During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have been staying home more often, and searching for familiar snacks. Cookies fill that void, and brands have taken note of what is trending.
The bakery snacks category overall experienced an increase in sales in 2021, the possible reason for that being that consumers are now returning to the office and want on-the-go snacks to keep them company at their desks.
The tortilla category largely flatlined during the past year, with some variation by type or brand of shell, as the world began to reopen after the worst of the pandemic and fewer consumers worked at home.
State of the Industry Overview for bakery, including a look at baking industry challenges like the supply chain, workforce development, impact from the war in Europe, and the pandemic.
Cheez-It crackers are a testament to American snacking ingenuity. Introduced in 1921, the amazingly popular, one-inch-square, 100% real cheese snack crackers have maintained a steadfast ability to reach nearly every consumer demographic, with an inherent, near-universal appeal.
The grain-focused snack and bakery industry accounts for over $100 billion in annual retail sales. The core of those offerings originate from a select group of businesses, some who have served American consumers for many decades.
Product purchase and consumption patterns in America point toward a desire for affordable simplicity in our foods. This has catalyzed ongoing product development efforts to meet increasing consumer demand for natural and organic snacks. And efforts to bring cleaner snacking options to more Americans find increased success when retailers can offer such simplified products at affordable price points.
Even though we are now nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have become comfortable with snacking more at home, including snacking on tortilla chips. This trend will continue through 2021, but consumers are also searching for better-for-you and plant-based tortilla chip options.
Brands in the snack-mix and nut spaces could be forgiven for waxing a little Dickensian as they look back on the year that was. For while the events that characterized 2020, and that persist, to an extent, today, don't quite measure up to "the best of times" or "the worst of times," they do tell something of "A Tale of Two Snacking Scenarios."