With Super Bowl LVII just around the corner, Frito-Lay released its latest Snack Index to ensure there are no game day party fouls, as half of the country believes running out of snacks is worse than their team losing the Super Bowl.
"The Super Bowl is about more than just football, it's about spending time with loved ones and snacking has become a big part of that ritual," Denise Lefebvre, senior vice president of R&D for PepsiCo Foods, said in the announcement. "That's why we invest in understanding what our consumers want, so they can have the right flavors, variety and snack styles to make their spreads a touchdown everyone can celebrate."
Highlights from the Snack Index include:
Although loyal to their favorites, Americans are equally open to new flavor varieties. Half (50%) like to try new flavors rather than just keeping to their classics.
Gen Z notes a love for flavor "dust," with nearly 3 in 5 (59%) preferring snacks that leave remnants on their fingers, compared to just 40% overall.
59% of Americans have bonded over snack preferences with people they have struggled to make conversation with, including a partner's friends or family (27%), co-workers (24%) and even strangers in the checkout line (18%).
Gen Z (79%) and millennials (72%) are the most likely people to have connected with another person over snacks, followed by Gen X (61%) and baby boomers (42%).
Only 3 in 10 Americans have gotten into an argument over snack flavors.
Compared to previous years, 3 in 4 (71%) say they're more excited to try new flavors or variations of their favorite snacks in 2023.
Millennials (61%) are the most eager to try new snack flavors, followed by Gen Z (57%) and Gen X (52%). On the other hand, baby boomers prefer to stick with tried-and-true classic flavors at 38%.
Methodology: The survey was conducted between January 12 and January 17, 2023, among a national sample of 2,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+. The interviews were conducted using an email invitation and an online survey. The data has been weighted to ensure an accurate representation of the U.S. adult population ages 18+.
