It’s Important to Snag Snackers

According to a report from bharatbook.com, snacks at restaurants held relatively stable from 2005 through 2009, and similar results are forecast for 2010 and 2011.

“Snacks and Dessert Trends in the U.S. Foodservice Market” points out that snacking trends intersect with some of the food service industry’s most important challenges, and that is why “cracking the snacking code has become a necessity.”

The report points out that with their low price points, high portability, and upselling potential, snacking strategies can boost mid-morning and mid-afternoon sales, drive guest traffic, and leverage on-site upselling to higher-priced items or bundled meals. The bottom line is that snacking strategies can not only help operators address incremental true snacking occasions, but operators can also use snackable items as carrots to entice customers to purchase more food and beverages and give consumers highly portable food options, as well.

Bharatbbook’s snacking study also delineates five Snacking Lifestyle groups: Carefree Snackers, Fast Food Slighting Hurried Healthy Snackers (a mouthful, pun intended), Hurried Healthy Snackers, Calorie-Conscious Small Mealers, and Healthy Calorie-Conscious Snackers.

In these uncertain economic times, finding and capitalizing on opportunities and niches like snacks present can go a long way toward maintaining financial stability. The retailer who evolves a viable snacking strategy can make the old saw that every little bit counts a profitable reality.