Small multipacks and sharing bags in crisps are pushing positive momentum, but large multipacks are struggling
The savoury snacks sector has continued its positive momentum from last year, growing to account for over half of category spend (50.3%).
In crisps, small multipacks and sharing bags are pushing performance, while large multipacks struggle to remain relevant.
Seasonality and specific peaks also played a crucial role this year, with more hours of daylight, international events like the World Cup and a strong summer proving key for growth.
Despite these significant seasonal opportunities, off-promotion spend grew faster than promotional spend as manufacturers and retailers aimed for smarter strategies.
Branded prices increased at a faster rate than own label last year, widening the price gap between them to more than £1.20 per kg.
Own label outperformed brands in every segment, with a 6.7% increase in value and 6.6% boost to volume sales.
Branded growth can be attributed solely to strong uptrading and new launches at a higher price point.
Tomas Caetano,
Kantar

Source: Kantar 52 w/e 30 December 2018

Crisps, nuts and snacks shoppers are proven to be more impulsive, making in-store visibility crucial. That doesn’t just mean clear signalling in the snacking aisle, it’s also about getting the right secondary space.
Traffic and relevance are key considerations for off-shelf placements. A good example of secondary space done well is PepsiCo, which was one of the first crisp brands to boost sales in food to go, ensuring their crisps were highly visible next to sandwiches.
Alcohol is another partner that could boost purchase by encouraging link sales between snacks and drinks.
Shoppers in this category are more likely to switch brands than the average consumer. The high level of promotions in recent years plays a key role in this, with many shoppers proving unwilling to pay full price for their preferred brand when there are other options on deal.
The wide range of options in the snacking aisle has also affected brand loyalty, with several options within each tier of products. Many shoppers will happily swap between Tyrrells, Kettle Chips and premium own-label crisps, picking whichever is on promotion at that time.
These shopper behaviours make it all the more important for brands to offer something new and exciting on shelf, particularly as promotional activity is reduced in the category. Standing out and justifying full prices for shoppers who are used to deals is becoming increasingly difficult, so NPD and innovation will be key for sales this year.
Jeremy Garlick,
Insight Traction

Sharing bags continue to grow in popularity, fuelling growth for many of the top brands.
Pringles has seen the strongest absolute growth of the top 10, racking up an extra £25.1m. The move from 190g to 200g has really paid off for the brand. Each of its core flavours saw an increase in value sales after seeing a slight increase in volume sold on promotion.
Many large brands have turned to innovation to boost sales over the past year. Walkers has led the way with numerous sub-brand launches and range extensions, including Max Strong and the latest additions to its core range, BBQ Pulled Pork and Spicy Sriracha.
This innovation has proved crucial to Walkers, whose £25.2m drop was driven by a dip in its core lines. This was mitigated by strong growth in its Sensations and Max sub-brands, with the latter’s new Max Strong sharing bags proving particularly popular with shoppers.
Another big brand turning to innovation is KP, which has boosted its brands through interesting extensions such as Hula Hoops Puft and McCoy’s Chips.
Private label has seen particularly strong growth, driven largely by the success of sharing bags. Retailers are increasingly keeping in touch with key flavour trends, providing additional competition for brands in this crowded category.
Steven Hansell,
 Nielsen

Nielsen Scantrack monitors weekly data from a national network of EPoS scanners to represent sales in grocery multiples, co-ops, multiple off-licences, independents, forecourts, convenience multiples, symbols and online grocery retailers.