Snack mixes and nuts are holding steady in the market. IRI, Chicago, reports sales of snack nuts grew 1.4 percent to $4.8 billion, and sales of nutritional snacks/trail mixes grew 2.3 percent to $1.2 billion for the 52 weeks ending December 29, 2019.
If you ask Brendan Honan, vice president, global brand marketing, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Elgin, IL, it all has to do with the fact that this category intrinsically benefits from macro trends in the market. “The perceived health benefits of snack nuts and the drive for more plant-based protein versus animal protein has continued to positively impact the snack nut category,” he says. “In addition, consumers are looking for cleaner, less processed foods that still taste good.”