The move is aligned to entice the 85% of consumers who claim they are trying to improve some of their diet to become healthier. According to the snack giant, healthier snacks are chosen 46% of the time, growing 7.7% year-over-year.
The reformulated recipe is also another step of Mondelēz’s global well-being strategy, which commits to reducing saturated fat by 10% across its business by 2020.
Making Ritz more accessible
Melissa Stuart, brand manager for Ritz, said the brand has been in the market for almost 85 years.
“It’s a really simple versatile snack. It’s bite sized, ideal for nibbling and great for sharing with family and friends.
“This new launch makes the brand even more accessible, providing more options that meet growing consumer needs and the desire to be healthier. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the change in recipe does not impact the great taste Ritz crackers that consumers know and love,” she added.
New pack size and flavor
Ritz is also launching a new addition to the 70% less saturated fat cracker range. The Baked with Tomato and Herbs has visible inclusions to give it a tasty twist.
Additionally, the brand is being given a new look, as well as smaller two-facing SRPs to be more space efficient. The roll-out will be supported by PR and in-store activation.
The new flavor and original crackers have a RRP of £1.49 ($1.94) per 200g pack.
Stuart said: “We believe these range developments will help drive relevance back into the savory biscuits category and drive incremental sales, so retailers should stock up now.”
Euromonitor data showed Ritz accounted for 0.5% share in the West European savory snacks market in 2016, growing from 0.4% the year prior.
The brand also maintained a 1% share of the global savory snacks market from 2015 to 2016.