Nine in 10 Germans consume salty snacks, with trended data indicating a rise in overall snack consumption between 2023-24. This increased consumption frequency has also driven retail volume growth in 2023-24.
The Salty Snacks Market in Germany – Current Landscape
The snacks market in Germany is suffering from supply-side inflation, as weather-induced price rises hit the industry in early 2024. However, volume sales have stabilised since experiencing a dip in 2022, indicating that consumers have become more price-resilient.
The importance of sustainability in the salty snacks market in Germany is growing. Brands can offset the negative impact of global warming on the industry by exploring packaging innovation, increased traceability to prove fair treatment of farmers, and more regional products which promote a more transparent supply chain.
With more consumers monitoring their blood sugar levels, salty snacks with a low glycemic index may experience a retail volume sales tailwind, offering a more stable alternative to sugary snacks. Moreover, fun and novel flavour concepts can help to rejuvenate a relatively mature category and drive excitement, particularly among under-44-year-olds.
Snacks Market Statistics
- Sustainability in the Snacks Market: 31% of eco-conscious German food and drink buyers would buy one product over another if it was sourced or produced in Germany.
- Healthy Snacking Habits in Germany: Unsalted nuts appeal to 25% of health-conscious savoury snackers looking for low and reduced salt content.
Salty Snacks Germany Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Snacks market drivers, including demographic changes and the impact of the economy.
- Consumption (frequency) of salty snacks and how snacks can become vital meal ingredients.
- Purchase of salty snacks, including changes in consumers’ buying behaviours to save money.
- Consumer behaviours towards salty snacks, including consumption preferences, and how to catalyse exciting flavour innovation.
- Recent launch activity, innovations, snacks market share, and size.
Report Scope
This Report examines the salty snacks market in Germany. The market size includes products sold through the retail channel, including:
- Chips/Crisps: Fried slices of potato or other vegetables, or fried or dried slices of fruits
- Nuts
- Baked Snacks: Savoury snacks prepared by baking, such as pretzels or baked chips
- Popcorn (excluding that sold in cinemas)
- Potato- & Grain-Based Snacks: Any products made from small pieces of potato, wheat, rice, corn or other base ingredient, including extruded (e.g. peanut flips), but excluding large rice cakes
- Meat Snacks: Mini meatballs, snack-sized salami, biltong, etc.
The market size excludes unpackaged products, savoury biscuits/crispbreads/cake bars and nuts specifically marketed for use in cooking/baking. It also excludes sales via catering or foodservice establishments, however, references and comparisons to these sectors may be made where relevant.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Khalid Peerbaccus, Senior Analyst at Mintel. Khalid joined the German food and drink reports team at Mintel in April 2023. With more than ten years of experience in the FMCG industry and a special focus on innovation research, Khalid has a keen enthusiasm for the German market and is particularly interested in consumer behaviour and motivations.
Focussing on better-for-you products with added benefits, such as high fibre, rather than reductive health claims can help brands to engage consumers. Moreover, morning commuters are a key target group and provide an occasion to provide healthy satiation.
Khalid Peerbaccus
Senior Analyst – Food & Drink
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- The five year outlook for salty snacks
- Market context
- Ingredient price rises highlight continuing role of private label and discounter products
- Better for you snacks may experience increased demand
- Graph 1: current and projected share of age groups that make up the population, 2024-50
- Mintel predicts
- Market size & forecast for snack food
- Retail volume and value sales forecast to experience low, steady growth
- Rising prices to prompt further value growth
- Steady retail volume growth expected
- Opportunities
- Control blood sugar spikes with low GI snacks
- Target commuters with healthy on-the-go snacks
- Utilise umami-rich ingredients to deliver tasty salt-reduced snacks
- Attract younger consumers with exciting flavour innovation
- Protect long-term sales with investments into sustainability projects
- The competitive landscape
- Own labels responsible for much of retail value and volume market sales
- Graph 2: company retail value and volume sales of salty snacks, 2023
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- 2024 remains challenging
- Graph 3: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- The inflation rate is bouncing back to more conventional levels
- Inflation is still the key factor affecting consumers’ finances…
- …confidence and expenditure
- Graph 4: financial confidence index, 2022-24
- Raw ingredient price rises may reduce demand from less financially stable consumers…
- …while rising financial confidence can support sales from consumers with healthy finances
- Health & wellbeing
- Ageing population may increase demand for high-fibre/low-salt formulations
