Snac World - Official State of the Industry 2021 - 36

POTATO CHIPS
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
MIX AND
I
In the potato chip aisle, those who hesitate may
miss out on something new as snack manufacturers
rolled out flavors and line extensions
for a limited-time only (LTO). It doesn't matter
if they're Lay's summertime flavors or a Herr's
mystery flavors contest - and the chance to win
$10,000 - that were only available for a couple
months. Fear of missing out (FOMO) has proven
to be an effective marketing and merchandising
tool for driving impulse potato chip purchases.
Overall, the Potato Chips category experienced
a 5.3% growth, according to IRI data for 52 weeks
ending May 16, 2021. That bodes good news not
only for the category, but also for the snack industry
as a whole. The segment saw double-digit growth
by many brands, including Lay's, Pringles, Kettle,
Miss Vickie's and Zapps, as competition in the
snack aisle remained strong.
However, overall unit sales and volume for the
Potato Chips category declined ever so slightly.
Those numbers could indicate that retailers are
MASHUPS
Potato chip makers rely on FOMO to fire up sales.
allowing potato chip producers to raise overall pricing.
At the same time, the data could also reflect
challenged year-over-year comparisons to the previous
year when American households stocked up
during the first few months of the pandemic.
During a recent webinar on " The Snacking Frenzy
in 2021 and Beyond, " Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive
vice president and practice leader, IRI, urged the
industry to develop innovative products to fuel the
snacking craze.
" Ensure each brand in your portfolio provides
incrementality for consumer targets and/or occasions
and/or nutritional needs, " she said. " You do
not need multiple products in your portfolio that
are going to the same person for the same need. It
doesn't mean you can't. But what would be even
better is if you had products not only going after
maybe the same person but maybe for a different
occasion or different target to find incremental buyers
[and] to find incremental loyalists. "
LTOs do just that. Feed the FOMO.
- Dan Malovany
CATEGORY INNOVATIONS
Herr's launched the Flavor Mix Mystery Chip where
consumers with the sharpest taste buds are asked to guess
the three flavors in the snack for a chance to win $10,000
and a year supply of Herr's. Others like Frito-Lay rolled out
limited-time Lay's snacks that come in Chile Mango, Wavy
Jerk Chicken and Summer BLT flavors.
Potato chip makers introduced different textures and
flavors. Tim's Cascade Snacks, a part of Utz Brands, rolled
out Cajun-flavored variety of extra thick and crunchy chips,
while Boulder Canyon, another Utz-owned brand, came out
with thin and crispy ones.
Large family-sized bags surged in popularity as
households remained homebound, but sales of smaller
packs are expected to increase as mobility returns this year.
Hot and spicy potato chips come in all flavors, including
Wise Southern Peach Habanero, Pringles Pineapple
Habanero, Ballreich's Sriracha and Snak King's El Sabroso/
Tapatio hot sauce varieties.
Some producers found inspiration from the foodservice
channel with the Kellogg Company rolling out Pringles Wavy
Moa Burger with a ginger, garlic and burger flavor blend.
34
SNAC WORLD 2021
Snac World - Official State of the Industry 2021

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