Where the Gains Are
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
Convenience store sales of salty snacks were a mixed bag in 2013, judging by IRI figures. The largest segment, potato chips, saw units off 2.6%, and cheese and corn snacks both lost unit volume as well. On the upswing: tortilla/tostada chips, snack nuts, pretzels, trail mixes and ready-to-eat popcorn, among others.
| Subcategory | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Potato chips | $1,382.3 | 1.2% | 884.1 | -2.6% |
| Dried meat snacks | $1,230.3 | 2.1% | 515.1 | -0.9% |
| Tortilla/tostada chips | $782.6 | 9.4% | 433.4 | 5.6% |
| Other salted snacks (no nuts) | $743.1 | 3.6% | 419.7 | 1.5% |
| Snack nuts | $482.3 | 7.5% | 401.7 | 2.7% |
| Cheese snacks | $457.5 | 2.3% | 300.0 | -2.3% |
| Crackers | $384.0 | 5.7% | 375.5 | 0.4% |
| Corn snacks (no tortilla chips) | $350.6 | 1.2% | 211.9 | -3.9% |
| Sunflower/ pumpkin seeds | $294.0 | -4.0% | 266.4 | -9.6% |
| Pretzels | $224.4 | 4.4% | 147.9 | 6.7% |
| Nutritional snacks/trail mixes | $183.1 | 19.5% | 71.8 | 15.1% |
| Ready-to-eat popcorn/ caramel corn | $176.3 | 15.5% | 109.1 | 11.4% |
| Pork rinds | $155.9 | 1.3% | 108.3 | -2.9% |
| Toasted corn nut snacks | $48.4 | -13.7% | 32.4 | -15.1% |
| Chocolate-covered salted snacks | $38.2 | 23.5% | 14.6 | 19.8% |
Source: IRI
Customer in Focus
According to its 2013 report on salty snacks, Packaged Facts reports that there are 50 million consumers who often snack between meals and agree that “salted snacks are my favorite snack.” Within this group, 14.2 million are “healthy” salty snackers, preferring salty snacks and also usually only snack on healthful food. They exercise frequently, seek out foods with healthful ingredients and “do not see a conflict between craving salty snacks and pursuing a healthy snacking diet.”
Distributor Data: Snack Shipments
Calendar year 2013
Shipments of snacks from distributor McLane were largely up in 2013, with meat snacks, nutritional bars, chips and nuts all among the gainers.
| Segment | Avg. shipments per store per week (in dollars) | Avg. shipments per store per week (dollar growth) | PCYA |
| Meat snacks | $88.29 | $2.22 | 2.7% |
| Nutritional | $49.07 | $3.06 | 6.7% |
| Other salty snacks | $38.71 | $0.87 | 2.3% |
| Chips/pretzels/rinds | $32.46 | $1.78 | 5.8% |
| Nuts | $31.76 | $1.94 | 6.5% |
| Cookies | $30.55 | $1.23 | 4.2% |
| Crackers | $15.52 | -$0.17 | -1.1% |
| Trail mix | $15.01 | $3.94 | 35.6% |
| Seeds/kernels | $12.93 | -$1.73 | -11.8% |
| Packaged popcorn | $2.66 | $0.72 | 37.3% |
Source: McLane Co.
Miscellaneous Snack Brands
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store unit sales of trail mixes rose 15.1% in 2013, while chocolate-covered salted snacks were up 19.8%, according to IRI.
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Planters nutritional snack/trail mixes | $49.5 | 2.2% | 16.9 | -4.7% |
| Snak Club nutritional snack/trail mixes | $26.7 | 21.5% | 9.0 | 12.1% |
| Private-label nutritional snack/ trail mixes | $14.4 | -0.4% | 6.2 | 10.3% |
| Frito Lay nutritional snack/trail mixes | $14.1 | 8.9% | 7.1 | 8.8% |
| Flipz chocolatecovered salted snack | $13.9 | -5.2% | 5.2 | -8.0% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $231.1 | 20.8% | 90.4 | 16.7% |
Source: IRI
Latest Quarter: Salty-Snack UPCs
C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
The last quarter of 2013 saw a 2.6% increase in unit sales of salty snacks, with all of the top 10 UPCs enjoying gains, according to IRI c-store figures.
