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- Canada Snacking Motivations and Attitudes: A detailed analysis of what interests consumers, innovation, trends and more.
- Canada Sustainability in Food: A comprehensive overview of this market, examining growth opportunities, market trends, consumer behaviour, and industry innovations.
- Marketing to Newer Canadians: How brands can connect with Canadian consumers today. An ideal supplement to understand your audience more in-depth.
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Description
Snacking is a longstanding behaviour among Canadians, yet it faces challenges as many consumers report snacking less frequently due to health and weight-related concerns. Addressing these issues without sacrificing the enjoyment and fun of snacking is crucial given the importance of satisfying cravings and indulgence.
The snacking landscape is diverse, with varying demands across different times of the day and among demographic groups. This diversity allows for a wide range of products and categories to meet specific needs. Despite established habits, snacking is well-positioned to introduce consumers to new flavours and experiences, making it more than a routine activity.
Younger generations, particularly Gen Zs entering parenthood, represent a notable opportunity for snacking as an industry. Tailoring snacking options to support newer parents in maintaining their snacking habits while offering them peace of mind in terms of what they feed their kids represents an avenue for growth. By addressing health concerns and aligning with consumers’ evolving preferences, snacking can be positioned for success in the near and long term.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Usage by category, frequency and perceived shifts in usage
- Reasons for using snacks more and less often
- Reasons for snacking by daypart
- Attitudes toward  wellbeing and exploration with respect to snacking
- Attitudes toward eating and shopping habits around snacking
Snacking remains a deeply entrenched behaviour, yet the occasion needs to address persistent concerns around health and wellbeing to support growth.
Joel Gregoire, Associate Director of Food & Drink Reports
Market Definitions
This report covers motivations and attitudes related to snacking. Snacks include (but are not limited to) both salty and sweet CPG products, fresh snacks like yogurt and cheese, and produce.
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Executive summary
- What you need to know
- Consumer trends: key takeaways
- Snacking predictions
- Opportunities
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Snacking by category
- Top snack foods reflect the breadth and complexity of snacking
- Graph 1: categories snacked on in the past month, 2024
- Older consumers gravitate to the most commonly eaten snack categories
- Graph 2: categories snacked on in the past month, by generation, 2024
- Women reach for most snacks more often, which highlights opportunity to win over more men
- Graph 3: categories snacked on in the past month, men vs women, 2024
- New Canadians represent an opportunity to grow snacking across categories
- Graph 4: categories snacked on in the past month, new Canadians vs overall, 2024
- Quebecers are less likely to reach for most snacks
- Graph 5: categories snacked on in the past month, by region, 2024
- Snacking frequency
- Snacking is a daily habit for most consumers
- Graph 6: snacking frequency, 2024
- Canada is less likely to have a culture of frequent snacking (versus the US)
- Graph 7: snacking frequency, 2024
- Younger generations snack more frequently, indicating they should be a focus for growth
- Graph 8: snacking frequency, by generation, 2024
- Snacking’s ease and accessibility cater to moms
- Graph 9: snacking frequency, moms vs dads, 2024
- Working from home remains an opportunity for snacking
- Graph 10: snack three or more times a day, by work location, 2024
- Snack kits make for good mini-meals throughout the day
- Change in snacking behaviours
- Snacking’s growth is (relatively) stagnant, making avenues for growth all the more important
- Graph 11: change in snacking frequency versus last year, 2024
- Gen Zs are central to snacking’s growth
- Graph 12: change in snacking frequency versus last year, by generation, 2024
- New Canadians are a bright spot for snacking’s prospects
- Graph 13: change in snacking frequency versus last year, new Canadians vs overall, 2024
- Shifting work arrangements benefit snacking’s growth
- Graph 14: change in snacking frequency versus last year, by work location, 2024
- Moms represent a growth opportunity in Canada’s snack market
- Graph 15: change in snacking frequency versus last year, moms vs dads vs overall, 2024
- Reasons for snacking less
- Snacks need to shift the conversation on health
- Graph 16: reasons for snacking less, 2024
- Blur the line between snacks and meals to connect with Gen Zs
- Graph 17: reasons for snacking less, by generation, 2024
- Reasons for snacking more
- Ease and meal replacement drives growth in snacking
- Graph 18: reasons for snacking more, 2024
- Engage moms with practical solutions, excite dads with innovative offerings
- Graph 19: reasons for snacking more, moms vs dads, 2024
- Tap into the dad market by offering snacks that balance tradition and innovation
- Reasons  for choosing snacks by daypart
- Don’t discount the power of enjoyment in snacking
- Graph 20: considerations that matter when snacking – NET, April 2024
- Snack products that address cravings in a (relatively) healthy way
- Align snack offerings with evolving daily needs
- Graph 21: considerations that matter when snacking by daypart, 2024
- Meet evolving needs throughout the day
- Snacks that can hit the mark at different dayparts
- Attitudes toward snack occasions
- Addressing evolving snack needs throughout the day can bolster relevance
