Abstract
Estimating U.S. retail sales of packaged snacks at $68 billion in 2008,
Packaged Facts projects sales to near $82 billion by 2013, a total market
increase of 20%. Despite the dampening effects of global recession, consumers
are snacking more than ever, thanks to pull-backs in restaurant dining,
harried lifestyles that reduce opportunities for sit-down meals, and a growing
consensus that several small meals or snacks during the day are actually
healthier than the three-squares paradigm. In addition, as the sluggish
economy fans job-loss fears, health insurance woes, and environmental and
social justice anxieties, snack consumers are embracing a “value”
mentality that prizes quality and “whole” ingredients,
“better for you” recipes, and green production practices. While
low prices are always a draw, consumers are looking for snacks with fewer
additives or preservatives, and even spending extra dollars for organic and
premium snack treats that can boost their flagging spirits over the long climb
back to prosperity.
To accommodate the complexities of the U.S. market within shifting economic
and cultural contexts, and to contextualize these trends within the global
marketplace, this report investigates not only the raw numbers associated with
product launches, sales and market positions, but also the lifestyle patterns
and the financial, social and political concerns that contribute to the rise
and fall of snacking trends. While organizing snack products into sweet and
salty/savory categories as in previous editions, this edition segments the
discussion into four topic chapters based on lifestyle and industry
classifications - Value and Traditional, Functional and Fortified, Natural and
Organic, and Premium and Gourmet. The analysis focuses on shelf-stable,
packaged snacks sold throughout the full retail universe, from national brands
and private labels to the often edgier products of niche gourmet and organic
players.
Custom Packaged Facts survey data inform our research into snacking attitudes,
purchasing patterns, and health and wellness across consumer demographics,
with Information Resources, Inc. sales data and Product Launch Analytics data
on new product introductions helping to quantify key trends marketwide.
Product profiles ranging from multinational brands such as Frito-Lay and
Hershey to start-up and boutique brands such as Sahale Snacks and Endangered
Species provide a nuanced look into the relationship between consumer
attitudes and product development, reflecting the running theme of socially
conscious marketing as an important value driver in economic times good and
bad.
Research Methodology
The information contained in Sweet and Salty/Savory Snacks in the U.S. was
obtained from primary and secondary research. Primary research entailed
consultation with industry participants; on-site examination of retail venues;
and extensive Internet canvassing. Secondary research entailed data-gathering
from a range of business sources, including trade publications and
newsletters; articles in consumer business newspapers and magazines;
government agencies; industry associations; annual reports, 10Ks and other
financial releases from public companies; and other reports by Packaged Facts.
Sales estimates are based on data from sources including Information
Resources, Inc.' s (IRI) InfoScan Review for mass-market channels
(supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandisers other than Walmart),
Progressive Grocer' s annual “Consumer Expenditures Study,” and
SPINSscan data from SPINS, Inc., which tracks grocery sales in natural
supermarkets. Data on new product introductions are from Product Launch
Analytics, a Datamonitor service, based on the specified snack product
segments.
Our analysis of consumer attitudes and demographics primarily derives from
Experian Simmons' Fall 2008 National Consumer Study, which is based on the
responses of approximately 25,000 respondents age 18 or over, and from
Packaged Facts' February 2009 online poll of 2,600 U.S. adults, conducted to
measure specific food purchasing patterns and attitudes.
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