Where the Gains Are
All bar segments saw gains in c-store dollar and unit sales in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, according to IRI. The nutritional/intrinsic health value segment, which includes brands such as Clif, Kellogg’s Special K and Quest Bar, grew unit sales by 11%.
According to Nielsen figures for the 52 weeks ending Jan. 23, 2016, c-store bar sales totaled $711.9 million, up 10%. More than 69% of c-store bar sales came from the portable health and lifestyle segment, which saw a more than 14% jump in dollar sales.
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
| Bar type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutritional/intrinsic health value | $589.8 | 15.0% | 271.7 | 11.0% |
| Breakfast/cereal/snack bars | $174.5 | 7.8% | 148.4 | 5.1% |
| Granola bars | $102.8 | 8.2% | 126.7 | 7.0% |
| Total** | $869.0 | 12.4% | 547.9 | 8.2% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Jan. 23, 2016
| Bar type | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Protein recovery | $223.4 | 29.0% | 78.3 | 27.0% |
| Energy endurance | $128.5 | 2.0% | 69.6 | 1.0% |
| Granola bars | $126.0 | 8.0% | 134.6 | 5.0% |
| Breakfast/cereal bars | $92.6 | (8.0%) | 84.3 | (9.0%) |
| Healthy snack | $58.6 | 38.0% | 29.8 | 33.0% |
| Functional nutrition | $26.3 | 0.0% | 13.4 | 0.0% |
| Kids | $0.9 | 124.0% | 0.4 | 181.0% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar |* Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Market Share by Bar Type
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
Nutritional/intrinsic health value bars provided more than two-thirds of bar dollar sales and nearly half of unit sales in 2015, according to IRI.
Portable Health and Lifestyle Bar Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Jan. 23, 2016
Clif Bar, Quest Nutrition and Kind gained in c-store unit sales of portable health and lifestyle bars, a Nielsen-defined segment that includes protein and energy bars.
Manufacturers
| Manufacturer | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clif Bar Inc. | $121.7 | 12.9% | 61.5 | 12.9% |
| Post Holdings Inc. | $73.2 | (15.4%) | 29.6 | (18.6%) |
| Kellogg Co. | $58.9 | (10.6%) | 30.7 | (11.4%) |
| Quest Nutrition | $57.2 | 697.8% | 19.0 | 695.1% |
| Carlyle Group LP | $53.6 | (3.4%) | 17.8 | (4.8%) |
| Kind LLC | $52.2 | 39.3% | 25.7 | 38.3% |
| Total** | $492.5 | 14.2% | 219.9 | 10.8% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar |* Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Brands
| Manufacturer | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Clif | $98.3 | 14.5% | 51.6 | 13.9% |
| Quest Bar | $57.2 | 697.8% | 19 | 695.1% |
| Special K Protein | $53.9 | (4.3%) | 28.1 | (5.3%) |
| Power Bar Protein Plus | $35.9 | (5.8%) | 14.4 | (6.2%) |
| Kind Plus | $25.3 | 26.7% | 12.4 | 25.0% |
| Supreme Protein | $21.8 | (15.7%) | 6.6 | (17.0%) |
| Clif Builders | $19.2 | 15.0% | 8 | 12.8% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal | $18.5 | 4.4% | 5.9 | 3.5% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 | $15.1 | 1.1% | 4.7 | 0.4% |
| Kind Fruit & Nut | $13.3 | 7.8% | 6.5 | 7.0% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar |* Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
UPCs
| Manufacturer | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Clif (chocolate chip) | $24.3 | 22.9% | 12.7 | 21.6% |
| Clif (white chocolate macadamia nut) | $24.2 | 13.0% | 12.8 | 12.5% |
| Clif (crunchy peanut butter) | $22.0 | 12.2% | 11.6 | 11.4% |
| Kellogg's Special K Protein (strawberry) | $20.5 | (0.3%) | 10.6 | (1.9%) |
| Quest Bar Protein (cookies & cream) | $19.5 | 529.5% | 6.5 | 527.3% |
| Kellogg's Special K Protein (chocolate peanut butter) | $15.8 | (4.4% | 8.3 | (5.4%) |
| PowerBar Protein Plus (chocolate peanut butter) | $15.6 | (5.5%) | 6.2 | (6.3%) |
| MET-Rx Big 100 (chocolate chip cookie dough) | $14.2 | 4.1% | 4.5 | 3.0% |
| Kind Snack Bar (peanut butter dark chocolate) | $13.4 | 30.4% | 6.6 | 29.4% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal (Super Cookie Crunch) | $12.5 | 7.4% | 4.0 | 6.3% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar |* Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Continued: Cereal Bars & Protein Bars
Breakfast/Cereal/Snack and Granola-Bar Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015
The top breakfast/cereal/snack-bar brand by dollar and unit sales was Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats, according to IRI.
