2026
9
US Crackers Market Report 2026
2026-03-31T14:01:43+00:00
REP50F93087_431D_4BAB_B930_87431D1BABC3
4995
192387
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Report
en_GB
The US cracker market faced its first retail value pull-back in years, dipping 1.2% to $10.6bn in 2025. Despite this setback, crackers remain a mainstay in more than 96% of…
US
Biscuits, Cookies and Crackers
simple

US Crackers Market Report 2026

"Crackers face a competitive snacking landscape and are proving their relevance with flavor, ingredient and textural innovations that showcase their versatility and value."

Sydney Riebe, Analyst - US Food and Drink

Sydney Riebe, Analyst - US Food and Drink

The US cracker market faced its first retail value pull-back in years, dipping 1.2% to $10.6bn in 2025. Despite this setback, crackers remain a mainstay in more than 96% of US households, highlighting resilient baseline demand. 72% of current GLP-1 medication users now cite crackers as their go-to salty snack, suggesting the category holds surprising relevance among those actively managing their weight and food choices.

Market growth is being stalled by price fatigue, with consumers trimming grocery lists and narrowing snacking repertoires. However, snacking frequency is rising among younger adults, who increasingly favor bold, culturally driven, BFY cracker options. This shift is allowing smaller BFY brands to compete with legacy players, making innovation around flavor, health and convenience more critical than ever if established brands hope to maintain relevance.

Looking ahead, the strongest opportunity lies in using inventive textures, globally inspired flavors and freshness-preserving packaging to reposition crackers as a versatile carrier across meals and snacking moments. Success will depend on bridging familiar pantry appeal with new experiences and functional benefits, setting the stage for renewed growth in a highly competitive snack landscape.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • The crackers market and forecast
  • Cracker company and brand performance
  • Innovating toward generational snacking trends
  • Connecting with parents on health and convenience
  • Adding value for households
  • Marketing toward expanded occasions for crackers
  • Cracker product innovation and marketing

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has divided the cracker category into four segments:

  • Crackers with fillings
  • Graham crackers
  • Saltine crackers
  • “Other crackers” (including butter crackers, cheese crackers, wheat crackers, water crackers, breadsticks, matzoh crackers, etc)
Collapse All
  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for crackers
    • Opportunities
    • Tell a sensory snacking story with crackers
    • Collaborations can expand consideration of crackers across dish type
    • Combine interest in pairings with global exploration
    • Discover the top five trend territories for success in US snacking using Black Swan’s social prediction technology
  2. THE MARKET

    • Snapshot – market size and forecast
    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Market factors
    • Depressed consumer sentiment continues to impact discretionary purchases
    • Graph 1: index of consumer sentiment, 2022-26
    • Younger consumers are snacking more often and for more reasons
    • Graph 2: change in snacking frequency, by generation, 2025
    • Graph 3: motivations for snacking, by generation, 2025
    • Weight management trends impact snacking
    • Graph 4: cracker purchasing frequency, by GLP-1 usage, 2026
    • Continued conversation surrounding processing and ingredients
    • Market size and forecast
    • The cracker market faces challenges but is expected to secure growth in coming years
    • Market size and forecast of crackers
    • Graph 5: [no title]
    • Sales and forecast of crackers at current prices
    • Market segmentation
    • The other crackers segment remains solid, even with 2025 losses
    • Graph 6: market share of crackers, by segment, 2025
    • Total sales and forecast of crackers by segment
    • Market/brand share
    • MondelÄ“z remains on top despite overall sales slump
    • Graph 7: market share of crackers, 2025
    • Total
    • Uneven brand performance reflective of how trending ingredients can impact the filled crackers segment
    • Graph 8: market share of filled crackers, 2025
    • Sales of filled crackers by leading companies and brands
    • Graham cracker sales struggle across brands
    • Graph 9: market share of graham crackers, 2025
    • Sales of graham crackers by leading companies and brands
    • MondelÄ“z sees slight growth amid flat saltine segment sales
    • Graph 10: market share of saltine crackers, 2025
    • Sales of saltine crackers by leading companies and brands
    • Smaller brands outperform big brands and private label in other crackers segment
    • Graph 11: market share of other crackers, 2025
    • Sales of other crackers by leading companies and brands
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Innovate according to generational snacking trends
    • Gen Z’s frequent snacking habits are reflected in their purchase of crackers
    • Graph 12: cracker purchase frequency, by generation, 2025
    • Gen X finds the most value in the versatility of crackers
    • Graph 13: cracker occasions, by generation, 2025
    • Flavor enhancement should be tailored generationally
    • Graph 14: cracker attitudes, by generation, 2025
    • Connect with parents at the intersection of health and convenience
    • Elevate crackers to an every day, nutritious choice for parents
    • Graph 15: types of crackers purchased, by parental status, 2026
    • Convenience can be a premium driver for crackers
    • Crackers must move across dayparts for parents
    • Discover how crackers provide value across households
    • Tight budgets require strategic messaging and pack sizes
    • Graph 16: cracker attitudes, by financial situation
    • Larger households find value in freshness, variety and versatility
    • Graph 17: cracker attitudes, by household size, 2025
    • How pack size influences value perceptions
    • What consumers are saying
    • Market toward expanding occasions for crackers
    • Whitespace opportunities for expanding cracker occasions
    • Graph 18: type of cracker used by occasions, 2025
    • Texture is the gateway to creating interesting cracker pairings
    • Sweeten the deal with indulgent dips
  4. PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • Crackers continue to spice things up
    • Cracker flavor expansions go indulgent
    • Textural innovations unlock the flavor potential of crackers
    • BFY targets easy snacks for families
    • More BFY innovation in CPG
    • Firehook showcases strong collaborative efforts
    • Goldfish brings the fun with entertaining LTOs
    • Cheez-It celebrated National Pizza Day
  5. APPENDIX

    • Market definition
    • The market
    • Forecast methodology
    • Forecast methodology – fan chart
    • US: total retail sales and forecast of crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
    • US: total retail sales and forecast of filled crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
    • US: total retail sales and forecast of graham crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
    • US: total retail sales and forecast of saltine crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
    • US: total retail sales and forecast of other crackers, at-inflation adjusted prices, 2019-30
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – US
    • Repertoire analysis methodology
    • TURF methodology
    • US generation groups
    • Abbreviations and terms

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