China Consumer Snacking Trends Market Report 2022
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“The snack market is expected to continue its growth momentum after the pandemic, largely driven by consumers’ habitual snacking and the pursuit of healthy and quality products. Given an increasing level of market specialisation and consumers’ mixed views towards healthy snacking, brands are recommended to leverage innovative flavours through free sampling and target individual consumer segments with customised products, without much compromise on indulgence.”
– Joy Yin, Senior Research Analyst
Key Issues covered in this Report
- Market outlook and segment performance within the snack market.
- Marketing activities and new product trends across diverse snack categories.
- Consumers’ usage frequency and purchase channels of snack products.
- Premiumisation opportunities for nuts and seeds snacks.
- Consumers’ attitudes towards snack products and healthy snacking.
- Promising strategies for snack categories to sustain growth and promote new products.
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key Issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- The snack market continues its growth momentum
- Figure 1: Retail market value of major snack categories, China, 2016-2026
- Savoury snacks benefit from diverse consumption occasions
- Figure 2: Retail market value and growth of major snack categories, by segment, China, 2017-2021
- Companies and brand
- Players focus more on offline experiences
- Higher level of product specialisation with reduced sugar and fat, but increased probiotics
- The consumer
- Consumption declines for nuts and seafood-based snacks
- Figure 3: Consumption frequency, 2021
- Offline channels still dominate
- Figure 4: Purchase channels, 2021
- Novel flavour and recommendations by family/friends/colleagues can trigger new product trial
- Figure 5: Triggers for trial, 2021
- Meat snacks are preferred over seafood snacks for indulgence
- Figure 6: Perception of seafood and meat snacks, 2021
- Nuts snacks can tap into healthy eating trends for premiumisation
- Figure 7: Premiumisation features of nuts and seeds, 2021
- Habitual snacking with mixed views towards healthy snacking
- Figure 8: Attitudes towards snacks, 2021
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Target multigenerational families with snack gift sets
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 9: Nuts product ‘designed for mother’ by Three Squirrels, China, 2021
- Enhance indulgence of seafood snacks
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 10: Examples of ‘Jia Guo Long’ ready meals by a restaurant brand – Xi Bei, China, 2021
- Provide samplings to encourage innovative flavour trail
- The facts
- The implications
- Figure 11: Product examples on Tmall’s U Xian platform, China, 2022
- Target multigenerational families with snack gift sets
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Market Size and Forecast
- Growth sustains after the pandemic
- Figure 12: Retail market value of major snack categories, China, 2016-2026
- Growth sustains after the pandemic
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Market Segmentation
- Nuts snacks lead, albeit with slowed growth
- Savoury snacks continue growth momentum
- Figure 13: Retail market value and growth of major snack categories, by segment, China, 2017-2021
- Nuts snacks lead, albeit with slowed growth
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Market Factors
- Asking for healthy and quality products
- Increasing attention to emotional wellbeing
- ‘Alliance factory’ to guarantee product quality
- Stricter regulatory environment
- Asking for healthy and quality products
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Marketing Activities
- Deepen offline experience to boost brand presence
- Figure 14: ‘Snack Spree’ by Ling Shi Hen Mang, China, 2021
- Figure 15: CHOCDAY’s offline store, China, 2021
- Cobrand with famous IPs to attract young consumers
- Figure 16: Percentage of new snack* launches with ‘cobranded’ claims, China, 2017-2022
- Figure 17: Lay’s x Pop Mart, China, 2022
- Figure 18: Wang Xiao Lu x Game For Peace, China, 2022
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- Figure 19: Bakery product by Hema x Bilibili x DODOWO, China, 2022
- Bring in the concept of the Metaverse
- Figure 20: Oreo’s Metaverse marketing, China, 2021
- Deepen offline experience to boost brand presence
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New Product Trends
- The trend for L/N/R sugar and fat
- Figure 21: Percentage of new snack* launches with ‘minus’ claims, China, 2017-2022
- Figure 22: Product examples with ‘minus’ claims, China, 2021
- The increasing application of probiotics
- Figure 23: Percentage of new snack* launches with ‘probiotic’ claim, China, 2017-2022
- Figure 24: Product examples with ‘probiotic’ claim, China, 2021
- Target specific consumer groups
- Figure 25: Product examples for children and fitness consumers, China, 2021
- Figure 26: Want Want’s Ai Zhi Zun product series for seniors, China, 2019
- Enhanced fun and interactive factors
- Figure 27: Laiyifen x Dong Lai Ye blind box for Chinese New Year, China, 2020
- Figure 28: CHOCDAY x Pac-Man chocolate product, China, 2021
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- Figure 29: Bestore’s product example for children, China, 2021
- The trend for L/N/R sugar and fat
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Consumption Frequency
- Declining consumption of nuts and seafood-based snacks
- Figure 30: Consumption frequency, 2021
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- Figure 31: Consumption frequency – selected categories, 2020 vs 2021
- Growth potential for ‘once a day’ concept for more snack categories
- Frequency is the highest among nuclear and multigenerational families
- Figure 32: Consumption frequency – at least several times a week, by living situation, 2021
