“Morning snacking is the least developed of snacking occasions in terms of provision and consumer spend, and so has most potential for long-term growth,” the market analyst claimed in its ‘Meal occasions: snacking’ report, which it has just published.
“This scope is coming from a pipeline of product innovation supplied by a burgeoning choice of retailers, leading consumers to try new products or trade up to more exciting or convenient items, which are often dearer.”
Conlumino’s write-up forecasts spending in the category would increase by 15.4% between 2014 and 2018, helping to boost the overall value of the snacking market by 11.5%.
Recent innovations
Recent innovations in breakfast-related snacking, focused on time-pressured and health conscious consumers, included Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain, Mondelēz International’s belVita biscuits and Quaker Oats Oat So Simple porridge pots, the report highlighted.
Large supermarkets with strong convenience store estates had led the way in selling such products in the retail sector and had introduced own-label variants, broadening accessibility.
Others had championed such offerings on the foodservice side, Conlumino added. “Coffee shop chains, led by Costa and Starbucks, as well as a new breed of artisan independents, have seen impressive gains as coffee appetites continue to increase.
“Fast fooders, Burger King and more recently KFC, have followed McDonald’s in investing in breakfast and coffee menus, as have sandwich shops, Gregg’s and Subway, all drawing more early hours grazing trade as estates have grown.”
Energy and fuel
A need for energy and fuel drove morning snacking, whereas hunger between meals drove daytime snacking and evening snacking was driven by a desire for indulgence, Conlumino claimed.
A total of 64% of consumers surveyed for its latest report said they snacked in the morning at least once a week.
George Scott, retail consultant at Conlumino, said the market for morning snacking, versus daytime or evening snacking, was particularly underserved. “Therefore, to grow market share, retailers need to look to optimise appeal for morning snacks; in doing this, they need to acknowledge the different motivations compared than later in the day, and satisfy these using focused innovations that play to healthiness and on-the-go demands.”