Healthy Snacking - UK

Published: December 2011

Publisher: Mintel International Group Ltd

Product ref: 129618

Pages: 201

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Report description

That half of users find the health claims on healthy snack packaging to be confusing suggests potential for snacks to gain standout in the category through focusing on fewer, clearer and more tangible health messages. These claims could include those that feature most highly in the consumer research, like low-fat and low-calorie credentials."

- Alex Beckett, Senior Food Analyst

Some questions answered in this report include:

How can manufacturers entice more men to the healthy snack market?
What impact have sweeping recipe reformulations had on consumers?
What do consumers look for in a healthy snack?
What impact has the economic downturn had on the healthy snacking market?

Table of contents

INTRODUCTION
Definition
Abbreviations
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market

Figure 1: UK retail value sales of key healthy snacks, by sector, 2011 (est)

Market factors
Snacking is widespread but usage marginally dips

Figure 2: Snacking in the last 12 months, 2010 and 2011

Obesity levels continue to rise

Figure 3: Trends in body mass index segments, 2007-11

Fresh fruit is the ultimate healthy snack

Figure 4: Perceptions of healthiness of selected snack foods, October 2011

Companies, brands and innovation
The rate of NPD in healthy snacks falters

Figure 5: Share of new healthy snack product launches in the overall UK snack market, 2007-11

Adspend remains above £7 million

Figure 6: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on healthy snacks, 2007-11

The consumer
Snacks are usually eaten to stem hunger pangs

Figure 7: Healthy snacking occasions, October 2011

Important factors in choice of snack

Figure 8: Important factors in choice of snack, October 2011

Attitudes towards Healthy Snacks

Figure 9: Attitudes towards healthy snacks, October 2011

What we think
ISSUES IN THE MARKET
How can manufacturers entice more men to the healthy snack market?
What impact have sweeping recipe reformulations had on consumers?
What do consumers look for in a healthy snack?
What impact has the economic downturn had on the healthy snacking market?
FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Snack Society
Play Ethic
INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Snacking dips in 2011

Figure 10: Snacking in the last 12 months, 2010 and 2011

Fewer people are sticking to strict mealtimes

Figure 11: Agreement with the statements ‘I don’t normally eat between meals’ and ‘I often eat snacks
while on the move rather than eating a proper meal’, 2007-11

Younger consumers most likely to snack on the move

Figure 12: Agreement with the statement ‘I often eat snacks while on the move rather than eating a proper
meal’, by age and socio-economic group, 2011

Health consciousness rises with age

Figure 13: Agreement with the statements ‘I am eating more healthy food than I did in the past’ and ‘I
consider my diet to be very healthy’, by gender and age, 2011

...and a desire for treats divides the generations

Figure 14: Agreement with the statement ‘I like to treat myself to foods that are not good for me’, by age,
2011

Lack of engagement in light/diet foods could hinder healthy snack growth

Figure 15: Agreement with the statements ‘I use diet food and drink products’ and ‘I always look for the
light/diet versions of food and drink’, 2007-11

Source: GB TGI, Kantar Media UK Ltd Q3 2011 (Apr-Mar)/Mintel (taken from Dieting Trends - UK,
November 2011)
BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT
Key points
Obesity levels continue to rise

Figure 16: Trends in body mass index segments, 2007-11
Figure 17: Body mass index segments, by socio-economic group, 2011

Government aims to improve Britain’s health
Older population set for growth

Figure 18: Projected trends in population growth, by age, 2011-16

Consumer outlook remains fragile

Figure 19: Monthly consumer confidence index, January 2007-August 2011

COMPETITIVE CONTEXT
Key points
Fresh fruit and vegetables

Figure 20: UK retail value sales of fresh fruit and vegetables, 2006-10

Nuts, seeds and dried fruit

Figure 21: Sales value of the UK nuts, seeds and dried fruit market, by value, 2006-10

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Strengths
Weaknesses
WHO’S INNOVATING?
Key points
Definition
Healthy snacking NPD struggles for growth

Figure 22: Share of new healthy snack product launches in the overall UK snack market, 2007-11

Spoonable yogurt dominates

Figure 23: Product launches within the UK healthy snacking market (with low/no/reduced calorie, sugar,
fat as the claim), by sub-category, 2007-11

Spoonable yogurt
Snack/cereal/energy bars
Wheat and other grain-based snacks
Popcorn
Asda and M&S help own-label to lead healthy snack NPD

Figure 24: Share of top ten brands in new product launches in the healthy snacking category, 2007-11