Breakfast/Cereal/Snack-Bar Brands
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kellogg's Rice Krispy Treats | $70.7 | 13.4% | 55.8 | 12.4% |
| Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars | $29.7 | 1.1% | 32.4 | (0.3%) |
| General Mills Golden Grahams Treats | $10.1 | (10.5%) | 7.3 | (11.1%) |
| General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Treats | $9.1 | 17.4% | 6.5 | 17.5% |
| General Mills Lucky Charms Treats | $8.2 | (5.0%) | 5.8 | (5.3%) |
| Total** | $174.5 | 7.8% | 148.4 | 5.1% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
7.0% - Increase in unit sales of granola bars at c-stores in 2015, according to IRI
Granola-bar trends
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Nature Valley | $36.8 | (2.0%) | 41.5 | (4.1%) |
| Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut | $28.6 | 7.9% | 31.3 | 6.5% |
| Sunbelt | $16.9 | 24.1% | 34.4 | 24.6% |
| Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix | $7.8 | 0.2% | 9.0 | (0.6%) |
| Quaker Big Chewy | $2.4 | (0.7%) | 2.5 | (1.5%) |
| Total** | $102.8 | 8.2% | 126.7 | 7.0% |
Source: IRI | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
Consumer in Focus
In a 2014 survey, Mintel found that half of consumers ate snack bars as a between-meal snack, while 18% more used them as a meal replacement, and 11% ate more than one at a time. The type of bars most likely to be used as a meal replacement: nutritional and weightloss bars, with 25% of consumers choosing them for this usage occasion. About 40% ate these bars as a snack. Meanwhile, meal-replacement bars, which are actually formulated to replace a meal, were eaten in that capacity by 24% of the consumers, and as a snack by 44%.
Protein-Recovery-Bar Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Jan. 23, 2016
C-store sales of protein-recovery bars rose by double digits, led by the Quest Bar brand, according to Nielsen.
Brands
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quest Bar | $57.2 | 697.8% | 19.0 | 695.1% |
| Power Bar Protein Plus | $35.9 | (5.8%) | 14.4 | (6.2%) |
| Supreme Protein | $21.8 | (15.7) | 6.6 | (17.0%) |
| Clif Builders | $19.2 | 15.0% | 8.0 | 12.8% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal | $18.5 | 4.4% | 5.9 | 3.5% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 | $15.1 | 1.1% | 4.7 | 0.4% |
| MET-Rx Protein Plus | $12.9 | (7.0%) | 4.2 | 6.2% |
| Gaorade Recover | $10.1 | 109.3% | 4.4 | 115.3% |
| Detour Lean Muscle | $7.8 | (3.9%) | 2.3 | (4.0%) |
| Detour | $5.8 | (1.1%) | 1.8 | (0.5%) |
| Total** | $223.4 | 27.7% | 78.3 | 26.7% |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar | * Percent change from a year ago | ** Including UPCs/brands/families not shown
11% - Increase in c-store unit sales of nutrition/ intrinsic health value bars in 2015, per IRI
UPCs
| UPCs | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA* | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA* |
| Quest Bar Protein (cookies & cream) | $19.5 | 529.5% | 6.5 | 527.3% |
| PowerBar Protein Plus (chocolate peanut butter) | $15.6 | (5.5%) | 6.2 | (6.3%) |
| MET-Rx Big 100 (chocolate chip cookie dough) | $14.2 | 4.1% | 4.5 | 3.0% |
| MET-Rx Big 100 Colossal (Super Cookie Crunch) | $12.5 | 7.4% | 4.0 | 6.3% |
| PowerBar Protein Plus (vanilla) | $11.9 | (5.9%) | 4.7 | (6.5) |
Sources: The Nielsen Co., Clif Bar | * Percent change from a year ago
Best Practice
With consumers clamoring for healthful, on-the-go snacks, retailers should consider putting highly impulsive buys where they are easily found, says Kelly Fulford, senior category development manager for General Mills Convenience & Foodservice.
“In the morning, consumers are not going as deep into the store and they are not spending as much time in the store as in the afternoon,” she says. “Convenience retailers should use coffee as a key destination and merchandise their breakfast/nutrition category as close to coffee as possible, knowing that consumers are most receptive after completing their coffee mission and on their path to purchase.”
Snacks: What to Watch
Salty Snacks
Sweet Snacks
Meat Snacks
Energy/Diet/Granola Bars
Category Manager of the Year: William Slattery
View the full 2016 Category Management Handbook
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