Economic uncertainty, self-checkout lanes, omnichannel shopping, and natural and organic trends are impacting the way consumers purchase snacks and candy, according to recent surveys from retail and foodstuff service provider Acosta Group. Findings show that shoppers view snacks and candy as accessible luxuries in their daily lives. When asked, 40% of shoppers say they have eaten a large bag of salty snacks in one sitting, with that percentage rising to 74% for Gen Z and 60% for Millennials.

"We wanted to learn more about the shopper path to purchase by understanding when and why shoppers are snacking, as well as where and what they're buying on different occasions or shopping trips," according to Kathy Risch, Senior Vice President for Consumer Insights and Trends."
Shoppers are snacking throughout the day, with 43% saying they're usually snacking at night, 32% often snacking as a meal, and 36% snacking mainly when bored (47% of Gen Z). Stress snacking is highest among Gen Z at 81%, with 68% of shoppers with kids saying that they snack when stressed. Snacks are perceived as a comfort food by 68% of shoppers.

Millennials are big snackers with purchases of frozen snacks and sides, granola and cereal bars, protein and nutrition bars, and dried meat or jerky. This group is also snacking on-the-go, with 74% snacking at work and 63% snacking when traveling. Households with kids are also driving snack sales. Salty snacks reign in the category with potato chips in the lead.

For candy purchasers, chocolate is preferred (82%) over non-chocolate, with 54% of shoppers saying they eat more candy than they should. Four in 10 are eating candy at least once a day, with Millennials and higher income households eating more. Candy bars are the favorite, with candy-coated chocolate in second. Citing high prices and health concerns, 30% of shoppers say they're buying less candy than last year. Candy sales are also at risk due to the increased use of self-checkout, preferred by 76% of Gen Z and 73% of Millennial shoppers. More than 25% of all candy sales occur at checkout, with self-checkout reducing impulse candy conversion purchases by 50%, according to IMC Proprietary Retailer Research.  

Acosta Group's Candy Shopper Insights Study and its Snacks Shopper Insights Study were conducted in early 2023 with two groups that were part of the company's proprietary Shopper Community. The Acosta Group Shopper Community comprises over 40,000 demographically diverse shoppers across the U.S. and is the company's proprietary community for survey engagement. 

"With this study, we've identified several standout opportunities to support continued growth for consumer packaged goods brands in snack and candy," according to Darian Pickett, Chief Executive Officer. These opportunities include highlighting health attributes that have broad appeal, such as calories, sugar, fat, and carbs; focusing innovation efforts on attributes such as clean ingredients; and developing portable, resealable packaging to promote convenience for on-the-go consumption of snacks and candy for busy ore across multiple formats.

In early 2023, Acosta Group rebranded and reorganized. The organization is made up of Acosta, CORE Foodservice, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services, and ActionLink. Acosta opened its Hacienda office in September 2015.

For more information about Acosta Group, please visit www.acosta.group.