segments
Figure 26: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by leading protein types, 2014-18*
Figure 27: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by growing protein types, 2014-18*
WHAT’S STRUGGLING?
Dollar sales of weight-loss bars decline in MULO channels
Figure 28: Multi-Outlet sales of weight-loss bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
Volatility seen in MULO sales of performance bars
Figure 29: Multi-Outlet sales of performance bars, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
White sugar leads as sweetener type across segments
Figure 30: Snack, nutrition, and performance bar launches, by leading sweetener types, 2014-18*
WHAT’S NEXT?
Going green
Embracing indulgence
Getting your fill
Nuts about cashews
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 
Two thirds of US adults eat bars
Three quarters of consumers turn to bars for snacks
Protein amount is second only to good taste as a bar attribute of interest
The majority of bar buyers purchase multi-packs
A third of adults think bars are too high in sugar
BAR CONSUMPTION
Two thirds of US adults eat bars
Figure 31: Bar consumption, February 2018
Men make up the majority of performance bar eaters
Figure 32: Share of bar consumption, by gender, February 2018
Performance bars find strongest appeal among young adults
Figure 33: Share of bar consumption, by age, February 2018
REASONS FOR CONSUMPTION
Three quarters of consumers turn to bars for snacks
Figure 34: Reasons for consumption – Any bar, February 2018
Men are more likely to eat bars for functional outcomes
Figure 35: Reasons for consumption – Any bar, by gender, February 2018
Bars don’t need to be all things to all people
Figure 36: Correspondence analysis – Reasons for consumption, February 2018
Figure 37: Reasons for consumption, February 2018
IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTES
Protein amount is second only to good taste as a bar attribute of interest
Figure 38: Important attributes, February 2018
Figure 39: Important attributes, by bar type, February 2018
Women are more likely than men to be concerned about sugar totals
Figure 40: Important attributes, by gender, February 2018
Older consumers look closer at nutritional information
Figure 41: Important attributes, by age, February 2018
BAR FORMATS
Pack size
The majority of bar buyers purchase multi-packs
Figure 42: Bar formats – Pack size, February 2018
Figure 43: Bar formats – Pack size, by bar type, February 2018
Men are significantly more likely than women to purchase single bars
Figure 44: Bar formats – Pack size, by gender, February 2018
Multi-packs have stronger appeal among older shoppers
Figure 45: Bar formats – Pack size, by age, February 2018
Protein amount
23% of bar consumers choose base with 20+ grams of protein
Figure 46: Bar formats – Protein, February 2018
Figure 47: Bar formats – Protein, by bar type, February 2018
TEXTURE
The majority of bar eaters associate bars with being chewy
Figure 48: texture associations – Any bar, February 2018
Consumers associate snack bars with more decadent features
Figure 49: Correspondence analysis – Texture associations, February 2018
Figure 50: texture associations, February 2018
ATTITUDES TOWARD BARS
Efficacy
Only 10% of consumers think bars deliver on promised claims
Figure 51: Attitudes toward bars – Efficacy, February 2018
Figure 52: Attitudes toward bars – “They deliver on promised claims”, February 2018
Challenges
A third of adults think bars are too high in sugar
Figure 53: Attitudes toward bars, February 2018
Women are more skeptical of bars than are men
Figure 54: Attitudes toward bars, by gender, February 2018
Older shoppers are more likely to be ingredient-conscious
Figure 55: Attitudes toward bars, by age, February 2018
Higher earners are more critical of bars
Figure 56: Attitudes toward bars, by HH income, February 2018
Artificial ingredients struggle with efficacy
Figure 57: Lifestyle statements – Artificial ingredients, February 2018
Figure 58: Lifestyle statements – “I think artificial ingredients are more effective than natural ones”, February 2018
Non-dairy
Three in 10 consumers think protein derived from plants is as effective as that from dairy/meat sources
Figure 59: Lifestyle statements – Non-dairy, February 2018
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES AND ABBREVIATIONS
Data sources
Sales data
Fan chart forecast
Consumer survey data
Abbreviations and terms
Abbreviations
APPENDIX – THE MARKET 
Figure 60: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 61: Total US retail sales and forecast of snack bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
Figure 62: Total US retail sales and forecast of performance bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 63: Total US retail sales and forecast of performance bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
Figure 64: Total US retail sales and forecast of nutrition bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 65: Total US retail sales and forecast of nutrition bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
Figure 66: Total US retail sales and forecast of weight loss bars, at current prices, 2012-22
Figure 67: Total US retail sales and forecast of weight loss bars, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
Figure 68: US supermarket sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at current prices, 2012-17
Figure 69: US convenience store sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars, at current prices, 2012-17
Figure 70: US sales of snack, nutrition and performance bars through other retail channels, at current prices, 2012-17
APPENDIX – KEY PLAYERS 
Figure 71: Multi-outlet sales of snack, nutrition, and performance bars, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017

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