Report Summary
Stay ahead of the curve with Mintel’s consumer-led insights in the UK snack market. What future product development opportunities are there for snack brands? How have consumer attitudes changed towards snacking? Answer these questions and more with this comprehensive market report.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
- Factors influencing snacking and the impact of the rising cost of living on sales in snacking categories
- Key trends in recent launch activity and future product development opportunities
- Types of snacks eaten and frequency of snacking
- Role of healthiness in snack choice and implications for product development and marketing
- What people prioritise in a healthy snack and what this means for brands
- Behaviours related to eating snacks, encompassing the importance of snacks for keeping energy levels up and the impact of media coverage of ultra-processed foods on snack choices
- Attitudes towards snacks, including interest in more information on healthiness of snacks and willingness to pay more for healthier or high-quality snacks
UK Snack Food Market – Current Landscape
Steep price rises, at a time when household budgets were generally under pressure, hit growth in volume sales in snacking categories in 2023. The cost-of-living crisis is still seen as a problem by most consumers, but the UK snacking market is in a good position to benefit from a willingness among many consumers to pay more for snacks with certain attributes. 52% agree that it is worth paying more for snacks with higher-quality ingredients and 45% for snacks with healthier ingredients.
UK Snack Market Trends
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are the latest health foe in the limelight, making headlines in 2023. This is having an impact also on snacks, over half of UK consumers saying it has made certain snacks less appealing. UPF concerns look to be driving scrutiny of ingredients in snacks, increasing the need for a focus on ‘clean label’ in new product development.
- UK consumer snacking trends: What people prioritise in a healthy snack varies widely, but just under a third of UK consumer prioritise low-sugar attributes.
Purchase the full report for a complete analysis of the UK Snacks market, including market factors and consumer insights. Readers of this report may also be interested in Mintel’s UK Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts Market Report.
This report looks at consumers’ snacking habits, defined as eating between meals. The report discusses types of snacks eaten, frequency of snacking, eating of healthy snacks, as well as what consumers look for from health snacks, their behaviours and attitudes. For a detailed look at market data, take a look at Mintel’s UK Snack Food Market Size
Meet The Expert
This report is written by Richard Caines. Richard is a Senior Food & Drink Analyst at Mintel, responsible for researching and writing a wide range of UK food and drink reports, as well as writing Analyst Insights discussing key launches, marketing activity and trends. Richard has more than 25 years of experience in market research, including a number of different analyst roles at Mintel.
Healthier snacks continue to be a big opportunity, Consumers want more information on these in-store from retailers and many are happy to pay more for them.
Richard Caines
Principal Analyst, UK Food & Drink Research
Table of Contents
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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the snacks market
- Opportunity for more healthier snacks
- Big role for snacks in keeping up energy levels throughout the day
- Snack eaters want more information from retailers in-store on healthy snacks
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market predictions
- Little volume growth in snacking categories
- Graph 1: growth in sales in different snacking categories, by value and volume, 2023
- Food inflation eases from high levels seen in 2023
- Graph 2: CPI inflation for selected snack food categories, all food and all items, May 2023 and May 2024
- Majority of most popular snacks fall within scope of HFSS regulations
- Strong consumer interest in healthy eating
- Graph 3: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Mixed effects from changes in size of different age groups
- What consumers want and why
- Snacking is near-universal
- Graph 4: any eating of snacks, by age, 2024
- Daily snacking for most snack eaters
- Graph 5: frequency of snacking, 2020-24
- Health becomes a higher priority when choosing snacks
- Graph 6: frequency of looking for a healthy product when choosing a snack, 2024
- Wide range of attributes sought from a healthy snack
- Graph 7: attributes looked for most when choosing a healthy snack, 2024
- Big role for snacks in keeping up energy levels throughout the day
- Graph 8: behaviours related to eating snacks, 2024
- Healthier ingredients justify a higher price for nearly half of snack eaters
- Graph 9: attitudes towards eating snacks, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- New flavours continue to be a big feature of launch activity in snacks
- Less prominence given in launch announcements to being non-HFSS, but more spotlight on limited calories
