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CINCINNATI — Snacking has become just as important in many people’s day as their breakfast or dinner plans, whether for school or work, on your
own or to impress party guests. 84.51°, the retail data science, insights, and media company helping Kroger and its partners create customer-centric shopper journeys, asked shoppers to break down their snacking habits for its May Consumer Digest, just in time for next week’s Sweets and Snacks Expo in Indianapolis!Get a taste of these snack-sized insights:Shoppers are snacking more frequently than last year and aren’t worried about spoiling their dinner. 27% of shoppers claimed to snack multiple times per day, up from 15% in 2023. And while snacks range from early morning (60%) to late night (25%) the most prevalent times consumers reach for the snacks are afternoon (82%), late afternoon (84%), and evening (84%)There’s a new favorite snack on the leaderboard. The types of snacks shoppers are buying remained mostly consistent year over year, but cheeses (70%, up from 67%) came in number one in 2024, followed by fruits (68%, up 1%), potato chips (67%, down 2%), crackers (63%, down 4%), and chocolate (58%, up 4%).Rounding out the top 10 in 2024 are:6. Cookies (58%, up 4%)7. Tortilla Chips (57%, up 4%)8. Popcorn (57%, down 1%)9. Nuts (54%, down 1%)10. Yogurt (51%, down 2%)Buying snacks is not impulsive, but the type, amount, and sizes are. 71% of shoppers reported deciding on if they will buy snacks before shopping, but only half know which specific flavors or varieties. Less still (48%) pre-plan the specific amount of snacks they will buy, and only 42% decide in advance on the specific sizes. When shoppers do admit to buying snacks impulsively, 73% said it was because the snacks were on sale.85% report buying their snacks in store, while only 29% do so online. Shoppers ages 35-44 are more likely than any other age group to purchase snacks online. Taste and price are key. Finally, taste/flavor (75%) tops the chart for what is important to shoppers when choosing the perfect snack, followed by fulfilling a craving (55%), convenience (46%), and curbing an appetite (41%).To determine if they are getting a good value, shopping look for the following attributes:Price (32%)Quality Product (15%)Flavor (13%)Health Benefits (10%)Quality Brand (8%)
