Walk into any food retailer and you can’t help but notice the growth of the health food section. Even in the snack aisle, which used to be filled with artificially flavored and colored chips and crackers, there is increasing shelf space devoted to healthier snack bars, chips, nuts, and other junk food alternatives. Snacking is definitely an important meal category, especially to millennials. So, it should be no surprise that this influential generation is driving the sales and marketing of better-for-you snacks.
New Study Findings
Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. and The Center for Generational Kinetics conducted a recent national study to identify the trends and motivations behind the millennials’ health-conscious approach to snacking. Their findings about millennial snack-time behavior include demand for the following:
- high-quality flavors and ingredients
- fewer and more natural ingredients
- easy-to-read and understand nutrition information
- attractive and environmentally friendly packaging
And you may be surprised how important snacks are to this generation. They are willing to drive further and pay more for snacks that please their healthy sensibilities. As new parents, they are also searching for snacks that are healthy and yet still delicious to their youngest family members.
Impact of Social Media on Snacking
One interesting finding in this 2017 study is the profound effect of social media on millennial snack habits. They are by far the most willing to try a new snack that they hear about through social media. They are also the most willing to recommend a new snack on social media, expanding this snacking network.
Whether a snack is sold in a grocery chain, a specialty food retailer, or delivered right to the front doorstep, millennials are definitely creating a whole new market when it comes to better-for-you snack options.
Contact us today to see how we can help you bridge the generational divide with Millennial consumers. Join the conversation on Twitter at @WhatTheGen or @JasonDorsey and don’t forget to add your #generation!