- High/added fibre claims increase again
- Chocolate enjoys the highest advertising spend
-
Market Dynamics
- Macro-economic factors
- Economic output has stagnated since the cost-of-living crisis began
- Graph 10: GDP, 2021-23
- Falling inflation has reduced pressure on household finances
- Graph 11: CPI inflation rate, 2021-24
- Food inflation eases from the high levels seen in 2023
- Graph 12: CPI inflation for selected snack food categories, all food and all items, May 2023 and May 2024
- Little volume growth in snacking categories
- Graph 13: growth in sales in different snacking categories, by value and volume, 2023
- Interest rates expected to fall in 2024, but borrowing pressures will remain
- Food & drink prices still top the list of consumer concerns
- Graph 14: cost-of-living-related issues noticed in the last two months, 2024
- Consumer sentiment: wellbeing is up, but the recovery has slowed
- Graph 15: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-24
- Consumer confidence continued to trend upwards
- Graph 16: the financial confidence index, 2016-24
- Cost-of-living crisis still seen as a problem
- Graph 17: perception of the state of the cost of living crisis in the UK, 2024
- Social, environmental and legal factors
- Government measures on HFSS food & drink slow to roll out
- Majority of most popular snacks fall within scope of HFSS
- HFSS is defined by nutrient profile
- Strong consumer interest in healthy eating
- Graph 18: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Ultra-processed foods in the media spotlight
- Blood sugar gains attention, also in snacks
- Graph 19: Google searches for blood sugar, 2022-24
- Population growth will support demand for snacks
- Graph 20: trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2018-28
- Mixed effects from changes in size of different age groups
-
What Consumers Want and Why
- Types of snacks eaten
- Snacking near-universal
- Graph 21: any eating of snacks, by age, 2024
- Nine in 10 eat sweet snacks
- Graph 22: types of sweet snacks eaten, 2022-24
- Crisps/crisp-style snacks the most-eaten savoury snacks
- Graph 23: types of savoury snacks eaten, 2022-24
- Fresh fruit as popular a snack as chocolate and crisps
- Graph 24: types of other snacks eaten, 2022-24
- Fresh fruit and raw nuts/seeds the exceptions to declining usage by age
- Frequency of snacking
- Daily snacking for most snack eaters
- Graph 25: frequency of snacking, 2020-24
- Younger people snack most frequently
- Graph 26: frequency of snacking, by age, 2024
- Role of healthiness in snack choice
- Four in 10 look for healthy snacks all or most of the time
- Health becoming a higher priority when choosing snacks
- Most frequent snackers look for healthy products the most
- 25-44s most likely to look for healthy snacks all or most of the time
- Graph 27: frequency of looking for a healthy product when choosing a snack, by age, 2024
- Presence of children makes healthy snacks a bigger priority
- Less focus on healthiness when snacking than for overall diets
- Graph 28: how often people try to eat healthily and look for a healthy product when choosing a snack, 2024
- Healthier main meals allow for less-healthy snacks
- Brands need to promote the role of snacks in healthy diets
- What people look for in a healthy snack
- Wide range of different attributes sought from a healthy snack
- No ‘silver bullet’ to win over everyone
- Graph 29: attributes looked for most when choosing a healthy snack, 2024
- Low sugar is top priority for healthy snackers
- Reducing sugar in sweet snacks is challenging
- Reduced-sugar launches rare in cakes and biscuits…
- …but more common in cereal/snack bars
- 30% less sugar products in chocolate fail to gain traction
- Mars’ high-protein bars with less sugar show staying power
- High-protein and -fibre claims gain interest
- Graph 30: selected attributes looked for most when choosing a healthy snack – protein, fibre, vitamins/minerals, 2018 and 2024
- Younger people keenest on high-protein snacks
- High/added fibre and protein claims feature widely in cereal/snack bars launches
- Sports nutrition and protein bars have fuelled high-protein activity
- Lower-sugar claims have worked a treat for protein snacks
- Behaviours related to eating snacks
- People see a big role for snacks in keeping up energy levels throughout the day
- Avoiding snacks that cause a blood sugar spike are common
- Graph 31: behaviours related to eating snacks, 2024
- Snacks ‘ perceived role in keeping up energy helps justify more-frequent snacking
- Graph 32: frequency of snacking, by whether snack eaters think snacks are important for keeping their energy up throughout the day, 2024
- High-fibre and -protein snacks sought more by those linking snacks to sustaining energy
- Graph 33: agreement that high-fibre and high-protein foods keep you fuller for longer, 2022
- Snacks that avoid a blood sugar spike sought by four in 10 snack eaters…
- Graph 34: Google searches for blood sugar, 2022-24
- …with high interest in low-sugar, high-fibre and -protein claims
- But those not avoiding blood sugar spikes leaves plenty of room for sugary treats
- Claims about supporting energy levels throughout the day rare across snack launches
