While the bars category is well developed in Canada, it’s also evolving. Brands that adapt to the shifting landscape can best position themselves for growth.
Joel Gregoire, Associate Director of Food & Drink Reports
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Purchase behaviour
- Graph 1: types of bars purchased in the past three months, 2023
- Graph 2: bars purchased in the past three months (NET), by age, 2023
- Graph 3: types of bars purchased in the past three months, by age, 2023
- Graph 4: types of bars purchased in the past three months, by work location, 2023
- Household bar purchases
- Graph 5: who bars are purchased for in one’s household, 2023
- Graph 6: who bars are purchased for in one’s household, mothers vs fathers of younger children and teens, 2023
- Typical bar consumption occasions
- Graph 7: when bars are typically eaten, 2023
- Graph 8: when bars are typically eaten, mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 9: where bars are typically eaten, by age, 2023
- Graph 10: bars typically eaten as a meal replacement or as part of meals, by age, 2023
- Experience and interest in bar types
- Graph 11: types of bars consumers purchase or show interest in purchasing, 2023
- Graph 12: types of bars purchased, men 18-44 vs overall, 2023
- Graph 13: types of bars purchased, mothers vs fathers, 2023
- Graph 14: types of bars purchased, new Canadians vs overall, 2023
- Interest in bar concepts
- Graph 15: interest in flavours and/or concepts, 2023
- Graph 16: interest in flavours and/or concepts, men 18-34 vs women 18-34 vs overall, 2023
- Graph 17: interest in “bars you can heat up”, moms vs dads, 2023
- Graph 18: interest in flavours and/or concepts, new Canadians vs overall, 2023
- Interest in bar claims
- Graph 19: claims of interest in bars, 2023
- Graph 20: claims of interest in bars, by age, 2023
- Graph 21: claims of interest in bars, men vs women, 2023
- Graph 22: nut-free as a claim of interest in bars, by parental status, 2023
- Openness to bar exploration
- Graph 23: attitudes toward innovation in bars, 2023
- Graph 24: attitudes toward innovation in bars (% agree), by age, 2023
- Challenges for bars
- Graph 25: attitudes toward challenges for snack bars, 2023
- Graph 26: attitudes toward challenges for snack bars (% agree), by age, 2023
- Graph 27: consumers who agree that, since the start of the pandemic, they are less in need of portable snacks (% agree), by work location, 2023
- Bars vs confections
- Graph 28: attitudes toward snack bars vs chocolate bars, 2023
- Build on bar habits with proximity
- Graph 29: attitudes toward availability of bars, 2023
- Graph 30: consumers who would like to see more bars available at foodservice locations (% agree), by generation, 2023
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Competitive strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Opportunities
- Graph 31: environmental initiatives that resonate when purchasing food and drinks, 2021
- Graph 32: dietary preferences, 2023
- Graph 33: types of snack bars typically purchased, 2023
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The Market
- Market drivers
- Graph 34: year over year change in the consumer price index and retail food prices by month, January 2019 – September 2023
- Graph 35: issues Canadians have been affected by over the past two months, September 7-25, 2023
- Graph 36: steps shoppers take to save money on groceries, 2023
- Graph 37: work location among employed adults, 2022 and 2023
- Graph 38: percent of individuals with probable food allergies, 2023
- Graph 39: consumers who would pay more for food and drink products verified as being “environmentally friendly” (% agree), by age, 2021
- Graph 40: share of population under 14 vs over 65, 1972-2022
- Graph 41: immigration targets, 2023-25
- Graph 42: permanent residents admitted in 2021 by top 10 source countries
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Appendix
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