- Declining consumption of nuts and seafood-based snacks
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Purchase Channels
- Hybrid purchase channels with a focus on offline
- Figure 33: Purchase channels, 2021
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- Figure 34: Repertoire analysis of purchase channels, by age, 2021
- Target high earners beyond gourmet stores
- Figure 35: Purchase channels – selected channels, by monthly household income, 2021
- Leverage corner shops/grocery stores to provide value-for-money options
- Figure 36: Purchase channels – corner shops/grocery stores, by age and monthly household income, 2021
- Figure 37: Purchase channels – chained convenience stores, by age and monthly household income, 2021
- Hybrid purchase channels with a focus on offline
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Triggers for Trial
- Novel flavour is the leading trigger
- Figure 38: Triggers for trial, 2021
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- Figure 39: TURF analysis – triggers for trial, 2021
- Consumers aged 50-59 are not easily influenced unless recommended by people they know
- Figure 40: Triggers for trial – selected triggers, by age, 2021
- Critical shoppers value product trials the most
- Figure 41: Triggers for trial – top 5 triggers, by food persona, 2021
- Samplings of innovative flavours can encourage brand switching
- Figure 42: Percentage points difference of triggers for trials, by agreement with “For snack categories (a) that I like, I always buy the same specific brand”, disagree vs agree, 2021
- Novel flavour is the leading trigger
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Perception of Seafood and Meat Snacks
- Most consumers prefer meat over seafood snacks…
- Figure 43: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – preference between seafood and meat snacks, 2021
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- Figure 44: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – preference between seafood and meat snacks, by age, 2021
- Figure 45: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – reasons for consumption, by preference between seafood and meat snacks, 2021
- …although seafood snacks are perceived to have a higher protein level
- Figure 46: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – perception of protein level, 2021
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- Figure 47: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – reason for consumption, 2021
- Late-night occasions are for heavy users
- Figure 48: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – consumption occasion, 2021
- Figure 49: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – consumption occasion, by consumption frequency*, 2021
- Most consumers prefer strong flavours and heavy users prefer dried texture
- Figure 50: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – flavour preference, 2021
- Figure 51: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – flavour preference, by age, 2021
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- Figure 52: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – texture preference, 2021
- Figure 53: Perception of seafood and meat snacks – texture preference, by consumption frequency*, 2021
- Most consumers prefer meat over seafood snacks…
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Premiumisation Features of Nuts and Seeds
- Pay more for healthy processing methods and quality ingredients
- Figure 54: Premiumisation features of nuts and seeds, 2021
- Multigenerational families ask for customised options
- Figure 55: Premiumisation features of nuts and seeds – ‘designed for specific groups’, by living situation, 2021
- Daily users are more inclined to pay more for all features
- Figure 56: Premiumisation features of nuts and seeds, by consumption frequency, 2021
- Pay more for healthy processing methods and quality ingredients
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Attitudes Towards Snacks
- Snacking is an indispensable part of life
- Figure 57: Attitudes towards snacks – perception and consumption behaviours, 2021
- Habitual snacking with brand loyalty
- Figure 58: Attitudes towards snacks – consumption habits, 2021
- Mixed views towards healthy snacking
- Figure 59: Attitudes towards healthy snacks, 2021
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- Figure 60: Consumption frequency of bakery foods (a), by agreement with “I prefer to choose low-carb snacks (b) than high-carb snacks (c)”
- Functional snacks are welcomed, especially among consumers aged 30-49
- Figure 61: Attitudes towards functional snacks, 2021
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- Figure 62: Attitudes towards functional snacks – selected statements, by age, 2021
- Snacking is an indispensable part of life
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Food Personas
- Who are they?
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- Figure 63: Food personas, 2021
- Figure 64: Food personas, by generation, 2021
- New trend explorers prefer snack specialty stores and gourmet stores
- Figure 65: Purchase channels – offline channels, by food persona, 2021
- Critical shoppers value healthiness more and can be most triggered by product trials
- Figure 66: Premiumisation features of nuts and seeds – selected features, by food persona, 2021
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- Figure 67: Attitudes towards snacks – agreement with “The flavour of snack is more important to me than health (a)”, by food persona, 2021
- Who are they?
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Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 68: Total retail market value of major snack categories, China, 2016-2026
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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