Consumers’ love of snacking is a trend that continues to grow.
“It’s becoming a 24-hour daypart,” said Donna Hood Crecca, principal at CSP sister research arm Technomic, Chicago, who spoke last month at CSP’s 2024 Outlook Leadership conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Generation Alpha, those born in 2005 and later, are being raised on screens and already influence retail food purchases and foodservice visitation because parents let them weigh in on what the family eats, Crecca said.
- Also from Donna Hood Crecca at Outlook: Weight-loss drugs and what it means for convenience stores and Convenience stores should adjust as more in Gen Z not drinking alcohol.
In households with children under age 12, snacking, which makes up 24% of occasions at limited-service restaurants, is up 4 percentage points from 2017 to 2023, said Crecca, citing Technomic data, while dinner is down 6 points and lunch down 2. Breakfast is up 5 points.
There are new competitors with which convenience stores must grapple, she added. “Chains like Subway and its Subway Sidekicks: Footlong Churro, Footlong Cookies, Footlong Pretzel,” Crecca said. “The future of snacking category is up for grabs.”
Generation Alpha “are and will be demanding,” Crecca said, noting they:
- Need it “light”
- Want it quick and easy to eat anywhere
- Seek out craveable, customizable, shareable items
- Expect healthy and indulgent options
- Are intrigued by familiar with a twist
Make “adventurous” snacks approachable, Crecca said, noting that Technomic data from October 2023 shows that with Generation Alpha’s willingness to try new flavors:
- 49% are adventurous
- 33% are somewhat adventurous
- 17% are not adventurous
With trying global flavors:
- 49% are adventurous
- 28% are somewhat adventurous
- 23% are not adventurous
Generation Alpha will super-size the snacking trend, Crecca said, with the implications for convenience including focusing on snack portions, not just the daypart. The snack should be individual and shareable and include accessible flavor innovation.
In addition, “We need to reinforce our position as the snack occasion destination with our retail and foodservice offerings,” she said, adding that c-stores should:
- Showcase speed, ease and convenience
- Engage via social media advertising and loyalty apps
To grab Generation Alpha, c-store retailers must use digital, Crecca said. “The now trends influence what’s next,” she said adding:
- Be proactive and realistic: Monitor market dynamics, note the nuances
- Be nimble and flexible: Protect and grow core categories, capitalize on new opportunities
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.