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Doritos Nacho Cheese tortilla chip (3.375-oz.) | $33.1 | 28.4% | 22.5 | 28.5% |
| Lay’s Classic Potato Chip (2.875-oz.) | $25.1 | 21.8% | 17.0 | 21.3% |
| Doritos Nacho Cheese tortilla chip (11.0-oz.) | $22.6 | NA | 5.4 | NA |
| Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chip (2.875-oz.) | $21.6 | 23.2% | 14.6 | 23.1% |
| Cheetos Flamin’ Hot cheese snack (3.75-oz.) | $20.0 | 24.5% | 13.5 | 24.2% |
| Funyuns onion snack (2.625-oz.) | $18.8 | 14.7% | 12.7 | 14.5% |
| Doritos Cool Ranch tortilla chip (3.375-oz.) | $18.0 | 28.9% | 12.3 | 29.1% |
| Cheetos cheese snack (3.75-oz.) | $16.7 | 18.8% | 11.3 | 18.5% |
| Chester's Flamin' Hot corn & potato snack (4.375-oz.) | $15.0 | 33.7% | 10.1 | 33.4% |
| Chettos cheese snack (3.75-oz.) | $12.5 | 19.1% | 8.4 | 18.9% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $1,051.3 | 5.6% | 637.6 | 2.6% |
Source: IRI
Salty-Snack UPCs (non-DSD)
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
According to IRI figures shared by General Mills, direct-store-delivery (DSD) salty-snack sales rose nearly 4% in 2013 to hit $3.9 billion, with units up 0.7%. Total warehouse salty-snack sales grew 4.6% to reach $1.8 billion, with units up 1.1%.
| Salty-Snack UPCs by Dollars (warehouse-delivered salty snacks only) | ||
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA |
| Gardetto’s Original Snack Mix (5.5-oz.) | $27.9 | -1.1% |
| Sunshine Cheez-It Original Cracker (3-oz.) | $25.0 | 11.5% |
| General Mills Chex Mix (traditional, 3.75-oz.) | $22.0 | 0.5% |
| Wonderful Pistachio Whole (5-oz.) | $21.8 | 65.3% |
| Combos Pizzeria Pretzel (6.3-oz.) | $21.2 | -5.6% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $1,801.3 | 4.6% |
| Salty-Snack UPCs by Units (warehouse-delivered salty snacks only) | ||
| UPC | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Cracker (1.8-oz.) | 22.2 | 13.4% |
| Planters Peanuts Regular (1.75-oz.) | 21.6 | -16.1% |
| Keebler Peanut Butter Sandwich Cracker (1.8-oz.) | 21.0 | 10.1% |
| Sunshine Cheez-It Original Cracker (3-oz.) | 17.7 | 7.7% |
| Keebler Club Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Cracker (1.8-oz.) | 16.5 | 0.3% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | 1,081.6 | 1.1% |
Sources: IRI, General Mills Inc.
Snack-Nut and Seed Trends
C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013
C-store sales of nuts continued to chug along in 2013, with unit sales up 2.7%, according to IRI. Seed unit sales fell nearly 10%, although some of the top-selling brands—Spitz, Bigs—saw generous gains.
| Snack-Nut Brands | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Planters | $128.9 | -0.4% | 99.2 | -8.4% |
| Frito-Lay | $79.2 | 20.5% | 44.0 | 18.7% |
| Frito-Lay Munchies | $31.4 | 30.6% | 52.5 | 15.5% |
| Wonderful | $28.5 | 73.3% | 9.1 | 39.2% |
| Munchies | $28.3 | -13.1% | 53.4 | -5.8% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $482.3 | 7.5% | 401.7 | 2.7% |
| Seed Brands | ||||
| David | $96.2 | -8.3% | 58.5 | -9.9% |
| Frito-Lay | $79.5 | -16.3% | 128.6 | -17.4% |
| Spitz | $41.9 | 15.9% | 23.9 | 15.5% |
| Giants | $17.5 | 5.2% | 9.2 | 1.5% |
| Bigs | $16.5 | 34.6% | 8.6 | 32.8% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $294.0 | -4.0% | 266.4 | -9.6% |
Source: IRI
Potato-Chip Trends
Potato-chip unit sales fell for the second year in a row, according to IRI c-store figures, with one-half of the top 10 brands seeing declines in unit volume.
