Industry Report 2021 Deep Dive
Candy & Snacks
Exclusive data and analysis of the candy and snack categories at convenience stores.
-5.7%
-1.8%
-3.2%
-2.0%
-1.9%
48.46%
48.62%
49.02%
48.26%
47.00%
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about heightened interest in comfort foods and shelf-stable items, such as chips, pretzels and snack nuts, as well as frozen sweets.
Consumers have added more between-meal snacking occasions per capita over the past five years, and snack-food consumption at meals has also increased over the past decade.
Amidst the uncertainty of the coronavirus
outbreak, candy and snacks remained important to consumers’ emotional well-being and feeling connected — whether it was a quick escape for parents from the chaos of balancing work from home with virtual school, a celebration of a milestone moment, or sending a treat to a friend from afar.
As the U.S. emerges from the pandemic, consumers are expected to return to a wider variety of snack options, particularly healthy snacks. Enhanced packaging that clearly communicates a product’s better-for-you attributes — such as non-GMO, organic, gluten free and protein content — are anticipated to resonate well with consumers during these times.
3.12%
3.13%
3.17%
3.17%
3.19%
-10.5%
-0.5%
-1.1%
-1.9%
1.1%
38.16%
38.30%
38.05%
37.86%
36.60%
2.67%
2.85%
2.87%
2.81%
2.74%
ALTERNATIVE SNACKS
-4.8%
-0.1%
-1.2%
-1.8%
3.8%
43.77%
44.43%
43.41%
44.09%
43.70%
1.10%
1.10%
1.11%
1.10%
1.11%
