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Growth in the popcorn category is being driven by new flavor innovations and new packaging sizes and formats. Hot and spicy microwave popcorn and cheddar jalapeño popcorn in family-size bags are just two examples. Expect to see more innovation in the near future.

The tortilla chip category enjoyed a healthy boost in sales during the past year, in spite of the fact that the numbers of bags placed in shopping carts barely budged—thanks to the price increases seen throughout the grocery store and elsewhere.

Consumers are continuing to spend more time at home versus pre-pandemic and this is influencing what they are buying and how and what consumers are eating. 

Crackers share a direct lineage with bread, finding their innovative genesis as a tool of necessity. The notably long shelf life of crackers makes them a resilient go-to food staple throughout the past two centuries.

The frozen food industry will forever owe a debt to Clarence Birdseye. While his freezing innovations date back to the late 1920s, it wasn’t until after World War II that sales of frozen foods really took off.

Cookies are ubiquitous. They appear in many areas of the store, from the classic cookies and snack aisle, to the bakery aisle, the in-store fresh bakery, as ready-to-bake items in the refrigerated area, and even cookie dough in the frozen food section.

If there is one clear takeaway message from the time spanning from December 2019 until today, it’s that there isn’t a clear replacement for in-person connections. While we have proven that we’re adept at adapting when necessary, a Zoom call lacks the nuances and potential insights we can get from in-person meetings.

The sweet goods category, which includes everything from brownies to doughnuts to Danishes, overall experienced growth from 2021 to 2022.

The buns and rolls segment of fresh bread accounts for over $6.0 billion in annual retail sales, per IRI, Chicago. This sandwich-heavy segment comprises hamburger and hot dog buns, but also other sandwich buns, dinner rolls, and traditional croissants. 

Consumers still have a sweet tooth for desserts. In fact, 53% of consumers said that they had dessert within the past day based on a recent survey from Datassentials. Even as we emerge from the pandemic, desserts are still very relevant as consumers look to indulge a sweet craving, with a treat that can offer familiarity, comfort, or nostalgia.