9 in 10 consumers purchase from the nut-based and sweet spreads categories, making spreads a pantry staple. The typical pantry is most likely to get stocked with with 1-2 spreads, but younger generations are shifting this with expanded repertoires. Diversified product choices and expanded uses are spreading out the market into new flavors, ingredient bases and occasions. Emerging ingredient bases like pistachio butter, indulgent flavored spreads, and the relevance of savory/spiced fruit spreads with younger generations showcase current evolutions in the market that provide refreshing fun and excitement to a market whose ‘bread and butter’ was once just ‘peanut butter and jelly.’
Even as younger generations are expanding their repertoires, growth to the spreads market is steadying as inflation cools. Recent years have undoubtedly impacted purchasing in the longer term, though, as heightened sales growth to private label sticks around due to proven quality and value. Category superusers suggest that growth to both nut/seed-based spreads and fruit spreads will be driven by a mix of BFY products that bring permissibility and nutritional benefits along with flavors and formulations that infuse excitement into new product trial and continue to inspire more diverse spread use cases.
Spreads are turning from pantry staple status into something more, paving the way for products that satisfy diverse cravings and support versatile occasions.
Kelsey Olsen, Food & Drink Analyst
For the purposes of this Report, nut-based spreads and sweet spreads include the following products:
Note: the terms sweet spreads and fruit spreads are used interchangeably in this report.
Butter and margarine spreads, syrup and honey are excluded from the scope of this report.
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