| Potato-Chip Brands C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand/UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Lay’s | $442.8 | 4.6% | 282.8 | -0.1% |
| Ruffles | $191.6 | -11.1% | 111.5 | -15.6% |
| Pringles | $139.1 | 8.6% | 74.9 | 7.4% |
| Lay’s Kettle Cooked | $65.3 | -2.1% | 35.2 | -5.7% |
| Munchos | $45.9 | -7.9% | 28.0 | -13.0% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $1,382.3 | 1.2% | 884.1 | -2.6% |
| Latest Quarter: UPCs C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Lay’s Classic Potato Chip (2.875-oz.) | $25.1 | 21.8% | 17.0 | 21.3% |
| Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Ridged (2.875-oz.) | $21.6 | 23.2% | 14.6 | 23.1% |
| Lay’s Classic Potato Chip (10-oz.) | $11.9 | NA | 2.9 | NA |
| Lay’s Barbecue Potato Chip (2.875-oz.) | $9.2 | 14.1% | 6.2 | 13.6% |
| Lay’s Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chip (2.875-oz.) | $8.4 | 36.1% | 5.7 | 35.0% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $338.1 | 2.3% | 214.0 | -1.0% |
Source: IRI
Other Salty-Snack Product Trends
In the large, catchall “other salty snack” segment, Funyuns led as the top-selling brand in c-stores and contributed the top-selling UPC, according to IRI.
| Other Salty-Snack Brands C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand/UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Funyuns | $154.7 | 4.0% | 98.0 | -0.9% |
| Munchies | $119.3 | 1.2% | 53.0 | 1.6% |
| General Mills Chex Mix | $100.9 | -5.5% | 50.6 | -5.3% |
| Chester’s | $97.9 | 8.9% | 64.8 | 2.5% |
| Gardetto’s | $56.5 | -0.3% | 22.9 | -1.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $743.1 | 3.6% | 419.7 | -1.5% |
| Latest Quarter: UPCs C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Funyuns onion snack (2.625-oz.) | $18.8 | 14.7% | 12.7 | 14.5% |
| Chester’s Flamin’ Hot corn & potato snack (4.375-oz.) | $15.0 | 33.7% | 10.1 | 33.4% |
| Munchies Cheese Fix snack mix (8-oz.) | $7.9 | -3.1% | 2.5 | -2.5% |
| Funyuns onion snack (6.5-oz.) | $7.5 | -1.2% | 2.2 | -1.3% |
| Chester’s Flamin’ Hot corn & potato snack (5.75-oz.) | $6.7 | NA | 3.4 | NA |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $179.2 | 3.0% | 101.3 | 1.6% |
Source: IRI
Tortilla-Chip Trends
While the venerable Doritos brand contributed more than 63% of c-store tortilla-chip snack sales, many brands further down the ranking saw strong growth in 2013. Bimbo Bakeries’ Barcel Takis Fuego units were up nearly 13%, and its 4-ounce Barcel Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime cracked into the top five tortilla-chip UPCs, according to IRI.
