Snack World - May 1, 2011 - (Page 27)

nel. Only Bugles corn chips, launched in the 1960s by General Mills, Minneapolis, MN, has prospered in this category. In fact, that brand has grown by leaps and bounds during the past year in a segment of the snack industry that has not seen much growth recently. However, private label sales of corn chips have fallen off dramatically. Corn snacks have been weighed down by poor performance of big brands, said Mintel, the Chicago, IL-based research firm that recently published two reports on the salted snack markets. According to Mintel, the slowdown in total US corn snacks sales seen in 2009 continued as sales declined in 2010. Mintel projected that corn snacks will return to growth in 2011 and will continue growing through 2015. Scanning data from SymphonyIRI supports that corn chips sales have trended up slightly so far this year. Such growth will be solid going forward but not quite as dynamic as seen in 2006 and 2007 when new product innovation was prevalent in the category, according to Mintel. In recent years, Fritos Scoops added functional attributes to the iconic chip by making it more user-friendly when eating dips, queso and chili, but the category needs ongoing product innovation to capture consumers’ interest in the future. That’s especially true in a category where commodity prices continue to rise. According to Mintel, any significant price increase may result in consumers looking elsewhere for their snacking needs, and the segment is already vulnerable. The research firm noted that Frito-Lay had hoped its Fritos Flavor Twists would attract more consumers, particularly younger shoppers interested in intense flavors. However, the category is already experiencing sales issues as its 2010 food, drug store and mass merchandiser sales declined to below 2008 levels, which make it unlikely the snack will be a breakout hit, according to Mintel. Many other SFA members dabble in this category, and some even perform well on a regional basis, according to SymphonyIRI data. For instance, Barcel, the snack arm of Mexico City, Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo with US offices in Irving, TX, targets consumers with its Chipotles corn chips and its Takis crunchy fajita corn snacks. Nationally, General Mills promotes its Bugles brands in myriad recipes on its Betty Crocker website. —Dan Malovany Top Corn Snack Brands Brand / Vendor Dollar Sales ($mil) 428.7 197.6 127.7 34.5 28.2 11.9 3.0 2.2 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 0.8 Dollar Sales % Change 0.8 2.9 (4.2) 36.8 (3.1) (20.0) (23.4) (39.8) 22.0 (2.4) (2.0) (10.7) (19.8) 6.7 29.4 (30.7) (15.0) Unit Sales (mil) 211.1 104.6 45.3 17.0 17.1 7.7. 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.8 1.6 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.5 0.3 Unit Sales Volume Volume Sales % Change Sales % Change (mil lb) 0.7 3.9 (5.0) 34.7 (8.2) (23.4) (25.2) (39.6) 17.1 0.4 (1.1) (11.0) (16.5) 7.7 28.8 (26.5) (14.5) 105.8 47.1 32.6 7.7 6.7 5.0 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.2 (6.7) (6.3) (11.0) 30.6 (11.4) (22.1) (25.2) (40.6) 21.4 (1.9) (1.1) (13.5) (16.8) (7.4) 31.7 (30.9) (16.4) Corn Snacks (No Tortilla Chips) - total Fritos/Frito-Lay North America, Inc. Fritos Scoops/Frito-Lay North America, Inc. Bugles/General Mills Fritos Flavor Twists/Frito-Lay North America, Inc. Private label Fritos Singles/Frito-Lay North America, Inc. Quaker Tortillaz/Quaker Oats Co. Wise Dipsy Doodles/Wise Foods Mike-sell’s/Mike-sell’s Potato Chip Co. Have’a/Have’a Natural Foods Tom’s Bugles/Tom’s Foods, Inc. Robert’s American Gourmet Tings/ Roberts American Gourmet Tom’s/Tom’s Foods, Inc. Barcel Churritos/Bimbo Bakeries USA Snyder of Berlin/Snyder of Berlin Barrel O’ Fun/Barrel O’ Fun Snack Foods Source: InfoScan Reviews Total US - Supermarkets, Drugstores and Mass Merchandisers (excluding Wal-Mart) 52 Weeks Ending Feb. 20, 2011 Snack World May 2011 www.sfa.org 27 http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - May 1, 2011

Snack World - May 1, 2011
Contents
Letter from SFA - Progress and Advocacy
Supplier’s Corner - Onward and Upward
Government Affairs - SFA on the March
Government Affairs - Change Ahead
State of the Industry Report - Brands are Back
For More Research on Snacks
Natural Chips Reign Supreme
Top Potato Chip Brands
TORTILLA CHIPS - Tackling Hot Trends
PRETZELS - Healthy and Beyond
SNACK CRACKERS - The More Healthful Snack
Top Pretzel Brands
Top Snack Cracker Brands
COOKIES - Decadently Healthy
CORN SNACKS - The Scoop on Corn Chips
Top Corn Snack Brands
SNACK NUTS & SEEDS - Investing in Innovation
Top Nut, Seed and Corn Nut Brands
CHEESE SNACKS - Say Cheese to New Snacks
Top Cheese Snack Brands
PORK RINDS - Still on a Fast Track
Top Pork Rind Brands
MEAT SNACKS - Meating High Expectations
Top Meat Snack Brands
READY-TO-EAT POPCORN - Expanding Indulgence
Top RTE Popc orn/Caramel C orn Brands
MICROWAVE POPCORN - Convenience and Health
OTHER SALTED SNACKS - Catch-all Segment Builds With Variety
Top Microwave Popcorn Brands
Top Other Salted Snack Brands
SALSA AND DIPS - Salsa Dips, Dips Rise
Top Salsa and Dip Brands
Innovative and Educational …
Earl Wise Sr. Enters Circle of Honor
Overheard at SnaxPro
Get Ready for SNAXPO 2012: Celebrating 75 Years
New Snacks
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - May 1, 2011