Crackers are ubiquitous—they’re good for gathering with friends or family, for an office snack, or even an on-the-go break in the car. The category experienced a modest increase over the past year, and most individual brands experienced an increase in sales as well.

Market data

According to Circana (Chicago) data from the past 52 weeks, ending on April 23, 2023, the crackers category increased by 13.5% from the past year, with total sales of $9.2 billion.

The “all other crackers” category brought in $6.7 billion of the category total, and increased in sales by 12.3%. Nabisco, a Mondelēz International brand, led the pack, with $1.5 billion in sales and a 12.6% increase, followed by Kellogg’s Cheez-It brand, with $1.4 billion in sales and an 8.6% increase. Pepperidge Farm also brought in $1.3 billion, with an 18.5% increase.

In the “crackers with fillings” category, which brought in $1.3 billion in sales and experienced a 15.5% increase, the Lance brand brought in $396 million, with a 16.7% increase, and Nabisco’s brands brought in $339 million, with a 15.3% increase. Ferrero’s cracker brands brought in $178.3 million, with a 34.4% increase.

Source: Circana, Total U.S. Multi-Outlet w/ C-Store (Grocery, Drug, Mass Market, Convenience, Military, and Select Club & Dollar Retailers), 52 Weeks ending April 23, 2023

Finally, in the saltine crackers category, which brought in $611 million and had a 22% uptick in sales from the same period last year, Nabisco again led the category, with $403 million in sales and a 24.3% increase. Private label saltines brought in $123.8 million, with a 30.9% increase, and Keebler brand brought in $46.3 million, but experienced a 3.3% decrease in sales. Another brand of note is Colombina, which brought in $1.4 million in sales, but experienced a large increase of 70% from the previous year.

Looking back

“Better-for-you (BFY) cracker sales are up vs. a year ago, as BFY consumers, especially the younger generations, are becoming more health-conscious: choosing organic and/or buying to specific dietary needs—gluten-free, whole grains, etcetera,” says Carla King, director of marketing, Mary’s Gone Crackers.

Mary’s Gone Cheezee, the brand’s vegan cheese snack crackers, launched in August 2022 in two flavors: Cheddar and Cheese & Herb.

The category has expanded with new flour and/or seed mixes, as well as new flavors that introduce more international ingredients like Asian/Indian spices, chili peppers beyond jalapeño, or chipotle, such as ghost and habanero, King adds.

“[We also see] ingredient transparency—increased callout of plant-based, gluten-free, vegan, and specialty flours such as chickpea, oat, almond, rice, and teff,” she notes.

Lori Schwartz, brand manager, Wasa Crispbreads, agrees, saying that consumers are increasingly seeking out wholesome, better-for-them options in the cracker aisle.  

“A recent industry market research study showed that snacking is on the rise among millennials and Gen Z, and that these consumers are more likely to reach for a hearty snack or mini-meal when they are feeling hungry,” she shares.

The brand is always watching for consumer trends to ensure its offerings resonate with consumers and their lifestyles, Schwartz comments.

“For example, we recently learned that the first decision many consumers make when purchasing crackers is ‘gluten, or gluten-free?’ Because this matters to consumers regardless of whether they have gluten intolerance or not, it’s important to us that our Wasa Gluten Free Original variety delivers all the taste and texture these folks want in a crispbread but without the use of gluten,” she explains.

In September 2022, Wasa debuted new packaging that reflects a modern reinvention of the brand while staying true to its Swedish heritage. To create the new packaging, Wasa spoke with consumers and collected qualitative data around packaging preferences. 

“We found that consumers ranked the new packaging as the most motivating design compared to the other designs tested, due to elements such as the large, unique font style and vibrant pastel background, helping it to stand out on shelves in the better-for-you cracker aisle. After the updates, we then did a quantitative study on the packaging once it hit shelves and found that new buyers were more likely to attribute packaging as reason to purchase Wasa, seeing it as new and different,” Schwartz reveals.

Mary Ann Del Vento, director, Ritz Innovation (Mondelēz International), says that Mondelēz International's 2023 State of Snacking report research uncovered that, despite rising costs and economic uncertainties, snacking remains a top priority for most consumers.

“In fact, people are snacking more than ever, with 71% of consumers snacking at least twice a day. It’s no longer just an occasional treat; snacking has solidified its position as a dietary staple,” she reveals.

Amidst the impact of inflation and the subsequent rise in food prices, an interesting trend emerged: consumers are substituting meals with snacks, Del Vento remarks.

“Ritz is continuing to lean into product innovation and marketing efforts to connect with our audience. In the wake of the pandemic’s pause, consumers around the world were reassessing what snacking looks like in the context of their lives. For many, snacks have served different purposes at different phases of life,” Del Vento explains.

“As a business, we are pivoting to ensure our snacks are evolving with our consumer, their needs, and their tastes. That means tailoring products and packaging to be more portable and versatile for all occasions and phases of life. We are moving towards offering more on-the-go packaging and timing product launches to coincide with moments and occasions when consumers will need us most,” she adds.

