US Potato and Tortilla Chips Market Report 2025
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While innovation is key in the potato and tortilla chips market, it is equally impactful to showcase fresh ways for consumers to enjoy tortilla and potato chips – such as incorporating them into new meal ideas or creative usage occasions.
Potato and Tortilla Chips Market Analysis – Current Landscape
Potato and tortilla chips remain a popular snack choice, valued for their versatility in both spontaneous snacking and planned occasions.
Mintel’s potato and tortilla chips market analysis shows that generational differences play a significant role in shaping consumption trends. Gen Z’s, Millennials’, and parents’ potato chips consumption tends to be driven by factors such as convenience. In contrast, older generations like Gen X and Baby Boomers report lower consumption, with health concerns and price sensitivity often dampening tortilla chips market share among this target group.
Potato chips consumption is fueled by a balance of convenience, practicality, and emotional satisfaction. While nutrition may not always be a priority for snackers, products that successfully combine taste, convenience, affordability, and nutritional value have the potential to stand out in the market.
Potato and Tortilla Chips Market Statistics
- Potato Chips Consumption: Approximately 50% of US consumers eat plain potato chips and tortilla chips, making them a top snacking choice.
- Potato Chips Market Size: The potato and tortilla chips market size is currently valued at $24.2 billion (in 2025) and is projected to steadily grow by 2029.
US Potato and Tortilla Chips Market Research – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Growth trends and tortilla chips market dynamics in the US.
- Reported potato chips consumption, including trends from previous years and in comparison to last year.
- Potato chips consumption occasions.
- Consumer interest in potato and tortilla chip innovation and willingness to pay for innovative products.
- Consumer attitudes toward potato and tortilla chips.
- Trends and opportunities in launch activity for potato and tortilla chips.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Julia Mills, Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel. Julia joined Mintel in 2023 after spending two years working in the Food & CPG industry. Prior to Mintel, she analyzed trends and insights in both the food distribution and market research space. She holds a BA in Food & Consumer Packaged Goods Marketing from Western Michigan University.
Chips remain a snacking staple, but there is potential to spice up flavors, formats, and creative use ideas to keep the category from getting stale.
Julia Mills
Analyst – Food & Drink
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market size & forecast of potato and tortilla chips
- Market predictions of future opportunities and challenges
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Find flavor inspiration in foodservice trends…
- Use chips as a carrier to make global flavors more accessible
- Graph 1: [no title]
- … and take cues from foodervice-branded products in other categories
- Leverage size, texture, and flavor to create memorable chip experiences
- Don’t be afraid to reimagine the look and taste of chips
- Sugar & spice, and everything nice: the rise of “cricy” and “swicy”
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Traditional meals shrink to smaller meals and bigger snack breaks
- Graph 2: frequency of snacking, by generation, 2023
- Gen Z and Millennials require more from their snacks
- Graph 3: salty snacks behaviors and attitudes, by generation, 2023
- Openness to explore salty snacks increases as age falls
- Graph 4: salty snacks behaviors and attitudes, by generation, 2023
- Growing diversity creates an appetite for bold and global flavors
- Graph 5: distribution of US generations, by race, 2023
- Graph 6: distribution of US generations, by Hispanic origin, 2023
- Two thirds describe their financial situation as something other than “healthy”
- Graph 7: financial situation, 2024
- Store brands focus on innovation to meet growing demand for value
- Graph 8: percent of branded and private label chip launches, 2019-24
- Young adults create space for processed foods in their diets
- Graph 9: agreement with the statement, “a healthy diet can include some processed foods in moderation,” by age*, 2024
- Definition of a BFY snack shifts with age
- Graph 10: BFY attributes in healthy snacks, by generation, 2024
- PepsiCo brings Siete Foods on board
- Corn-based chips could require a new ingredient
- Market size and forecast
- Despite inflation-driven surge, chip sales continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace
- Chip’s sales performance remains stable
- Retail sales and forecast of potato and tortilla chips
- Market segmentation
- Boost sales by reaching more dayparts with potato and tortilla chips
- Potato and tortilla chip sales are on the up and up
- Graph 11: total retail sales and forecast of potato and tortilla chips, by segment, at current prices, 2019-29
- Retail sales of potato and tortilla chips, by segment
- Market share/brand share
- Private labels thrive on consumers’ hunt for value
- Graph 12: market share of potato and tortilla chips, 2024
- PepsiCo loses share to private label
- Plays on texture, ingredients, and formats boost sales across legacy and “other” brands
- Graph 13: market share of potato chips, 2024
- Private labels lead in potato chip share growth
- PepsiCo leads the tortilla chip market, but private label and other brands gain ground
- Graph 14: market share of tortilla chips, 2024
- Leading brands see sales decline despite category growth
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Types of chips consumed
- What you need to know:
- Chips are a #1 choice in snack repertoires
- Graph 15: types of chips consumed, 2022-25
- Younger consumers are explorers in the chip category
- Graph 16: types of chips consumed, by generation, 2025
- Parents diversify chip choices to satisfy diverse snacking preferences
- Graph 17: types of chips consumed, by parental status, 2025
- Consumers rely on chip’s trusted reputation and flexibility during financial struggles
- Graph 18: type of chips consumed, by financial situation, 2025
- Frequency of chip consumption
