What Will Consumers Eat During the Super Bowl?
By Brett Dworski on Jan. 30, 2019ARLINGTON, Va. -- U.S. consumers spent $387 million on salty snacks—$404 million when including dips—the week of last year's Super Bowl, a $7 million increase from the year before, according to Snacking, Nutrition & Convenience (SNAC) International, Arlington, Va., a trade association for the snack industry.
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For the second straight year, SNAC analyzed U.S. retail snack purchases for the big game. The company used snack sales by category from the two weeks prior to and the week of the big game—collected by Chicago-based IRI—to rank the most sought-after products before kickoff last year on Feb. 4.
“The Super Bowl is prime time for the entire snack industry,” saidElizabeth Avery, president and CEO of SNAC International. “Our members, including snack producers and their suppliers, prepare for this monumental snacking holiday months in advance. Across the country each year, Americans gather around a party spread highlighted by their favorite snacks. SNAC member companies are proud to play such an integral part in the fun and celebration.”
Here were the eight most sought-after snacks from Super Bowl LII in 2018, according to SNAC …
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8. Pork rinds
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $5.7 million
Pork rinds totaled nearly $6 million in retail sales during the week of last year's Super Bowl—an 8% increase from its sales over the previous two weeks—which ranks last among snack categories. But the pig snacks ended 2018 on a strong note, increasing 7.1% in total sales between November 2017 and November 2018, according to IRI.
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7. Corn snacks
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $17.5 million
Consumers spent nearly $18 million the week of last year's Super Bowl on corn snacks, such as Fritos and Bugles. This was a 22.5% increase from its sales over the previous two weeks.
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6. Pretzels
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $20.5 million
Pretzel spending increased 13.9% the week of the big game compared to the previous two, hitting $20.5 million in retail sales. The pretzel category went on to grow 1.9% in total retail sales between November 2017 and November 2018, according to IRI.
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5. Cheese snacks
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $30.2 million
Consumers spent more than $30 million on cheese snacks during last year's Super Bowl week, a 7% increase from its sales over the previous two weeks. Saying the category had a strong year would be an understatement: 81% of consumers last year said they purchase cheese snacks at retail locations, which tied nuts for the highest of any snacking type, according to Technomic’s 2018 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report.
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4. Dips
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $37.8 million
The dips category totaled nearly $38 million in retail sales during the week of Super Bowl LII, a 36% increase compared to the previous two weeks. This increase was also a 1% jump from 2017, when the category hit $37.5 million.
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3. Other salty snacks
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $66.2 million
Other salty snacks, including mix-and-match snack variations such as Chex Mix and Gardetto’s, totaled more than $66 million in retail sales the week of last year's Super Bowl, a 6.6% increase from the category’s sales from the previous two weeks. Other salty snacks also grew 6.1% between November 2017 and November 2018, the fourth-highest of all snack categories, according to IRI.
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2. Tortilla chips
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $107 million
Last year, U.S. consumers purchased enough 18-ounce tortilla chip bags to stretch across the country 2.5 times, according to SNAC. The category garnered $107 million in sales the week of Super Bowl LII, nearly a 3% increase compared to 2017, when it profited $104 million in retail sales. The $107 million was also a 17.4% increase compared to sales from the previous two weeks, according to IRI.
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1. Potato chips
Sales during the week of Super Bowl LII: $119.1 million
Consumers spent $119 million on potato chips the week of Super Bowl LII, the most of any snack sector. This total was a 16% increase from the previous two weeks. In 2017, potato chips garnered $116 million, which was 2.6% less than last year’s $119 million.
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