Grow as a staple for satiety with a health/indulgence balance, unlock new occasions beyond downtime and trigger trial through functionality and global flavours.
Rashmika Khanijou, Research Analyst
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executive summary
- Mintel's perspective
- Key issues covered in this Report:
- Overview
- The outlook for salty snacks in Thailand
- The search for optimum health and wellness brings the processing of food and drinks into question
- Apart from providing emotional comfort, salty snacks are serving as urban 'tummy fillers'
- Graph 1: function of salty snacks, by living area, 2023
- Build relevance of salty snacks beyond the downtime occasion for Thais
- Graph 2: salty snacks consumption occasions, 2023
- Trigger trial through functionality and global flavours
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key trends
- What you need to know
- The search for optimum health and wellness
- Nutrition and health benefits are top-of-mind for Thais
- Graph 3: top three most important factors considered when choosing packaged food and/or drinks, 2022
- Consumers rationalise the added nutrition in food and drink products
- Global snack brands are turning to nutritionally dense ingredients including nuts, superfoods and vegetables
- Global salty snack brands are targeting new consumption occasions through functionality and nutrition
- Increase scrutiny about processing of food and drinks
- Processing will factor into food and drink decisions
- Thai salty snack brands are heavily focused on developing a natural positioning
- Graph 4: share of product launches in salty snack categories, by top 10 claim categories, 2020-23
- Demand for natural nutrition from familiar, less processed sources will fuel acceptance of upcycled ingredients in salty snacks
- The adventurous consumer: hunger for new experiences
- The price of experiences is growing
- Consumer desire for novel experiences sets expectations for flavour innovation
- Mintel's 2024 Global Food & Drink Flavour Trends
- Flavour combinations take on new challenges
- Surprising pairings and collaborations are delivering novel experiences and make snack occasions limitless
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what consumers want and why
- What you need to know
- Stable consumption of salty snacks with a declining trend among women
- Graph 5: salty snack consumption shift in the past six months, by age and gender, 2023
- Snacks are at risk of losing relevance if budget constraints arise
- Graph 6: what consumers would do if they had to spend less on food/drinks, 2023
- Establish salty snacks as a staple in snacking routines
- Apart from emotional comfort, salty snacks are serving as urban 'tummy fillers'
- Graph 7: perceived function of salty snacks, by living area, 2023
- A range of better-for-you salty snacks will appeal to urban dwellers, but the balancing act will be crucial
- Graph 8: select 'very interested' in trying healthy salty snacks, by area, 2023
- Salty snack brands are beginning to claim 'satiety', but this remains a niche space
- Graph 9: share of product launches in snack categories, by 'high satiety' claim, 2020-23
- Promote satiety for an afternoon energy boost
- Graph 10: select 'I eat salty snacks in the afternoon for energy boost', by consumers who eat salty snacks to curb hunger in between meals vs total, 2023
- Growing popularity of high/added protein salty snacks with untapped potential for high/added fibre expansion
- Graph 11: share of product launches in snack categories, by select claims, 2020-23
- Innovate with ingredients high in fibre and protein to claim on satiety benefits on packaging
- Use ingredients that help consumers sustain their energy levels throughout the day
- Expand range of high-nutrition and low-sodium salty snacks
- Graph 12: claims consumers usually look for when choosing healthy salty snacks, by urban consumers who eat salty snacks to curb hunger in between meals vs total, 2023
- Minimal has been done on the high nutrition and reduced sodium front
- Graph 13: share of product launches in snack categories, by top 30 claims, 2020-23
- New technology for reduced sodium without sacrificing indulgence
- How to establish a balancing act: flavour mashups and novel protein sources
- Protein-enriched snacks with flavour mashups can balance the health and indulgence proposition
- Enhance sensorial excitement of healthy snacks through unique flavour combinations and collaborations
- Flavor mashups can be meal-inspired in order to enhance sensorial excitement and perceived indulgence
- Soy and meat protein in salty snacks garners highest interests
- Graph 14: protein sources that will encourage trial of salty snacks, 2024
- Take inspiration from novel and emerging protein sources in the Thai salty snacks market
- Tap into interest for whey protein formulations and showcase satiety with indulgence
- Offer protein novelty through plant protein innovations alongside satiety and flavour excitement
- Innovate with plant protein sources and offer sweet-savoury mashups
- Tap into occasions beyond downtime
- Build relevance of salty snacks beyond the downtime occasion for Thais
- Graph 15: salty snacks consumption occasions, 2023
- Leverage consumers' downtime by positioning as an integral part of TV watching
- Cross category inspiration: position for the Netflix occasion
- "No Lay's, No Game": tap into different social occasions to grow relevance
- Increase relevance in the growing gaming scene and target Gen Z men
- Graph 16: consumption of salty snacks when gaming (eg video games), by gender and age, 2023
- Get creative in meeting needs of gamers: no munching sound distractions!
- Offer promotions for gamers: unlock Game Pass and earn rewards
- Cross-category inspiration: formulate for the 'energy boost' needed during gaming
- Position as a fulfilling complement to non-alcoholic beverages and target urbanites
- Graph 17: consumption of salty snacks when having non-alcoholic beverages by select behaviours of salty snack consumption, vs total, 2023
- Salty snacks can capitalise on widely consumed beverages in the Thai market
- Graph 18: consumption of carbonated soft drinks in the past six months, 2023
- Bring the best of two worlds together: provide a burst of indulgence with snacks paired with beverages
- Encourage consumers to pair specific snack flavours with drinks
- Be the guiding choice for pairing beverages with salty snacks
- Target Gen X who are heavy coffee drinkers
- Graph 19: consumption of salty snacks when having tea/coffee, by generation, 2023
- Grow the midnight snacking occasion with Gen Z
- Cross-category inspiration: help Gen Z wind down
- Develop a menu for the sole purpose of night-time indulging to drive appeal
- Position for different daypart occasions
- Trigger trial through health functionalities and global flavours
- Functional benefits are not the most sought out health feature but can trigger curiosity
- Graph 20: features that will trigger trial of salty snacks, 2023
- Innovate health functionalities that will spark curiosity in salty snacks
- Graph 21: functional benefits in salty snacks that will encourage trial, 2023
- Brands striving to innovate in the functional space but falling short on meeting market demand for stress relief snacks
- Graph 22: share of product launches in snack categories, by functional claims, 2020-23
- Tap into demands for stress relief by offering targeted mood-boosting snacks
- On top of satiety, linkage between fibre and gut health can boost appeal
- Leverage emerging fibre ingredients for gut health benefits
- Communicate the inherent goodness of potatoes and fortify with nutrients to develop potato chips that offer immunity support
- Drive trial through flavour innovations inspired by popular global cuisines; novelty will be key
- A glimpse at global cuisine flavours that will trigger trial
- Graph 23: international flavours that will encourage trial of salty snacks, 2023
- Explore novel and emerging Japanese flavours in the Thai market
- Explore novel and emerging Japanese flavours
- Represent the Japanese culture through flavour; flavour mashups can be extended to global cuisines
- Mash up two Italian established flavours to drive novelty; tap into interest for carbonara flavour
- Explore cooking techniques in cuisine-inspired flavours
- Provenance provides sense of 'something special'
- Local flavours can drive a niche appeal among Gen Z
- Graph 24: select local flavours to encourage trial of salty snacks, by generation, 2023
- Thais are most receptive to local flavours with a sharp spicy note
- Graph 25: local flavours that will encourage trial of salty snacks, 2023
- Develop a range of authentic local flavours
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appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- TURF analysis
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