- Recognize snacking needs evolve throughout the day to bolster relevance
- Graph 22: attitudes toward snack occasions, 2024
- Shifting generational values around flexibility extend to snacking
- Graph 23: attitudes toward snack occasions (any agree), by generation, 2024
- Position snacks as suitable meal replacements to parents
- Graph 24: attitudes toward snack occasions (any agree), parents vs overall, 2024
- Snacks that serve as meal replacements are a way to connect with new Canadians
- Graph 25: snacks being a good substitute for full meals (any agree), new Canadians vs overall, 2024
- Asian-inspired snacks can appeal to new and established Canadians alike
- Attitudes toward snacking and wellbeing
- Don’t discount the perceived power of snack breaks for wellbeing
- Graph 26: attitudes toward snacking and wellbeing, 2024
- Positioning snacks as meal replacements proves less impactful in Quebec
- Graph 27: eating smaller snacks is healthier than larger meals (any agree), by region, 2024
- Reinforce the link between snacking and wellbeing with parents
- Graph 28: attitudes toward snacking and wellbeing (any agree), parents vs overall, 2024
- Convenient snack kits: a simple solution for satisfying breaks
- Attitudes toward exploration in snacking
- Snacking opens the door to new flavour experiences
- Graph 29: attitudes toward snacking and exploration, 2024
- Harness the power of social media to shape younger generations’ snacking preferences
- Graph 30: attitudes toward snacking and exploration (any agree), by generation, 2024
- Engage new Canadians through social media
- Graph 31: attitudes toward snacking and exploration (any agree), new Canadians vs overall, 2024
- Attitudes toward eating habits and snacks
- Exploration holds appeal, but habits endure
- Graph 32: attitudes toward snacking habits, 2024
- Adapt snack offerings to meet parents’ weekend needs
- Graph 33: change in snacking habits during the week vs the weekend (any agree), by parental status, 2024
- Capitalize on younger generations’ engagement with snacking
- Graph 34: attitudes toward snacking habits (any agree), by generation, 2024
- Quebec consumers appear less engaged when it comes to snack habits
- Graph 35: attitudes toward snacking habits (any agree), Quebec vs overall, 2024
- Attitudes toward shopping habits and snacks
- Planning ahead: the role of bulk snacks for savvy snackers
- Graph 36: attitudes toward shopping habits and snacking, 2024
- Promote practicality in getting bulk foods/snacks on consumers’ shopping lists
- Bulk options resonate most with those with older kids
- Graph 37: buying snacks in bulk is a good way to save (any agree), age of children in household, 2024
- Millennials and Gen Xers are more likely to gravitate to bulk snacks
- Graph 38: buying snacks in bulk is a good way to save (any agree), by generation, 2024
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Competitive strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Flavour trends suggest multiple pathways for innovation in North America
- Novel flavours in action
- Fun spins on fruit take hold
- Look beyond typical snack flavours for inspiration
- Asian flavours make their mark on salty snacks
- Flavour and format innovations from iconic snack brands offer platforms for discovery
- The benefits of modern snacks: balancing body and mind
- Address concerns around health and snacking with emerging benefits
- Graph 39: benefits of interest in healthy/better-for-you foods, 2023
- ‘Functional’ snacks can be targeted toward specific instances
- Don’t discount sustainability’s role in supporting relevance
- Graph 40: environmental issues of concern with regard to food and drink from stores, 2022
- Drive consumer engagement with sustainability initiatives
- Nestlé invests in a sustainable chocolate line aimed at travellers
- Wild about protein
- Marketing and advertising
- Think outside of the bag
- Brand partnerships bolster excitement
- Pringles and crocs release a new fashion-flavour fusion
- Positioning around Canadian-made holds sway with consumers
- Graph 41: what matters when food and drink shopping, 2023
- Building community through flavour: how Canadian ingredients enhance products and foster local support
- Strike a balance between global inspiration and Canadian ingredients
- ‘Retro cool’: connect with young consumers through nostalgia
- Opportunities
- How concerned should snack companies be about GLP-1 agonists?
- Vital Pursuit by Nestle: pioneering solutions for weight management and GLP-1 users
- GLP-1 medications drive demand for smaller-portioned, nutrient-dense snacks
- AI represents an opportunity to expose shoppers to snacks they might not otherwise consider
- Leverage AI for trend-responsive snacks
- What’s next for plant-based snacks?
- Concerns overs processed foods are getting more attention
- Less can be more
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The Market
- Market drivers
- Food inflation has normalized
- Graph 42: annual change in CPI and retail food prices by month, 2019-24
- Concerns over the rise in food prices persist
- Graph 43: percentage of consumers who have been affected by select issues, 2023-24
- Canadians are returning to working onsite at a modest rate
- Graph 44: work location, 2022-24
- Canada’s aging curve has plateaued
- Graph 45: median age by year, 1971-2023
- Immigration is slowing Canada’s aging trajectory
- Graph 46: age distribution of recent immigrants vs overall population, 2021
- Immigration from Asia bolsters population growth
- Graph 47: percent of permanent residents admitted in 2022 by top 10 source countries, 2023
- Graph 48: forecasted immigration vs births as drivers of population growth (%), 2023-40
- Younger adults are more likely to be obese
- Graph 49: obese body mass index by age, 2015-22
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Appendix
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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