No surprise here: Candy is a major focus of the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo, held each May in Chicago. But the other half is no less important just because it follows the ampersand.
This holds true, especially today, as consumers continue to snack more regularly and for increasingly varied reasons.
When consumers are asked why they buy and eat candy, the answers often revolve around indulgence, special occasions and celebrations. But snacking has evolved along different lines, said Sally Lyons Wyatt of Chicago-based IRI during a presentation at the 2016 Sweets & Snacks Expo. Snacking is serving other functions such as satisfying hunger, providing sustenance between meals, meeting daily nutritional goals or providing energy.
Consumers have told IRI in the past 10 years that they are snacking more: 2.7 snacks per day on average. In 2015, 46% of consumers were eating more than three snacks per day—up five points from a year ago.“
There will be a point in time where this plateaus,” said Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and practice leader, consumer and shopper insights, for IRI. “Still, consumers are absolutely gravitating to snacking.”
This year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo yielded its usual bounty of trends. Click here to view 10 that sparked the curiosity of the CSP editors who attended.
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