While snacking is the new normal, sales of salty snacks in particular saw notable increases over the past few years. This sales boom has included potato chips, the top segment within salty snacks. For the 52 weeks ending April 17, 2022, according to IRI, Chicago, the potato chips segment grew 6.2% to $8.9 billion, with most companies in the top 10 showing positive sales for the year (see “State of the Industry 2022: Chips continue to reign supreme” for more).
Alternative chips, such as extruded types developed with substrates nutritionally enriched with better-for-you ingredients like vegetables or pulses, are also trending forward. IRI categorizes these products with other extruded products in its “other salted snacks” category, which grew 18.4% to $6.6 billion over the past year (see “State of the Industry 2022: Puffed and extruded snacks offer variety, healthy options”).