Snacks define the day
Allied to convenience is the continued growth of the snacking market. Snacking is no longer the optional extra – it is now the “definitive” meal occasion, argues Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights.
“For most consumers, snacking is a part of daily life and always has been,” she says. “What is changing, however, is the way people think about snacking and what is considered a snack.”
The number of global food and beverage launches carrying a snacking claim rose 10% annually from 2013–2017, according to Innova.
The idea of ‘snackification’ is simple but it can be adapted to suit any lifestyle, suggests Robert Rona, director of new markets, products and services at The Triangle Nutrition.
“Consumers are swapping sit-down meals for ‘snackfast’ options in the morning, and meals-on-the-go make lunch and dinner options much easier,” says Rona. “They rely on easy-to-make breakfast bars, porridge pots, protein shakes, noodle and pasta pots, ready-made salads and sandwiches, which require minimum effort.”
The trend of snacking is never going to go away, and the popularity of following a healthier lifestyle is constantly growing – so brands and retailers would be missing a trick to not embrace both trends, claims Rona.
“The great thing about creating products to fit into snackification is that they can be eaten as a standalone product or as part of this movement”, he adds.
