subject: Sweet And Salty/savory Snacks In The U.s.: Lifestyle Marketing And New Product Development [print this page] Estimating U.SEstimating U.S. retail sales of packaged snacks at $68 billion in 2008, Projects sales to near $82 billion by 2013, a total market increase of 20%. Despite the dampening effects of global recession, consumers are snacking more than ever, thanks to pull-backs in restaurant dining, harried lifestyles that reduce opportunities for sit-down meals, and a growing consensus that several small meals or snacks during the day are actually healthier than the three-squares paradigm. In addition, as the sluggish economy fans job-loss fears, health insurance woes, and environmental and social justice anxieties, snack consumers are embracing a value mentality that prizes quality and whole ingredients, better for you recipes, and green production practices. While low prices are always a draw, consumers are looking for snacks with fewer additives or preservatives, and even spending extra dollars for organic and premium snack treats that can boost their flagging spirits over the long climb back to prosperity.
To accommodate the complexities of the U.S. market within shifting economic and cultural contexts, and to contextualize these trends within the global marketplace, this report investigates not only the raw numbers associated with product launches, sales and market positions, but also the lifestyle patterns and the financial, social and political concerns that contribute to the rise and fall of snacking trends. While organizing snack products into sweet and salty/savory categories as in previous editions, this edition segments the discussion into four topic chapters based on lifestyle and industry classificationsValue and Traditional, Functional and Fortified, Natural and Organic, and Premium and Gourmet. The analysis focuses on shelf-stable, packaged snacks sold throughout the full retail universe, from national brands and private labels to the often edgier products of niche gourmet and organic players.
