What Motivates Consumers To Spend On Snacking?

By bsmith
On Grocery Stores

Snacking has been experiencing something of a renaissance in the last several years, with nearly 94% of American consumers reporting they snack at least once a day, and nearly 50% admit to snacking up to three times a day. However, shoppers aren’t reaching for any old snack to satisfy their hunger. Tastes and priorities are changing, and if your store wants to keep up with those changes, it is important to know what motivates consumers to spend on snack foods.

An Overview of the Snacking Landscape

To understand what motivates someone to purchase one snack food over another, it helps to understand some big-picture trends in snacking:

A third of snackers try to limit their cookie, candy and ice cream consumption.
Parents are paying more attention to snacks they offer their children, opting for healthier foods.
One-third of people who snack want foods that are packaged for easy consumption on the go.
When choosing a snack as a meal repayment, shoppers are more likely to choose something they believe to be a healthy choice.

So health is a major driver in the way people choose to snack. When it comes time to make a purchase, however, there are some other important factors that influence where they spend their money.

Protein Power

The average consumer doesn’t have an advanced degree in nutrition science, but they have a good idea about what makes something “healthy.” Over 20% of snackers look for high protein content, since they know that protein is a natural source of energy and will keep their stomach feeling fuller, longer than a snack packed with sugar.

It Has To Taste Good

The number two reason why consumers snack (behind hunger) is boredom. However, even when people are snacking “mindlessly,” they still want something that tastes great. Even if health is a priority, taste matters, but nearly half of all consumers say that taste actually matters more than healthfulness of a snack.

Easy To Consume

Snackers want to grab and go. If they have to fiddle too much with packaging, if the package is too large, or if there is a great deal of mess involved, they will pass on a product. Over 75% of consumers say convenience matters when choosing a snack food.

Time Of Day

The time of day a person is snacking can have a major influence on what they choose to eat. People tend to choose healthier snacks in the morning, and as the day progresses, they give themselves permission to be a little more indulgent in their choices.

Clear Labeling

Shoppers will study the labeling of a new product to evaluate whether or not it meets their needs. They want to be able to find nutritional information easily, it should be large enough to read inside the store, and they want to see ingredients they can recognize and pronounce.

Are You Providing Snacks Your Customer Want?

If you want to provide your shoppers with high-quality snack foods that customers want throughout the day, Mister Snacks can help. To learn more about our products, our pricing and the ways we can help you strengthen customer loyalty, contact us today.

Blog