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Value-added packaging formats like retail-ready or shelf-ready packaging make it easy for retailers to quickly shelve products. It also builds an additional layer of branding to help snack producers and bakery companies deliver a strong message to shoppers.

A handful of prevailing trends are at work across today’s snack and baking industry to help drive sales forward for foodservice operators, ranging from grain and flavor diversity to an increased focus on health and wellness.

Per IRI, Chicago, the salty snacks category was valued at $22.6 billion for the 52 weeks ending April 16, 2017—a number that encompasses potato chips, tortilla chips, extruded/puffed snacks including cheese puffs, ready-to-eat (RTE) popcorn, corn chips, pretzels and pork rinds—and sales were up 3.60 percent for the year (see the July “State of the Industry—Snacks” issue for detailed category data).

A warehouse management system (WMS) centers on software that supports day-to-day operations. WMS programs enable centralized management of a wide range of tasks, including tracking inventory levels and stock locations, order fulfillment, and shipping and receiving.

The current plant-based protein trend is directly in line with public health findings, including recommendations to increase intake of nuts to improve overall diet quality. Nuts and seeds contribute dietary nutrition, as well as adding flavor, visual interest and texture to snacks and baked goods.

As students of all ages head back to school, parents find themselves searching anew for the latest, better-for-you, healthy school snacks that their children can pack into their lunchboxes and backpacks—snacks that feed their mind, as well as their belly.

At its core, eating quality seals the deal on the repeat purchase of a snack. Those of us in the industry might rank a snack’s hedonistic level—the level of pleasure consumption delivers. Snacks can also face organoleptic scrutiny, determining its positive (or negative) interactions with our senses.

The chips market has grown highly diversified over the past several years. In 2017, a chip can run the gamut, including standard potato chips, chips made out of fruits or vegetables, and multigrain options.

Manufacturers of tortilla and tostada chips continue to expand the boundaries of their offerings, in terms of both more imaginative flavors and attempts to address consumer concerns about the healthfulness of a category traditionally known for corn, salt and carbs.

The versatile puffed and extruded snack segment is answering the call of consumers who want to try different flavor profiles and combinations. On the traditional side, products such as Cheetos continue to prosper in the marketplace. In fact, total annual sales for cheese snacks just reached $2.1 billion. Through a balance of tradition and forward-thinking innovation, this segment represents the best of both worlds.