June 18, 2025 – Snacking is a regular eating occasion for consumers in the US. Consumer trends survey results show that nearly half of US consumers report snacking two to three times daily about one in seven say they snack at least four times a day. Snacking is catching up with traditional meals. US participants in consumer trends surveys say that instead of being an optional extra, snacks provide energy, replace meals, and satisfy emotional needs. Other snack benefits include managing hunger and helping overcome boredom.
Snacks Bring Opportunity to Brands and Retail Outlets
Brands and retail outlets can look toward the occasion of snacking rather than just the snack category itself. Snacking trends indicate that consumers use snacking to meet specific needs such as energy, reward, or relief of stress. This presents an opportunity for brands to innovate by balancing various features – indulgence, permission, emotion, functional benefit, discovery, and routine. Brands that satisfy consumer needs on emotional, physical, and practical levels can become the winners of more purchases, more frequent consumption, and stronger consumer loyalty.
Consumers are Highly Aware of Snacking
Snacking can no longer be described as mindless. Consumers are very aware of their snacking habits. They look for healthy, mindful, balanced choices rather than snacking out of impulse. The effect of this is that snacks are no longer seen as just indulgent. Even when treating themselves, consumers pay attention to portion size and health in snacking.
Emotions help drive decisions regarding when consumers snack and what they snack on. People snack for emotional reasons that affect what they eat, where they eat, and when they eat. According to consumer trends research, US consumers snack at work and at night to relieve stress, in the afternoon out of boredom, and for social reasons in the evening.
Snacking for Different Times of Day
The snack category is highly fragmented, and snacking occasions are very flexible. US consumers have different reasons for snacking at different times of day, and snacking can be dependent on the location. Although a snack brand may not be able to own a particular occasion, it can be flexible in the ways that it meets consumer needs. Brands that limit themselves to a specific occasion run the risk of missing out. Still, the snack space is crowded and requires deliberate choices in positioning.
Consumers say that afternoon snacking serves a lot of purpose. It helps them reset mentally, recharge their batteries, refocus their attention, and relieve stress mid-afternoon. Brands can take advantage of afternoon emotional and functional needs by offering brain fuel for productivity or snack foods for unwinding and relaxing.
Snacks Focus on Needs and Benefits
Several factors affect expectations around flavor, including occasion, time of day, emotional needs, and functional needs. Flavors can be matched to the need for refreshment in the morning, satisfaction in the afternoon, or indulgence at night. This can help establish strong snacking habits.
Emotions can cause snacking to be inconsistent because consumers often snack based on mood and feelings at a particular time. For example, a consumer could choose a comforting snack one evening and a healthier snack the next evening, maybe partly because of guilt about the night before. This is why it can be hard for brands to establish marketing messages, predict demand, and drive consumer snacking habits. One approach is to focus on a specific emotional benefit like focus, relaxation, and stress relief to offer consumers what they are looking for on an impulse.
Strategies for Gaining a Share of the Snack Market
Versatility helps market for snack occasions. US consumers may not be loyal regarding snack occasions so versatility can encourage repeat purchases. Messaging across demographic groups helps consumers identify with a brand. This can be reinforced through packaging, partnerships, and placement in stores. Smaller brands, however, may want to target a certain demographic at the start, followed by plans to expand.
Position Snacks for the Occasion
De-prioritize functional claims in specific snacking strategies because consumers tend to focus more on indulgence for snacking occasions. When they nibble or snack at different times of day, they may be looking for relaxation, reward, treat, or comfort. Snacking trends reveal that health and functionality are less important. Snacks can be positioned for their occasion-related benefits such as indulgence, ease, little preparation time, satisfaction, textures, nostalgia and other flavors.
Snacks Appeal to Younger Consumers
Snacking trends show that young US consumers in particular may be accessing the snacking experience on-demand and digitally. Although a niche for now, younger consumers are discovering snacks in the digital world. This includes delivery apps, digital stores, and social media that promote trial of new flavors in snacks, innovative new snack products, and limited-time offerings. By accessing and taking advantage of digital environments, brands can create trial and demand among younger consumers that may turn into longer-term loyalty.
Supermarkets can recreate snack space as a place for discovery rather than just nourishment. Young consumers who discover snack experiences on-line may come to the market looking for snacks in real life. Retailers can use this opportunity to jump onto snack trends and make it possible for young consumers to purchase the snacks they learn about digitally.
This article is based on Innova’s Snacking Occasions in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
