The State of Snacking 2024

The definition of snacking is evolving. Manufacturers and retailers adapting to the changing trends, but it’s no small task as the snack landscape changes.

Energy drinks and coffee are now “snacks,” and flavor pillars of sweet, sour and spicy are being jumbled into single snack options. Plus, snacking has moved into all dayparts.

The trends represent consumers, who seek everything from adventure in their snacks, to budget relief due to high inflation.

Consumers are reimagining snacks and taking liberties to create their own customized iterations. “We’re seeing ‘do-it-yourself’ snacking really starting to percolate—people staking traditional snacks and dressing them up, if you will, to suit their needs,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief advisor of consumer goods and foodservice insights at Chicago-based market researcher and consultant Circana.

With food prices soaring by 30% or more over the past five years, consumers are “creatively adapting to these challenges,” Lyons Wyatt said. “People are still treating themselves to a preferred snack, but now they’re figuring out ways to do it creatively—and social media is a big influencer of this with videos to walk them through preparation steps.”

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