Snac World - May 2017 - 8

NEWS
Global snack trends aid in 'war
on breakfast'

Portability reigns king in traditional
and new snacks

First, the biscuits came, and in 2012 belVita convinced
American consumers that it was okay to eat a cookie in
the car for breakfast.
Then came the bars and high-protein snacks that
provided portability and satiety at breakfast time,
leaving traditional ready-to-eat cereals in the dark. This
is due in part to hurried lifestyles that are becoming
more prevalent in the US and other international markets, said Jared Koerten, senior analyst, Euromonitor.
In Euromonitor's research, nearly 60% of US consumers reported eating breakfast during their morning
commute, and Mexico and Colombia reported more
than 50% and 30%, respectively.
Today, breakfast continues to evolve, and global
trends are leading the charge in the continued
"war on breakfast" that Mr. Koerten described in his
state of snacking report at SNAXPO, held April 1-4
in Savannah, GA.
Breakfast biscuits have morphed into sandwiches,
including belVita's latest offering, the belVita Breakfast
Sandwich, featuring a yogurt crème between two
whole grain biscuits. Mr. Koerten also noted that Greek
yogurt sandwich biscuits are gaining popularity in
South Korea, while in other Asian markets products
such as Greek yogurt-infused breakfast pastries are
emerging as probiotics gain popularity.
Although Greek yogurt has shaken up the snack
market in the past five years, Mr. Koerten observed a
"changing of the guard" in terms of how yogurt is being consumed. Spoonable yogurt products are giving
way to portability with more drinkable versions in the
form of products like smoothies, due in part to Latino
markets. In Brazil and Mexico, drinkable yogurt is approaching 50% of the market.
- Joanie Spencer

Portability and transparency are two leading trends
in the world of snack packaging. Now, more than
ever, packaging matters.
These trends are being fueled by the way consumers think, and data from Information Resources, Inc.
(IRI), shows that people are thinking differently about
how their snacks are packaged. Sally Lyons Wyatt,
executive vice-president and practice leader, noted
that in a recent IRI study 35% of consumers said they
want sustainable packaging on their products. More
than half of those consumers are 25 to 44 years old.
Of those wanting sustainably packaged snacks, 47%
want biodegradable packaging.
In traditional retail locations, smaller portions
gain popularity as they lend themselves more to
portability. According to Euromonitor International,
1- to 3-oz packages of savory snacks reached almost
40% of total unit sales in the US by package size in
2016. Meanwhile, 4- to 6-oz packages made up about
16% of unit sales, 7- to 9-oz packages made up 19%
and larger packages were all below 15% and have
been declining in the past five years.
- Nico Roesler

SNAC International Events
Legislative Summit - June 12-14
Hyatt Regency Washington, Washington, DC
www.snacintl.org
Executive Leadership Forum - Sept. 17-19
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO
www.snacintl.org
Emerging Leaders Program - TBD
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
www.snacintl.org
8

SNAC World

May 2017 www.snacintl.org

Indulgent snacks outpacing healthy
American consumers gravitate toward health and
wellness, which creates opportunity for growth in
the snacking universe. But don't be fooled ... healthy
snacks don't yet rule the roost. Salty snacks still reign
supreme, and indulgent snacks are winning the day
in the macrosnacking universe, said Sally Lyons Wyatt,
executive vice-president and practice leader, IRI,
speaking at SNAXPO.
"From a macro perspective, indulgent snacks are
outpacing the healthier," Ms. Lyons Wyatt said, noting
that indulgent snacks have seen 2.5% growth vs. a
decline of -2.2% on the healthy side. However, she
said, on core snacking - looking at traditional snacks
as a whole - it's all experiencing growth.
In terms of raw-dollar growth, Frito-Lay North
America, Plano, TX, spurred growth in 2016 through
innovations such as new flavor developments. Additionally, Ms. Lyons Wyatt pointed out that sales of
whole-fat ice cream, yogurt and other novelties have
increased, spurring a return to dairy.
Despite the overall decline for healthy snacks, Ms.
Lyons Wyatt identified a few sub-categories that
found success in 2016, due in part to portability for
products such as fruit, nuts and meat snacks, ones
she pointed out to be poised for huge future growth.
- Joanie Spencer

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snac World - May 2017