Snack Attack

Study after study after study after… you get the idea, report that more and more people are replacing meals with snacking occasions. And a great many of those feasting on snacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner are the ever-popular-to-retailers, Millennials, and to a lesser extent—for now—Gen Z, identified as 15 to 18 year-olds.  

Capturing the dollars these two demographics spend on snacking items should be high on list of any retailer. According to The Hartman Group, when looking for a snack to consume immediately, defined as occasions where food and drink is consumed within an hour of purchase, the grocery store is currently the arena of choice for both demographics.

For Millennials, 37 percent tend to purchase at the grocery store, while 28 percent of Gen Zers do so. That tops convenience stores or gas stations (21 percent for both), vending machines (12 percent for Millennials, seven percent for Gen Z), coffee shops (seven percent, four percent) and drug stores (five percent for both).

Stats are great, especially if you are sitting in a bar arguing about baseball, but food retailers should take note here… snacking is serious business.