Snacktime Is Mealtime
The culture of eating has seen dynamic change over the past few decades, and retailers are called to make offerings relevant to shoppers. Increased attention to nutrition, the irregular climate of eating occasions and the heightened appeal of convenience are strong considerations when retailers decide how to promote food choices.
The Food Marketing Institutes (FMI) “U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends 2015” suggests Americans continue to place high value on health and wellness. The paradigm shift of “reactive” health decisions based on a new diagnosis or recommendation has been replaced with a “proactive” mindset in selecting nutritious foods as a personal responsibility of the shopper (80 percent of those surveyed).
Fears of weight gain and disease onset have been exchanged for a holistic view of health that focuses on generalized healthy eating and mounting interest in how food is produced. On average, 29 percent of adults consider their diets currently healthy, and 66 percent are motivated to improve their health.
More usable insights from FMI’s study show that eating occasions are being spent on the run (29 percent of the time), alone (46 percent), or skipped altogether (18 percent). Furthermore, 48 percent of adults replace meals with snacks three to four times a week, and 90 percent of consumers snack multiple times throughout any day.
Progressive Grocer’s 68th Annual Consumer Expenditure Survey, published last summer, supports this notion, finding that in 2015, shoppers spent $24.5 billion on snacks — the highest sales in grocery, representing a 2.8 percent spike since 2014 and 4 percent since 2010.
Nutritional Opportunities
This food movement should spell opportunity for retailers in the snack category. Consumers of all ages want nutritious, flavorful and easy foods and beverages. Retailers can begin by engaging branding, marketing, merchandising and procurement teams to agree on what makes a food “healthy.”
For instance, the FDA defines “healthy” as low in fat (≤3 grams), low in saturated fat (≤1 gram), limited in sodium (≤480 milligrams) and a good source (≥10 percent Daily Value) of vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, protein, or fiber, per RACC (reference amounts customarily consumed) for most foods.
To put this into perspective, limiting added oils and salt in product formulations while opting for low-fat dairy and plant-based foods can make inventory more health-conscious.
Simple ways of turning up the nutrition and adapting snack selections for customers include cross-merchandising with produce, considering dietary restrictions and offering single-serve foods. Fruits and vegetables earn a place in snacking by creating healthier eating occasions.
Good ideas for promotions include peanut butter merchandised alongside fresh celery, a small light yogurt near fresh berries for an easy parfait, whole grain cereal placed near bananas, or nondairy milks next door to a fresh fruit medley for individual smoothies. Many customers with chronic health conditions, or even those eliminating gluten, dairy or animal products, can find resolve in snack options such as nut mixes, applesauce, dried fruit, certain grain salads, and portion-controlled dips like hummus, pico de gallo and guacamole. Healthier private label products can be positioned nearby to help boost basket size and grow margins.
The grocery industry must be on par with the fluid environment of food preferences, needs and trends. The influx of more numerous yet private eating occasions and a vested interest in health by the majority of shoppers should spur retailers to invent, market and merchandise even more better-for-you options at the point of purchase.
The influx of more numerous yet private eating occasions and a vested interest in health by the majority of shoppers should spur retailers to invent, market and merchandise even more better-for-you options at the point of purchase.