- Ample space for more brands to reference slow-release carbohydrates
- Marketing for Kind snack bars aligns with consumers’ desire for energy
- Energy from snacks appeals most to those with fast-paced lifestyles and long working hours
- Offer nutrient-dense snacks that provide sustained energy to appeal as meal replacement
- Meal-replacement snacks warrant focus on fibre and protein
- Media coverage of UPFs likely to drive bigger focus on ingredients
- Graph 35: top attributes associated with highly processed food and drink, 2024
- Clean-label and natural positionings offer scope to combat UPF concerns
- Snack eaters want more in-store information from retailers on healthy snacks
- Tesco Better Baskets supports healthier choices
- Other retailers too support healthier choices
- Interest in healthy eating apps not matched by reality of their current usage
- Integrate healthy snack information into self-scanning and loyalty apps
- Link snack suggestions to dietary preferences, health goals and allergies
- Attitudes towards snacking
- Most snack eaters think healthy snacks are more expensive than unhealthy ones…
- …but healthier ingredients justify a higher price for nearly half of snack eaters
- Graph 36: attitudes towards eating snacks, 2024
- Plenty of room for healthier snacks with a higher price
- Snacks high in protein and vitamins/minerals in a good position to command a higher price
- Better-for-you snacks don’t always cost more
- Bust the myth that healthy snacking needs to be more expensive
- Budget-friendly messaging has particular cut-through when finances are stretched during back-to-school period
- Healthy indulgence continues to pose opportunities
- Cereal/snack bars exemplify using treat ingredients to challenge indulgent snacks
- Graph 37: new launches in snack/cereal/energy bars making healthier claims, by flavour component, 2019-24
- Biscuit/cookie and protein bar brands collaborate
- Few healthier launches emphasise guilt-free indulgence
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- New varieties/range extensions lead launch activity in snacks
- Graph 38: new launches in snack categories*, by launch type, 2019-24
- Hot and spicy flavours continue to be a big theme in savoury snacks
- Caramelised biscuit still on-trend in sweet snacks
- Launches tapping interest in brand collaborations
- Dessert and ice cream flavours feature in new launch activity
- Dairy Milk & More filled chocolate bars added to Cadbury range
- New additions to chocolate-covered cream-filled biscuits
- Summer editions are an annual feature of launch activity, including in snacks
- Limited editions look to new flavours and nostalgia
- Snack brands shout less about new launches being non-HFSS than in 2022 and 2023
- Few launches in snack categories make L/N/R claims
- Graph 39: proportion of new launches in snacks* making low/no/reduced calorie, fat, sugar and salt claims, 2019-24
- Steep cuts to any one nutrient challenging
- Examples of more than a 30% sugar reduction particularly rare in sweet snacks
- More new cereal/snack bar launches highlight less than 100 calories
- Sweet biscuit mini packs highlight less than 100 calories
- High/added fibre claims increase again
- Graph 40: proportion of new launches in snacks* making high/added fibre, high/added protein and vitamin/mineral fortified claims, 2019-24
- Holland & Barrett launches range of high-fibre snacks as part of revamp
- Gut health support claims increase in snacks
- Discounters pose competition to high-fibre branded snacks
- More launches tap interest in high-protein snacks
- Vegan launches steady and plant-based claims slowly edging up
- Graph 41: proportion of new launches in snacks* making vegan/no animal ingredients and plant based claims, 2019-24
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Small increase in 2023 adspend on snacks
- Graph 42: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, 2020-24
- Chocolate by far the most heavily advertised snack
- Graph 43: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, by category, 2022 and 2023
- Biggest manufacturers dominate advertising
- Graph 44: above-the-line, online display and direct mail adspend on snacks, by top ten advertisers, 2022 and 2023
- Human connections remain a key theme in snack ads
- Cadbury’s 200-Year Anniversary TV advert
- Snack brands emphasise their charitable credentials
- McVitie’s and Magnum promote being the real thing amid cost-of-living pressures
- Magnum’s Stick to the Original campaign
- Celebrating quality of ingredients and taste
- Playfulness and fun remain big themes in snack advertising
- New Extra Flamin’ Hot Doritos TV advert
- Marketing messages in sweet snacks centre on pleasure and treating
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Appendix
- Advertising and marketing
- Advertising spending on snacks by category
- Advertising spending on snacks by media type
- Advertising spending on snacks by biggest advertisers
- Launch activity and innovation
- Share of new launches by launch type
- Share of new launches by launch claim
- Share of new launches by launch claim (continued)
- Share of launches with 100 calories or less per serving in snacks
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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