September_2021 - 30

PIM Brands
three flavor varieties and Welch's Fruit
Snacks Summer Fruits, a refreshing,
seasonally inspired flavor.
COVID INSIGHTS
Snacking for enjoyment was the top
reason consumers cited for snacking
during the pandemic.
" It provided a needed break, a
respite from the boredom or an emotional
lift, " Scudillo noted. " The incidence
of consuming indulgent snacks
increased. We also saw a large increase
in needing to buy snacks for the whole
family, as the lockdowns and mobility
restrictions caused the home to
become the center of life - schooling,
work, entertainment, cooking meals. "
Over the past 18 months, PIM
saw strong dollar sales increases
across all its categories of snacking
segments - wellness, permissible
indulgence, true indulgence and
treats (chocolate and nonchocolate
candy). Gum and mints, meanwhile,
experienced a steep decline as routines
changed and social interactions
became more limited, diminishing
the demand for breath refreshment.
Likewise, according to Scudillo,
snacking at home increased as mobility
restrictions negatively impacted
away-from-home snacking, with, as
expected, sharp declines in snack purchases
from vending machines, movie
theaters, airports and travel centers,
rest stops and theme parks.
PIM's snacking sales exploded on
ecommerce, with the
channel gaining
share from
brick-and-mortar
stores. Grocery,
value and club
stores also performed
well.
Oberto
30 Automatic Merchandiser * September 2021
" Snacking occurred throughout
the day, but morning and evening
are now growing the fastest, " Scudillo
noted. " In c-stores, snack purchases
shifted to later in the day during the
pandemic, as typical morning routines,
such as in-person schooling and
work commutes were disrupted. "
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
PIM Brands expects continued
momentum behind snacking in
2021 and 2022, as category tailwinds
coming out of COVID will outpace
headwinds. According to Scudillo, the
tailwinds include an increase in the
snacking trend to continue with both
incidence and frequency growing,
continued need for convenient snacks
and mobility growth.
PIM anticipates continuing
momentum from both indulgent and
nostalgic snacking and increasing
interest in better-for-you products.
The candymaker also expects continued
interest among Gen-Z and
millennials and a return of sales in
away-from-home channels most
impacted by COVID, including vending,
movie theaters, airport terminals
and amusement parks.
" Many behaviors established during
COVID will stick as the world
slowly reopens, " the PIM vice president
added. That includes stocking-up
behavior, buying larger sizes, e-commerce,
increased snacking frequency
and continued momentum in the
grocery, value and club channels.
" With increased mobility and the
home construction boom, we are seeing
foot traffic and trips grow within
the convenience channel, " Scudillo
said. " This will continue as more
workers head back to the office and
schools reopen in the fall. The level
of uncertainty is still high, given the
unpredictability of COVID and the
variants. Different regions will be
impacted disproportionately due to
the varying vaccination rates and
case counts. "
MEAT-ING DEMAND
Meat and cheese snacks are riding a
wave of popularity among consumers
seeking high-protein, low-carb
meal replacements, which has helped
Oberto Specialty Meats, founded in
1918 in Kent, WA, to become a growing
fixture in vending machines and
micro markets.
For micro markets, its newest offering
is 4-oz. Oberto Fresh Refrigerated
Chicken Skewers in Barbeque, Buffalo
and Teriyaki varieties, which have a
45-day refrigerated shelf life, and 2.5-oz.
Charcuterie meat and cheese pairings
in Parma Salame & Smoked Provolone
Cheese; Parma Salame & Fontinello
Cheese; and Calabrese Salame &
Smoked Provolone Cheese varieties.
These join the iconic Oberto
brand 1.5-oz. to 3.25-oz. bags of Beef
Jerky in Original, Teriyaki and Peppered
flavors. Other vending items are
the Cattleman's Cut brand of 0.75-oz.
to 3-oz. Beef Jerky and Sausage Sticks
and Lowrey's 1.75-oz. Original and
Spicy Bacon Curls. Rounding out
the lineup are Bavarian Landjaeger
and Lil Landjaeger brand peg bag
products in 0.75-oz. to 3-oz. packages
suited for large and small vending
spirals and micro markets.
" The new Oberto products the
trade should consider offering their
consumers are the Oberto Fresh
Refrigerated Chicken Skewers and
Cattleman's Cut Takis Fuego Sticks,
which are highly successful in all
other channels, " said Oberto Specialty
Meats foodservice director Don Lear.
" Oberto Fresh and jerky and stick sales
have increased substantially as consumer
demand for snacking products
increased throughout the pandemic. "
September_2021

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