Impulsive purchases drive snack segment growth

CHICAGO Snack-food companies that focus on the how and why behind consumer purchases are leading to success in the marketplace. Sales of snack foods at U.S. grocery and independent stores are on the rise, and a new study from Information Resources Inc. indicates that the strong sales can partly be attributed to the impulsive nature of the consumer.

“After years of struggling sales, ‘center store’ categories, that is, shelf stable food and beverages, are showing signs of revival and dollar sales grew 3 percent over the last year,” the report stated. Although the greatest increases in revenue were for “healthy” snack products, such as granola bars which were up 10.2 percent, most snack categories increased revenues in dollar sales for the 52-week period ended August 12.

According to IRI, consumers often buy these types of product on impulse, and usually when walking past a grocery on the street. The report also found that the most successful manufacturers were those that carried out marketing campaigns aimed at consumers in a hurry.