- Graph 5: current and projected share of age groups that make up the population, 2024-50
- Nutri-Score can help indicate permissibility of snack
- Engage consumers with better Nutri-score ratings
- Graph 6: salty snack launches, by Nutri-Score rating, 2021-24
- Obesity and desire to lose weight may increase demand for lower calorie alternatives
- Graph 7: salty snacks launches by average calorie content (kcal/100g), 2016-24
- German lifestyles
- Embrace increased opportunity to catch consumers on the commute
- Revamp on-the-go claims within salty snacks
- Graph 8: selected locations of snack consumption, 2019, 2021, 2023
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Consumption of salty snacks
- Salty snack consumption trend reveals increased snacking
- Graph 9: types of salty snacks eaten, 2019-24
- Nine in 10 Germans consume salty snacks
- Graph 10: consumption of salty snacks in the last three months, 2024
- Expand consumption occasions by making snacks a part of the meal
- Position popcorn as a relaxing treat for under-34s to unwind with
- Snacking frequency
- Nuts are the most frequently consumed salty snack
- Graph 11: frequency of eating salty snacks in the last three months, 2024
- Nuts made up a significant proportion of 2023 salty snack launches
- Graph 12: salty snacks launches, by type, 2020 and 2023
- Versatility of nut launches
- Snacking frequency increases: 2023-24 trended
- Packaging innovation can allow for increased snacking frequencies
- Purchase of salty snacks and changes to purchase to save money
- 2024 has seen an increase in purchase across all salty snack types
- Graph 13: purchase of salty snacks in the last three months, 2023-24
- Discounters and own label benefit as consumers look to save money
- Graph 14: money-saving behaviours when purchasing salty snacks in the last three months, 2023-24
- Brands must seek visibility in discounters…
- …to offset sales volume threat
- Cement private labels’ dominant position with further innovations…
- …to keep up with new product launches from brands
- Preferences when looking for healthier salty snacks
- Reductive health claims can attract attention from consumers looking for gradual improvements to their diet
- Graph 15: preferences when looking for healthier versions of a crisp/nuts/savoury snack product, 2024
- Indications of reduced salt content in the salty snack category
- Graph 16: salty snack launches by avg salt (g per 100g/ml), 2016-24
- Umami can deliver on taste and salt reduction
- Embracing high/added claim can help to indicate health halo
- Graph 17: salty snacks launches with selected claims, 2020-24
- Explain the benefits of fibre intake to attract older consumers looking to age gracefully
- Low GI snacks can control blood sugar spikes
- Behaviours towards salty snacks
- Salty snack category requires innovation to avoid stagnation
- Graph 18: behaviours towards salty snacks, 2024
- Fun, exciting flavours can provide mood-boosters whilst shaking up stale flavour innovation
- Graph 19: salty snack launches by flavour, 2021-24
- Repertoire data indicates under-44s most likely to be receptive to flavour experimentation
- Graph 20: repertoire of salty snacks consumed, by age groups, 2024
- Unique flavour can drive up engagement from young consumers
- Experience world cuisines through salty snacks
- Environmentally friendly packaging increasingly becoming a must-have for consumers
- Awareness of sustainability drives demand for eco-friendly packaging…
- Graph 21: salty snack launches with selected product claims, 2020-24
- …while sustainable ingredients will also find broad appeal
- Tie in premium quality with minimal processing
- 16-34s will be most receptive to snacks with chickpea/lentil bases
- Local production can help assure consumers of the fair treatment of farmers
- Togocashews display admirable ethical practices, potentially protecting volume sales
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Advertising and marketing activity
- Seeberger indicates the health halo of unsalted nuts
- Funny-frisch shows how snacks can bring people together
- Lorenz cuts down on plastic packaging
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MARKET SHARE
- Own labels show the strongest development in market share for salty snacks
- Own label holds the lead in value shares with a slight gain 2022-23
- Own label account for over half of retail volume sales
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MARKET SIZE, SEgmentation AND FORECAST
- Value growth soars as volume stays flat
- Graph 22: value market size for salty snacks 2019-23
- Graph 23: volume market size for salty snacks, 2019-23
- Inflationary price rises fuel retail value sales growth in 2022-23
- Retail value sales of salty snacks, by segment, 2022-23
- Retail volume sales of salty snacks, by segment, 2022-23
- Retail volume and value sales forecast to experience low, steady growth
- Rising prices to prompt further value growth
- Steady retail volume growth expected
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
- Appendix – market size and central forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast methodology – fan chart
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – value
- Market forecast and prediction intervals – volume
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