Snacking Trends: A Key Summary
- Snacking growth is being driven by value‑driven upgrades, especially healthier, functional and beauty‑linked snacks.
- Portion-controlled snacks are rising with 96% of global consumers practise mindful snacking.
- Sentiment strongly shapes choices, with nostalgic loyalty highest in Asia
- Despite inflation, 94% of consumers continue purchasing snacks, finding options within budget.
- 71% say they will keep snacking through shrinkflation as long as perceived quality remains consistent.
The snacking industry has only grown from strength to strength over the past few years, with healthier snacking in particular really finding its footing as a major category ever since the COVID-19 pandemic forced global consumers to re-evaluate their food choices.
According to data from analytics firm Euromonitor, the global snack market hit US$679bn in retail sales in 2024, a significant amount given the state of the economy in many markets.
“In the midst of turbulent tariffs and politics, rising producer costs and dynamic consumer habit shifts, the [snacking] industry continued to realise a rise in value [and our five-year forecast] until 2030 predicts that this growth will continue [as the] sector moves beyond pandemic-related strains and intensifies its focus on value-driven upgrades,” Euromonitor global insights manager Carl Quash III said.
“[As] the world undergoes rapid societal shifts that are reshaping consumerism and redefining the standards that make a snack a worthy purchase, brands must be proactive and agile, continually evolving to meet changing consumer expectations [in order to] stay relevant.”
One of the main areas contributing to ‘value-driven upgrades’ is in terms of health and/or beauty, where many snacking brands are moving into this wellbeing space by innovating new products that can support the needs of consumers looking snack more mindfully and purchase better-for-you snacks.
One such firm is COA, which specialises in high-protein chocolates. The firm uses crunchy fermented soy clusters to greatly improve the protein profile of its chocolate snacks.
“We use fermented soy clusters to fortify our chocolates as opposed to protein isolates or concentrates which most other fortified products use,” COA Founder and CEO Eduardo Burg said.
“These soy clusters have already been fermented in such a way that will enhance protein bioavailability and contain beneficial bioactives and probiotics, so the nutritional value is much higher than regular protein snacks.”
Similarly, poppadum snack giant Uncle Saba’s Poppadoms has also reinforced its image to move from being just a regular snacking brand to a better-for-you one in order to tap on this demand.
“Our poppadoms are made from lentils and chickpes, both of which are rich in protein and fibre and have traditionally been part of Asian diets for many centuries,” the firm’s Co-Founder Sreenivas Saba said.
“Consumers are getting increasingly interested in functional ingredients and health benefits they can get from their snacks, and we are seeing many demands for high-protein snacks, so we will be innovating accordingly.”
Snacking giant Mondelez also highlighted the important role of providing portion-controlled snacking options to consumers, as some may not be inclined to change their snack choices entirely but instead mindfully reduce consumption of their preferred snack.
“We know many consumers especially in the AMEA region are looking for portion control in their snacks, which will allow them to not only control the amount they are consuming but also give them the right affordable pricing they are looking for when making purchases,” Mondelez VP for Strategy and Commercial Excellence AMEA Tomas Centeno said.
“When it comes to snacking, it is crucial to allow consumers to make choices and portfolio variety is key to doing this.”
Mondelez’s latest State of Snacking Report 2024 highlighted that 96% of global consumers engage in such mindful snacking behaviours, and 69% fed back that they look for snacks which are portion controlled.
Sentimental snacking
In addition to mindfulness and healthier snacking, the report also found a strong sentimental link between consumer memories and their snack selections, particularly in Asian cultures.
“[We found that] 78% of global consumers enjoy sharing their favourite childhood snacks with others, and this is especially prevalent in the Philippines (90%), Indonesia (90%), China (86%) and India (86%),” Mondelez said.
“Additionally, 73% of global consumers agree that there are certain snacks their family eats that have been passed down through many generations, and this resonates particularly strongly in Indonesia (88%), India (85%), and the Philippines (84%).”
Brands such as Cadbury chocolate and Oreo cookies have been around for centuries (since 1824 and 1912 respectively), and many consumers have made strong associations between these brands and their childhoods whether these are Gen X, millennials or Gen Y consumers.
“These snacking habits are enduring as childhood traditions live on into adulthood, [which has resulted] in snack brand loyalties running deep,” said the firm.
“This is especially clear in markets like Indonesia (89%), Philippines (88%), India (81%), China (81%) and Mexico (81%) which all scored above the global average (80%) in terms of respondents claiming to have been loyal to particular snacks/brands for a long period of time.”
It is also clear that Euromonitor is correct in saying that snacking is here to stay: According to Mondelez, consumers remain ‘committed to snacking’, regardless of what is happening in the world.
“Rather than declining, snacking is evolving to meet inflation,” said the firm.
“While many have had to change snack purchasing habits due to inflation, the vast majority (94%) can [and will] find a snack that fits within their budget, [with] 71% stating that as long as the quality of the snacks remains the same, they will keep snacking through shrinkflation.”
Join us for the Positive Nutrition: Healthy Snacking Trends broadcast
We explore what types of snacks - including categories, flavours, sizes, and nutritional profiles - modern shoppers want.
We also look at what ingredients and diets are gaining traction, how marketing and merchandising is evolving and how brands and retailers are meeting these needs.