2017 Snacking Trends to Watch (and Get Ahead of)
According to CSP Magazine, the global market for snack foods is expected to reach $138.2 billion by 2020, a $43.7 billion increase from today. The main factor for this increase is research from several consumer organizations that shows people are replacing more meals with grab-and-go healthy snacks. If you want to cash in on this boom, it’s important to be aware of trends predicted for 2017.
Salty-Savory Combinations
Data from FONA international shows an 18% increase in new savory snack products over the last two years. Nearly 40% of consumers said that the most influential factor in products they choose to buy are new and interesting flavors. This year watch for smoke, vinegar, spice, sriracha, pizza, beef, honey, and barbecue to be hot sellers.
Healthy Options
48% of consumers purchase healthy snacks from a c-store at least occasionally, according to Technomic. Grab-and-go healthy snack options that are clearly labeled and make it easy for the customer to evaluate “healthiness” are crucial for any store looking to meet changing customer tastes.
A Focus On Portions
Customers looking to replace breakfast, lunch or dinner with a healthy snack want portions sizes to align with their needs. Single-serve packages are crucial to attracting both the meal replacement and the snacking shopper. 59% of consumers told Technomic they would not purchase snack foods on the go that are too large.
Children Are Influencers
Parents are paying more attention to what they are feeding their children. They want snacks that are appealing to their kids, but are also low in sugar and high in nutrients. They also need to make certain that packages are clearly labeled if they contain nut products or other allergens, given the rise in allergies among US children.
Consumers Still Love Sweets
With all this focus on healthy snacking, it’s easy to forget about the sweets. Despite the fact that people are making healthier choices, Americans still love to indulge. Chocolate and other sweets aren’t going to see a dip in sales, even though healthy snacks are seeing a rise. In fact, last year saw an 11% increase in chocolate-covered salty snacks.
Do You Want To Stay Ahead of Trends?
If you want to stay in front of snacking trends in 2017 and beyond, Mister Snacks has solutions that will help you meet the changing tastes of your customers. We offer a variety of high-margin, healthy snacks to help you satisfy your unique market demands. Contact us today to learn more about the ways in which we can help you meet and exceed your snack food sales goals this year.