Danone and Müller record similar NPD declines in 2011
Kallo’s rate of NPD declines after 2010 burst
SEGMENT PERFORMANCE
Key points
Market size

Figure 25: UK retail value sales of key healthy snack sectors, 2009-11

Biscuits and cereal bars
Yogurts
Bagged snacks
Healthier crisps
Other bagged snacks
COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS
Bear
Snack a Jacks
Nature Valley
PepsiCo
UB (McVitie’s and Go Ahead!)
Kellogg’s Special K
BRAND COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION
Key points
Definition
Market’s commitment to advertising support is looking strong

Figure 26: Main monitored media advertising expenditure on healthy snacks, 2007-11

TV support skyrockets

Figure 27: Adspend in the UK healthy snacks market, by media type, 2007-11

Press declines but outdoor ads soar
CHANNELS TO MARKET
Key points
Multiples retain control

Figure 28: Estimated retail distribution of main segments of healthy snacks, 2009-11

Convenience and delicatessens
CONSUMER - SNACKING OCCASIONS
Key points
Snacks most typically eaten to stem hunger pangs between meals

Figure 29: Healthy snacking occasions, October 2011

Women and 16-24s are far more likely to snack when bored

Figure 30: Agreement with the statement ‘I most typically snack when I’m bored’, by gender and age,
October 2011

…and stress prompts women to snack more than men

Figure 31: Agreement with the statement ‘I most typically snack when I’m stressed’, by gender, October
2011

CONSUMER - IMPORTANT FACTORS IN CHOICE OF SNACK
Key points
Healthy ingredients rate low on consumers’ priorities for snack choice

Figure 32: Important factors in choice of snack, October 2011
Figure 33: Important factors in choice of snack - healthy ingredients, by age, October 2011

Healthy ingredients vs indulgence in snack choice

Figure 34: Important factors in choice of snack - healthy ingredients and indulgent,’ by socio-economic
group, October 2011

Men are more concerned about flavour
CONSUMER - ISSUES CONSIDERED IMPORTANT WHEN CHOOSING A HEALTHY SNACK
Key points
Low fat is the most important issue when buying healthy snacks

Figure 35: Issues considered important when choosing a healthy snack, October 2011

Low fat
Low calorie
Low salt and low sugar are most important to over-65s

Figure 36: Important issues when choosing a healthy snack -- low salt and low sugar, by age,
October 2011

5-a-day message chimes most with 16-24s

Figure 37: Important issues when choosing a healthy snack -- Counts towards my 5-a-day, by age,
October 2011

CONSUMER - PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTHINESS OF SELECTED SNACK FOODS
Key points
Manufactured products are less likely to be classified as healthy snacks

Figure 38: Perceptions of healthiness of selected snack foods, October 2011

Women - rather than men - consistently view snacks as healthy

Figure 39: Perceptions of selected snack foods as healthy, by gender, October 2011

CONSUMER - ATTITUDES TOWARDS HEALTHY SNACKS
Key points
Eight in ten snackers cannot resist an unhealthy snack

Figure 40: Attitudes towards healthy snacking, October 2011

Fresh fruit benefits from high trust levels

Figure 41: Agreement with the statement ‘I trust the healthiness of fresh fruit more than any manufactured
healthy snack’, by gender and age, October 2011

Health claims seem more abundant but are confusing for half of snackers

Figure 42: Agreement with the statements ‘There are more health claims on snack packaging than there
used to be’ and ‘The number of health claims on healthy snacks is confusing’, by age, October 2011

A lack of exciting flavours is limiting the market’s appeal

Figure 43: Agreement with the statements ‘Healthy snacks usually taste bland’ and ‘I would like to see
more exciting flavours in healthy snacks’, by gender and age, October 2011

Healthy snacks fail to fill up for 35%

Figure 44: Agreement with the statement ‘I tend to still feel hungry after eating a snack labelled as healthy’,
by gender and age, October 2011

...but better news for premium brands as only three in ten disagree that healthy snacks are
worth paying more for

Figure 45: Agreement with the statement ‘Healthier snacks are worth paying more for’, by socio-economic
group and age, October 2011

More needs to be done on communicating the benefits of snacking

Figure 46: Agreement with the statements ‘Snacking helps prevent you from overeating at mealtimes’ and
‘It’s bad for you to eat between meals’, by age, October 2011

