Sixty-one percent of consumers eat snacks that have convenient portion sizes, up three points vs. two years ago, according to Circana.
The smaller snack sizes are what work best for Huck’s traditional c-store consumer base, says Adams: “It’s the immediate consumption bags.”
Seventy-nine percent of consumers are likely to purchase snacks that are conveniently packaged and 52% prefer individually wrapped snacks, according to the Frito-Lay Snack Index. When selecting snacks for their children, 70% of parents noted variety was their top choice, with flavor and convenience tied at 64% for the second-most important attributes.
“The customers are not backing off the bigger sizes because they know everything is expensive.”
While smaller sizes in all other snacks are working, Adams says large-size meat snack packages are still dominating.
“The price is getting so high, but so far (meat snacks is) one category that seems almost (suggested-retail-price) proof. … The customers are not backing off the bigger sizes because they know everything is expensive,” he says. “I think they’re seeing, in the meat snack category anyway, those larger bags as a value.”
Contrarily, CrossAmerica hasn’t experienced the same interest in large package sizes for meat snacks, but other snacks have proven to perform well in bigger sizes, says Iszard.
“[Bigger sized meat snacks aren’t doing well] because you’re hitting the $19 price point,” he says. “Interestingly enough, in salty, our data very quickly showed us that Chex Mix, the 3-ounce bag, has really been a top seller. Then last year, we put in the bigger bags of Chex Mix. They’re almost our No. 1 seller now. From a sales perspective, it’s a big ring, but the customers are responding well to upsizing on some of the better selling items.”