North America goes sweet and lazy
According to a report from Mintel on salty snacks in the US, popcorn enjoyed sales growth of 16% between 2008 and 2013. Mintel predicted that the segment would grow by a further 21% by 2018 as brands innovated around ready-to-eat alternatives to traditional popcorn.
North America saw a 72% increase in product launches of ready-to-eat popcorn between January 2010 and August 2014, said the FONA report.
“Consumers are adopting a snacking culture and looking for options that fit into their busy, on-the-go schedules,” said Burnidge.
Examples included: 479° toasted coconut caramel artisan popcorn and Gary Poppins caramel & cheddar popcorn