| Tortilla-Chip Brands C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand/UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Doritos | $494.6 | 5.1% | 290.1 | 1.3% |
| Barcel Takis Fuego | $62.5 | 17.6% | 34.0 | 12.8% |
| Doritos Sabritas | $40.9 | 44.1% | 26.5 | 30.1% |
| Doritos Jacked | $31.9 | 56.1% | 21.2 | 49.5% |
| Tostitos Scoops | $29.6 | 4.0% | 7.1 | -0.9% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $782.6 | 9.4% | 433.4 | 5.6% |
| Latest Quarter: UPCs C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Doritos Nacho Cheese (3.375-oz.) | $33.1 | 28.4% | 22.5 | 28.5% |
| Doritos Nacho Cheese (11.0-oz.) | $22.6 | NA | 5.4 | NA |
| Doritos Cool Ranch (3.375-oz.) | $18.0 | 28.9% | 12.3 | 29.1% |
| Barcel Takis Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime (4-oz.) | $10.8 | 24.4% | 7.0 | 21.5% |
| Doritos Cool Ranch (11.0-oz.) | $10.3 | NA | 2.5 | NA |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $196.9 | 13.6% | 107.7 | 10.1% |
Source: IRI
Cross-Category Opportunity
Research by Management Science Associates that examined two years of POS data and two months of total store transaction data at three midsize c-store chains found that salty snacks are most often part of large baskets. Indeed, 86% of salty-snack transactions included another category, with 68% of baskets including salty snacks having three or more items. Foodservice has a natural affinity for the category: Potato chips, tortilla chips and other salty snacks were among the top 10 items included in a foodservice market basket.
Cheese-Snack Trends
More than 92% of cheese-snack sales in c-stores in 2013 came from one brand: Cheetos, according to IRI figures. The 3.75-ounce Cheetos Flamin’ Hot was the top-selling UPC in the final quarter of the year.
| Cheese-Snack Brands C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand/UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Cheetos | $422.0 | 0.0% | 271.3 | -4.9% |
| Cheetos Mix Ups | $8.3 | NA | 5.4 | NA |
| Herr’s | $5.4 | 18.2% | 5.2 | 18.9% |
| Golden Flake | $3.3 | -2.9% | 2.8 | -2.9% |
| Utz | $3.2 | 3.0% | 2.8 | 1.9% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $457.5 | 2.3% | 300.0 | -2.3% |
| Latest Quarter: UPCs C-store sales, 13 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Cheetos Flamin’ Hot (3.75-oz.) | $20.0 | 24.5% | 13.5 | 24.2% |
| Cheetos (3.75-oz.) | $16.7 | 18.8% | 11.3 | 18.5% |
| Cheetos (3.75-oz.) | $12.5 | 19.1% | 8.4 | 18.9% |
| Cheetos (9.5-oz.) | $8.0 | NA | 2.3 | NA |
| Cheetos Flaming Hot Limon (3.75-oz.) | $7.8 | 22.2% | 5.3 | 21.9% |
| Total (including UPCs not shown) | $114.2 | 5.4% | 73.9 | 0.6% |
Source: IRI
Cracker Trends
Cracker unit sales were relatively static in 2013, according to IRI. The Kellogg Co.’s Cheez-It, manufactured by its Sunshine division, was the top-selling brand and supplied the top-selling UPC last year.
| Cracker Brands C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2013 | ||||
| Brand | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Sunshine Cheez-It | $63.5 | 5.9% | 42.6 | 2.2% |
| Keebler (filled) | $42.4 | 13.3% | 63.1 | 11.8% |
| Munchies (filled) | $26.4 | -6.0% | 43.9 | -7.1% |
| Combos (filled) | $25.4 | -40.4% | 15.4 | -33.0% |
| Nabisco Ritz Bits (filled) | $17.2 | -4.2% | 11.4 | -9.5% |
| Total (including brands not shown) | $384.0 | 5.7% | 375.5 | 0.4% |
Source: IRI
| Cracker UPCs C-store sales, 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2013 | ||||
| UPC | C-store sales ($ millions) | PCYA | Unit sales (millions) | PCYA |
| Cheez-It Original (3-oz.) | $25.6 | 6.3% | 18.3 | 3.1% |
| Keebler Toasted Crackers with Peanut Butter (1.80-oz.) | $14.3 | 11.4% | 19.9 | 9.4% |
| Keebler Cheese Crackers with Peanut Butter (1.80-oz.) | $14.3 | 8.6% | 19.2 | 4.5% |
| Frito-Lay Munchies Peanut Butter (1.42-oz.) | $11.0 | -6.6% | 18.3 | -6.1% |
| Keebler Club Sandwich Crackers with Cheddar (1.8-oz.) | $11.0 | 5.0% | 15.0 | 0.7% |
Source: The Nielsen Co., Kellogg Co.
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