- What you need to know:
- A quarter of consumers report eating chips more often
- Graph 19: frequency of chip consumption compared to last year, 2025
- Changes in chip consumption stem from shifting lifestyle needs
- Graph 20: frequency of chip consumption compared to last year, by generation, 2025
- Marry practical value-driven messaging with engaging campaigns to retain financially-struggling consumers
- Graph 21: frequency of chip consumption compared to last year, by financial situation, 2025
- Thought starters to emphasize value
- Stay top of mind in snacking repertoires by balancing practical and emotional factors
- Graph 22: reasons for consuming chips more often, 2025
- Millennials cite diverse motivations for increased chip consumption beyond snacking
- Graph 23: reasons for consuming chips more often, by generation, 2025
- Little nutrition combined with high costs are the main barriers for the category
- Graph 24: reasons for consuming chips less often, 2025
- Price and health concerns deter older consumers from chips
- Graph 25: reasons for consuming chips less often, by generation, 2025
- Chips occasions
- What you need to know:
- Both spur of the moment and planned occasions drive chip purchases
- Graph 26: chip occasions, 2025
- Potato chips as a standalone snack vs. tortilla chips as a complement
- Graph 27: chip occasions, by type, 2025
- Tortilla chips are not meeting their full potential
- Older consumers favor potato chips for traditional occasions
- Graph 28: potato chip occasions – NET any varieties, by generation, 2025
- Gen Z and Millennials stretch tortilla chips across occasions
- Graph 29: tortilla chip occasions – NET any varieties, by generation, 2025
- Chips are a multi-occasion staple among younger consumers because of…
- Interest in chip innovation
- What you need to know:
- Consumers embrace innovation that feels exciting, with a hint of familiarity
- Graph 30: interest in chip innovation, 2025
- Keep things simple in plain chip varieties
- Graph 31: interest in chip innovation, by types of chips consumed, 2025
- Think of chip innovation as a way to carry new flavors and textures at a more affordable cost
- Graph 32: interest in chip innovation, by generation, 2025
- Innovative chips can spice up snack time and create fun family moments
- Graph 33: interest in chip innovation, by parental status, 2025
- Interest in and willingness to pay for chip innovation
- What you need to know:
- Consumers may be willing to pay more for healthier options, but not for everything
- Graph 34: interest in and willingness to pay for chip innovation, 2025
- Gen Z, Millennials…
- Graph 35: willingness to pay a lot more for chip innovation, by generation, 2025
- …male…
- Graph 36: willingness to pay a lot more for chip innovation, by gender, 2025
- …and parent consumers are most willing to pay for innovation in chips
- Graph 37: willingness to pay a lot more for chip innovation, by parental status, 2025
- Innovation is a “nice to have,” but not always a priority when budgets are tight
- Graph 38: Which of the following describes your interest in and willingness to pay more for the following types of chip innovations?
- Potato chip attitudes
- What you need to know:
- Brand reputation and community are just as vital as potato chip products themselves
- Graph 39: attitudes toward potato chips, 2025
- Younger consumers are more capricious in their attitudes toward potato chips
- Graph 40: attitudes toward potato chips, by generation, 2025
- Provide meal and snack solutions with chips to highlight their role as a family staple
- Graph 41: attitudes toward potato chips, by parental status, 2025
- Tortilla chip attitudes
- What you need to know:
- Performance and adaptability matter more than brand in tortilla chips
- Graph 42: attitudes toward tortilla chips, 2025
- Bridge the gap between curiosity for new tortilla chip use ideas
- Graph 43: attitudes toward tortilla chips, by generation, 2025
- Use tortilla chips as a budget-friendly base for meals, snacks, and entertaining
- Graph 44: attitudes toward tortilla chips, by financial situation, 2025
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Flavor inspiration comes from global…
- …down to local
- Health takes a backseat in chip purchases, posing challenges for nutrition-added options
- Graph 45: perception of Power Crunch Barbecue Flavored Protein Crisps versus overall potato snacks, 2017-24
- Emphasizing naturalness with healthily-perceived ingredients builds a stronger BFY image
- Co-branding offers a safe avenue for flavor exploration
- A quarter of snack consumers say co-branded flavors take the risk out of trying new flavors
- Graph 46: [no title]
- Marketing and advertising
- Brands get consumers in on the action
- Chips receive a classy makeover with ideas for premium additions…
- …but creative applications don’t always have to be over-the-top
- Brands bring chips to life with experiential moments
- Better-for-You chip brands cater to underrepresented chip eaters
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Market size methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Forecast methodology
- Forecast fan chart methodology
- Data
- Total retail sales and forecast of potato and tortilla chips, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Average annual household spending on potato and tortilla chips
- Total retail sales of potato and tortilla chips, by segment, at current prices, 2022 and 2024
- Total retail sales and forecast of potato chips, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of potato chips, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Value, average price and volume of multi-outlet potato chips sales
- Total retail sales and forecast of tortilla chips, at current prices
- Total retail sales and forecast of tortilla chips, at inflation-adjusted prices
- Value, average price and volume of multi-outlet tortilla chips sales
- Total retail sales of potato and tortilla chips, by channel, at current prices
- Total retail sales of potato and tortilla chips, by channel, at current prices, 2022 and 2024
- Supermarket sales of potato and tortilla chips, at current prices
- Convenience store sales of potato and tortilla chips, at current prices
- Sales of potato and tortilla chips through other retail channels, at current prices
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