Britons snacking less as they drift back to office after pandemic
Hold the biscuits, popcorn and chocolate and hand out the rice cakes, apples and halloumi, the UK is cutting back on snacks and shifting to healthier options amid tighter budgets and bulging waistlines.
Britons had a snack at home on more than 15% fewer occasions in 2024 than in 2020 – as a boom in self-treating during the pandemic lockdowns subsided, according to the retail market analysts Kantar. Even when snacking on the go is included, we are munching about 2% less than during the pandemic and even a bit less than before Covid reshaped our lives.
Nathan Ward from Kantar said: 'Working from home has made a massive difference. During the pandemic we did snack more as we were in the home and availability does drive consumption. As people have drifted back to work snacking has declined.'
Ananda Roy, at the market research firm Circana, said: 'We are seeing the world return to normal.' He says treats are far from off the menu but 'the future of snacking is going to be different' with more fruit, nuts, yoghurts, protein bars and cheese, and fewer chocolatey treats and biscuits.
Last year, we snacked on 350m fewer occasions at home compared with the previous year, according to Kantar. Consumers bought about 1.5% fewer sweets and chocolate bars over the year, according to Circana data, and about 6% fewer packs of crisps than in 2021. In contrast, snacking on fruit was up 4% last year, according to Kantar, while we bought 1.2% more nuts and 16% more protein bars, drinks and powders, according to the Grocer's top products research with the analyst NIQ.
Protein snacks are experiencing a particular boost from healthy eating trends, with special drinks, nuts and even boiled eggs now more popular, as well as foods with more fibre, such as low-sugar smoothies.
Waitrose said it had seen a demand for more 'functional snacks', such as crispy seaweed, as customers sought out healthier foods.
Households are also seeking out less processed treats – such as carrot sticks, apple slices, olives and salads – amid concerns about the health implications of ultra-processed foods.
'Increasingly, consumers are using fresh fruit and vegetables as part of their snack repertoire,' Roy said.
The rise in the cost of cocoa, sugar and other indulgent commodities is partly behind the shift, with the amount of chocolate bought down by 11% since 2021, according to Circana. Crisp sales have also been hit by price rises prompted by poor potato harvests. The UK's biggest brand, Walkers, for instance, sold 2.6m fewer kilograms of crisps last year as average prices increased 4.1% according to the Grocer.
Jonny Forsyth, a senior director of food and drink research at Mintel, said: 'The elevated cost of living has dampened sales of snacks.'
Rules that forced supermarkets to display high fat and sugar foods in less prominent positions from October 2022 have also had an impact. The changes have not only made such snacks less handy to pick up but also prompted some big brands to change their recipes, making their snacks more healthy but sometimes less attractive to shoppers.
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Further change could be driven by restrictions on promotions, such as buy one, get one free, which come into force this October.
The rising use of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro could also further affect snacks.
While these treatments are not currently widely available, they could have a major impact in future as they decrease appetite and increase interest in foods that are gentler on the stomach than something salty and acidic. Those on the drugs also want foods that refresh the mouth and do not raise blood sugar levels, according to Roy.
However, snacking is far from over. Analysts at the market research firm Mintel say young people are beginning to replace some meals with a snack, such as a yoghurt or protein drink. The value of sales is also growing as shoppers buy fewer – but pricier, better-quality – chocolates, for example.
Ward at Kantar adds that the tough economic climate might revive demand, despite concerns about cost: 'When times get tough, snacking is an affordable pleasure and we often see a bounce.'
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