CONSUMER - TARGET GROUPS
Key points
FIVE TARGET GROUPS

Figure 47: Target groups, October 2011

Indulgers (22%)
Confused Consumers (18%)
The Health Aware (16%)
Unconvinceds (24%)
Fruit Fans (19%)
APPENDIX - INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Figure 48: Snackers in the last 12 months, 2010 and 2011
Figure 49: Snackers in the last 12 months, by demographics, 2011
Figure 50: Trends in agreement with attitudes on eating habits, 2007-11
Figure 51: Agreement with attitudes on eating habits, by demographics, 2011
Figure 52: Trends in agreement with attitudes on eating habits, 2007-11
Figure 53: Agreement with attitudes on eating habits, by demographics, 2011
Figure 54: Agreement with attitudes on eating habits, by demographics, 2011
Figure 55: Agreement with statements about light/diet foods, by demographics, 2011

APPENDIX - BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Figure 56: Trends in body mass index segments, 2007-11
Figure 57: body mass index segments, by demographics, 2011
Figure 58: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2006-16

APPENDIX - COMPETITIVE CONTEXT

Figure 59: UK retail value sales of fresh fruit and vegetables, 2005-11
Figure 60: Sales and forecast of the UK nuts, seeds and dried fruit market, by value, 2005-11
Figure 61: Level of sport participation, 2009 and 2010

APPENDIX - CONSUMER - SNACKING OCCASIONS

Figure 62: Most popular snacking occasions, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 63: Next most popular snacking occasions, by demographics, October 2011

APPENDIX - IMPORTANT FACTORS IN CHOICE OF SNACK

Figure 64: Most popular important factors in choice of snack, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 65: Next most popular important factors in choice of snack, by demographics, October 2011

APPENDIX - ISSUES CONSIDERED IMPORTANT WHEN CHOOSING A HEALTHY SNACK

Figure 66: Most popular issues considered important when choosing a healthy snack, by demographics,
October 2011
Figure 67: Next most popular issues considered important when choosing a healthy snack, by
demographics, October 2011

APPENDIX - PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTHINESS OF SELECTED SNACK FOODS

Figure 68: Perceptions of healthiness of fresh fruit, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 69: Perceptions of healthiness of dried fruit, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 70: Perceptions of healthiness of fresh prepacked fruit, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 71: Perceptions of healthiness of raw vegetables, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 72: Perceptions of healthiness of nuts/seeds, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 73: Perceptions of healthiness of smoothie/fruit juice, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 74: Perceptions of healthiness of cereal bars, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 75: Perceptions of healthiness of selected chewing gum, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 76: Perceptions of healthiness of bread/toast, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 77: Perceptions of healthiness of selected crisps, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 78: Perceptions of healthiness of chocolate/chocolate bars, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 79: Perceptions of healthiness of yogurt/yogurt drink, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 80: Perceptions of healthiness of crackers/savoury biscuits, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 81: Perceptions of healthiness of sweet biscuits, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 82: Perceptions of healthiness of sweets, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 83: Perceptions of healthiness of other snacks, by demographics, October 2011

APPENDIX - ATTITUDES TOWARDS HEALTHY SNACKING

Figure 84: Agreement with the statements ‘All snacks are bad for you’ and ‘It’s bad for you to eat between meals’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 85: Agreement with the statements ‘Snacking helps prevent you from overeating at mealtimes’ and ‘Healthier snacks are worth paying more for’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 86: Agreement with the statements ‘I like to occasionally indulge in unhealthy snacks’ and ‘I tend to still feel hungry after eating a snack labelled as healthy’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 87: Agreement with the statements ‘Healthy snacks are only for people who want to lose weight’ and ‘I trust the healthiness of fresh fruit more than any manufactured healthy snack’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 88: Agreement with the statements ‘Healthy snacks usually taste bland’ and ‘I would like to see more exciting flavours in healthy snacks’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 89: Agreement with the statements ‘Most snacks are now lower in salt and fat anyway so I don't need healthier versions’ and ‘The number of health claims on healthy snacks, such as high fibre/low GI, is confusing’, by demographics, October 2011
Figure 90: Agreement with the statement ‘There are more health claims on snack packaging than there used to be’, by demographics, October 2011

APPENDIX - TARGET GROUPS

Figure 91: Target groups by demographics, October 2011
Figure 92: Attitudes towards healthy snacks, by target groups, October 2011
Figure 93: Issues considered important when choosing a healthy snack, by target groups, October 2011
Figure 94: Important factors in choice of snack, by target groups, October 2011

APPENDIX: UK RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Statistical Forecasting
Statistical modelling
Qualitative insight
The Mintel fan chart
Weather analogy

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