Francisco Pergola, CEO, Cheddies, says that the biggest trend in the cracker category that he’s seeing is innovation—specifically with ingredients like flours and grains.

“We also see a lot of brands, including Cheddies, who are improving on the timeless classics. This is driven by a growing population who want an overall better cracker product—better quality ingredients, better and more interesting textures, and brands that want to do better for the environment,” he adds.

“Going into 2020, we had to make a major shift that changed our business moving forward. Previously, we had been buying our cheese through brokers but as the pandemic wore on, we didn’t have access to the cheese we wanted—it was being purchased by the bigger players in the space. This made us want to make our own cheese,” Pergola expands.

“As cheese is our core ingredient, we spent months researching who made the best cheese which led us to sourcing from regenerative dairy farms. We recently launched our White Cheddar flavor into HEB and Sprouts. We’ve also expanded our packaging options with a new 1.75-oz. size for C-store,” he finishes.

A trend making its return this year is in-home entertaining, says Carrie Foose, director of brand marketing, Kellogg’s Crackers.

“In-home entertaining is a growing trend in the category, primarily driven by millennials, and understandably accelerating in a post-COVID world, with salty snack occasions growing faster than sweet/better-for-you,” she explains.

“Bold and extreme flavors have also been an increasingly popular focus in the category, driven by younger and multicultural snackers. Three out of four shoppers are looking for foods that are fun, easy, flavorful, and bigger,” Foose notes.

With the number of snacking occasions continuing to grow year over year, shifting routines and inflation, shoppers are looking to snacks like crackers to fit their lifestyles and budget, she says.

Kellogg’s released Club Crisps Sour Cream & Onion this past March, plus Town House Pita Crackers Everything flavor in December 2022. It also released Toasteds Rosemary & Olive Oil flavor in November 2022.

Campbell Snacks’ Goldfish brand says that it is continuing to see consumers reach for bolder, hotter, and zestier flavors to create exciting, unique snacking experiences.

“Goldfish is bringing consumers these new flavors they are craving through brand collaborations to create limited edition flavors that reach a broader audience. Looking to the flavor experts, we partnered with McCormick & Company to launch Goldfish Frank's RedHot crackers in April 2021, which we also brought back for a limited time in January,” a Campbell Snacks representative says.

The brand says it uncovered that adults account for consumption of up 40% of all Goldfish sold in recent years, so it wanted to broaden its communication to include an older audience, many of whom grew up eating and loving Goldfish, they note.

“We wanted to shift from only being known as a children’s snack, to a brand that recognizes and celebrates the adult love for the snack too. Knowing adults make up a large percentage of Goldfish cracker consumers, coming to market with products that satiated adult consumers’ preferences became a guiding principle as we sought to realize the brand’s full potential with adult snackers,” the representative says.

“Made specifically with adult consumers in mind, we introduced Goldfish Mega Bites in January 2022, which are a bigger, bolder, and cheesier ‘reboot’ of classic Goldfish crackers. In addition, we leaned into flavor profiles that older snackers enjoy, like heat, with limited edition Goldfish Frank's RedHot crackers,” the representative adds.

“We also introduced Old Bay Seasoned Goldfish crackers in May 2022 for a limited time and brought back the flavor in May 2023. Our fans have let us know how much they are really loving these flavors as we’ve received thousands of tweets, calls, and emails asking for these limited time offerings to come back,” they comment.

Looking forward

Schwartz says that Wasa has seen research showing that millennials and Gen Z are snacking more than ever, so the brand is leaning into strategies that help them understand Wasa’s versatility and all the ways—with all the toppings—that it can fit into their lives.

“For example, we’re working with influencers who showcase different recipes using Wasa, like homemade hummus on Wasa, peanut butter and chia jam on Wasa, pesto and scrambled eggs on Wasa, and more,” she explains.

Pergola notes that Cheddies is working on a new size offering for Club stores later this year, date to be determined. “Overall, our focus has been on developing a variety of packaging options for the different channels our customers shop,” he adds. Foose teases that Kellogg’s is exploring more snackable, bold, sweet, and spicy flavor takes on its classic brand favorites.

“Keep an eye out on Club and Town House social media channels to be the first to know what’s coming next!” she comments. King says that over the past year, Mary’s Gone Crackers successfully expanded into the better-for-you cookie category with Mary’s Gone Kookies.

“We’ve worked to manage ingredient availability amid supply-chain challenges, which impacted production and availability of some products. Like many manufacturers, we had to deal with inflationary factors from cost of transportation, energy, and labor. We’re mindful the consumer has been dealing with similar issues, so we have worked to mitigate the impact as much as possible. We’ve worked to focus on what we do best, focusing on core items and innovation,” King finishes.

NEW CRACKER PRODUCTS on snackandbakery.com

Goldfish Old Bay crackers

Ritz Crackers’ Everything Toasted Chips

Cheddies fresh cheddar cheese crackers

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