News

GM talks snacking trends

24 Mar 2016

As snack habits evolve, convenience stores need to stay on top of the latest trends to ensure they are meeting consumers’ expectations and to maximize their own success according to the Consumer Insights team from General Mills Convenience & Foodservice.

GM talks snacking trends

As snack habits evolve, convenience stores need to stay on top of the latest trends to ensure they are meeting consumers’ expectations and to maximize their own success according to the Consumer Insights team from General Mills Convenience & Foodservice, who analysed the latest snacking data and convenience consumer behaviour to uncover the top seven trends and opportunities for convenience stores in 2016 and beyond.

“This is such a dynamic time in c-stores right now as snacking and all-day eating become more prevalent and consumers seek out more from their snacks—from unique and unexpected flavors to customization to healthful benefits,” said Kelly Kees, consumer insights researcher at General Mills Convenience and Foodservice. “This new era of snacking presents a major growth opportunity for c-store retailers that offer the right snack options to meet the changing needs of today’s consumers.”

The following is a list of seven trends and associated actionable steps to help retailers leverage the new era of snacking:

Modern Mash-Ups: Snack foods and flavor profiles are mashing together. C-store shoppers, especially millennials, are open to multicultural influence and are looking to mix and match flavors and cuisines, while still being grounded in familiar favorites. Some brands are venturing into different nuances of flavor, like smokiness and tanginess.

• Bring excitement to snack categories though unique flavor and form combinations, such as snacks that turn up the heat on spice.

• Expand foodservice with multicultural offerings, like samosas, egg rolls and quesadillas, or take a twist on current foodservice items by adding exciting flavors, such as wasabi or Sriracha.

Back-to-Basics: Health-conscious shoppers are turning to healthier foods, many of which are high in naturally occurring fats (e.g., nuts, avocados and coconuts). High natural fat and protein are linked with satiety.

• Ensure assortment includes products with inherent protein that are high in natural fats, like nuts, seeds and jerky.

Make It Mine: Customizable specialty beverages and made-to-order foodservice allow shoppers to add their personal touch to food. Millennials especially like to put their stamp on their own creation, which they are willing to pay for.

• Give shoppers room to make their own food creations, like condiment or topping bars in foodservice areas such as roller grills and specialty hot beverages. Customization cues freshness because food and drinks are made real-time and “just for me.”

Fresh = Real Food: Temperature-controlled food, shorter date codes and words like “raw” and “simple” help cue freshness to shoppers, which appeals to consumers looking for less processed food.

• Expand refrigerated/fresh options and locate them near store entrances to alert shoppers to freshness.

• Offer more grab-and-go snack options, like cheese, eggs and fruit.

Transparency: Shoppers today are more concerned about what is in the food they eat. See-through packaging and clear ingredient decks with words they can pronounce give shoppers the label transparency they are looking for.

• Offer a variety of products that include simple ingredients as well as clear packaging, which lowers risk for shoppers.

Shrinkage: Small, portion-controlled snacks allow shoppers to indulge guilt-free. Mini treats satisfy cravings, are portable, snackable and do not bust health goals.

• Tasty treats are not going away, so offer smaller portions or resealable packaging, which can encourage even the most health-conscious shoppers to indulge. Smaller treats also allow for easier sharing and snacking on the go.

Meal Time Blur: Specific meal times are a thing of the past. Snacks can be meals and meals can be snacks. Hectic, on-the-go lifestyles result in more freedom when it comes to what and when we eat. Shoppers are more accepting of smaller, more casual meals, with half of adults replacing meals with snack foods three to four times a week.

• Be mindful of shoppers who may eat cereal at supper or hot dogs as a snack.

• Offer products or solutions that are flexible as a meal or snack option—hummus paired with pretzels or yogurt parfaits, for example.

• Merchandise similar snacks together to encourage bundling snacks to make a meal solution.

Related tags

Sustainability

Related news

Israel approves Aleph Farms’ cell-cultured beef in world first

Israel approves Aleph Farms’ cell-cultured beef in world first

1 Feb 2024

Israel has granted the first regulatory approval for the commercial sale of cultivated beef, joining the US and Singapore in officially recognising cultivated meat’s role towards protein diversification.

Read more 
Fazer and Solar Foods launch snack bar made with air protein

Fazer and Solar Foods launch snack bar made with air protein

30 Jan 2024

Finnish food manufacturer Fazer has teamed up with foodtech startup Solar Foods to launch a limited-edition snack bar in Singapore made using a novel, carbon-fed microbial protein.

Read more 
Big brands invest in precision fermentation-derived palm oil

Big brands invest in precision fermentation-derived palm oil

25 Jan 2024

Although still not approved for food applications, big brands such as Unilever and Doehler are investing in precision fermentation-derived palm oil in a bid to reduce the environmental impact associated with this conventional palm oil.

Read more 
Supergrain fonio expands its reach in US market

Supergrain fonio expands its reach in US market

11 Jan 2024

More US consumers will find nutritious, climate-smart grain fonio in supermarkets thanks to a new distribution structure for the import’s most prominent commercial brand, Yolélé.

Read more 
Sustainability meets innovation at Fi Europe 2023's Sustainability Ingredients Zone

Sustainability meets innovation at Fi Europe 2023's Sustainability Ingredients Zone

9 Jan 2024

Fi Europe’s Sustainable Ingredients Zone showcases ingredients forging a path toward a greener future. Three innovators are redefining what sustainability within the food and beverage industry means, with upcycled products, regenerative agriculture, an...

Read more 
Supermarkets innovate with private label plant-based ranges

Supermarkets innovate with private label plant-based ranges

9 Jan 2024

Plant-based product ranges are an important part of retailers’ private label innovation efforts – and represent an important way for supermarkets to reduce their environmental impact.

Read more 
The UK prepares to open food security science centre

The UK prepares to open food security science centre

2 Jan 2024

Amid global food insecurity, the UK government says it is committed to producing crops resilient to climate change and addressing hunger and malnutrition with a food security science centre.

Read more 
Novel food safety platform could eliminate animal testing

Novel food safety platform could eliminate animal testing

21 Dec 2023

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has introduced a new platform that has the potential to eliminate animal testing in the food industry.

Read more 
Water-conscious consumers, upcycled food, and tech-driven sustainability: Highlights from Fi Europe, part 2

Water-conscious consumers, upcycled food, and tech-driven sustainability: Highlights from Fi Europe, part 2

14 Dec 2023

With climate change becoming a tangible reality, consumers’ environmental concerns are changing. At Fi Europe, market analysts revealed how people are now interested in everyday issues like water shortages and tech-driven solutions such as GM drought-r...

Read more 
The food industry’s single-use packaging problem

The food industry’s single-use packaging problem

12 Dec 2023

The food industry’s reliance on single-use packaging is a sustainability “sticking point” with viable alternatives not widely available – but new EU rules mean food businesses will remain responsible for the collection and disposal of the packaging the...

Read more