Salty Trends That Are Driving Profits in the Snacking Industry

Almost everybody loves a good salty snack now and again, but Americans truly adore them. According to data from Packaged Facts, over 90 percent of U.S. households have consumed salty snacks in the last 30 days, and two-thirds of Americans regularly have at least three types of salty snacks on hand. What are the trends driving consumers’ salty desires, and are you stores prepared to deliver on their cravings?

Overall Growth of Snacking

Given the busy nature of our lives today, people are eating in restaurants less and snacking more.  According to the 2016 State of the Snack Food Industry report, snack sales soared in 2016, increasing an average of 3.5 percent across the top ten selling categories. Why? The average American snacks nearly three times a day, and 45 percent snack more than three times per day.

This spike is attributed to the fact that more and more people are using snacks as meal replacements, especially in the morning. Grab-and-go options are ideal for busy commuters who don’t have time to sit down to a traditional breakfast before they start their day. When snacking is used as a meal replacement, consumers opt for complex flavors and protein-based ingredients to help fill them up and fuel their day, which often means choosing a salty snack.

“Healthy” Eaters Still Choose Salty Snacks

Snacking used to be thought of as a couch potato activity, but people of all ages and lifestyles are snacking on a regular basis. Nearly 14 million people who consider themselves to be “healthy” eaters and who exercise often reach for salty snacks. Packaged Facts reports these consumers do not see any conflict between their healthy lifestyle and better-for-you salty snacks like nuts.

Part of the reason why consumers don’t feel they must trade on their health to enjoy a salty snack is product labeling. Nuts and fruit-nut mixes are often non-GMO, vegan and/or organic, and those types of labels attract the healthy snacking set. Product labels also take advantage of “healthy” but subjective terms like pure, natural, allergen-free, real, etc., to catch the eye of the health-conscious snacker.

Are You Providing Customers With the Salty Snacks They Crave?

While more people are reaching for better-for-you snacks throughout the day, American consumers are not giving up their salt.  If you are looking to provide your snack-conscious shoppers with both indulgent and healthy options to satisfy their salty cravings, Mister Snacks has solutions that will meet the tastes and demands of the modern consumer. We offer a variety of high-margin healthy snacks tailored to the salty trend. Contact us today to learn more about the ways in which we can help you achieve your goals.