Snack industry strong and vibrant, says IRI's Sally Lyons-Wyatt
The state of the snack industry is strong and vibrant, but there is plenty of room to grow if snack makers respond with products, packaging, advertising and in-store merchandising that meet the needs of today’s dynamic on-the-go consumer. This was a key message offered at SNAXPO 2014’s opening session on Monday, March 3, by Sally Lyons-Wyatt, executive and general manager, client insights, IRI, as she presented the 2014 Snack Food State of the Industry Report. Sponsored by the Arlington, Va.-based Snack Food Association (SFA), this year’s SNAXPO was held March 1-4 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and the Omni Dallas Hotel.
With core snack sales last year outpacing consumer packaged goods (CPG) sales by 2.9% to 1.6%, Wyatt stressed the impact of today’s busy consumer, who is increasingly eating more frequent, but smaller, meals throughout the day. While indulgent snack sales are still strong, she said sales of healthier-for-you snacks are continuing to increase.