Amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, consumers continue to prioritize, purchase and prefer snacks.
This was among the key takeaways from Mondelēz International’s fifth annual State of Snacking report, a global consumer trends study examining how consumers make snacking decisions.
Developed in partnership with The Harris Poll, the report tracks attitudes and behaviors among thousands of consumers across 12 countries, revealing a consistent trendline of consumers preferring snacks over meals.
This year, Mondelēz also rolled out a standalone, complementary State of Snacking: Future Trends report that showcases longer-term consumer macro trends. These include shifting demographic landscape, increasingly fluid lifestyles, people and planet impact imperative, health and well-being and the resurgence of experience economy.
These trends provide additional context on changing behaviors from a big-picture perspective, further exploring how the snacking world may evolve in the future.
This year’s report found that snacking behaviors continue to grow, including notable growth in mindful snacking, with the chocolate category closely associated with joy.
Consumers are snacking:
- Consistently: Spending remains unchanged with two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers agreeing they have not made significant changes on snacks, despite being more conscious of price.
- Mindfully: 85 percent of consumers report they regularly enjoy a snack’s taste, flavor and texture while eating; 78 percent say they appreciate snacks more when consumed mindfully.
- Adventurously: Consumers surveyed are leveraging social media (62 percent) and searching for novelty, with six in 10 considering themselves “snack adventurers” who like to try new snacks.
- Purposefully: More than two-thirds of global consumers agree they often choose brands that align with their values, fueling a rising appetite for snacks with sustainability benefits.
“The trend lines of the past half-decade of our State of Snacking report reinforce that despite a continued dynamic environment and changing preferences, snacking remains an integral pillar in the lives of global consumers,” said Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz International.
“As a more intentional consumer evolves, embracing mindful snacking, we continue to help empower them with choices across our brands as we aim to become a global snack leader.”
The survey demonstrates the growing consumer desire for snacks that offer both satisfaction and alignment with personal and environmental values. Consumers rely on snacks for perceived benefits such as to boost energy (75 percent), improve mood (74 percent) and align with fitness goals (70 percent). Additionally, 63 percent of consumers surveyed seek snacks that work to minimize their environmental impact.
“We have seen that snacking has helped consumers navigate the last five years,” said Martin Renaud, chief marketing and sales officer at Mondelēz.
“We continue to work toward meeting the rising demand for more sustainable snacking options and mindful snacking, as the category remains a consistent daily ritual.”
About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International encourages people to snack in more than 150 countries around the world, with brands such as Oreo, Ritz, LU, Clif Bar and Tate’s Bake Shop biscuits and baked snacks, as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate.
Read more snacks news from The Shelby Report.
