The salty snack category is an important one for retailers targeting the impulse food shopper. According to a General Mill survey of more than 3,000 convenience store food and beverage shoppers between the ages of 18 and 54, salty snacks are an impulse driven category, with the items eaten in the afternoon within one hour of purchase. Nearly 70 percent of shoppers cited mood enhancement as the reason they purchase salty snacks.
“Consumers use Salty Snacks to feel better; as a reward, as a treat to help satisfy cravings or as a way to disconnect from their busy lives. Taste is the first and foremost driver for Salty Snack purchases, but the ways shoppers satisfy their salty cravings help differentiate the multitude of products available,” said Kelly Kees, consumer insights researcher at General Mills Convenience and Foodservice in a release. “Retailers need to ensure they have a broad assortment of salty products. Spicy snacks, salty/sweet snacks and different product forms like snack mixes fulfill additional consumer needs beyond the initial salty craving, like health, satiety or passing the time.”
The salted snack food category has been growing at more than five percent for the last five years, according to Nielsen data.
Editor’s Note: Micro market operators and merchandisers can look to convenience stores for trends and products that might be sellers in micro markets as the customers are similar.
