Snacking trends are huge right now. Functional snacks, healthy snacks, snacks-as-meals, protein, plant-basedâeverything is snacks. Demand in the sector is strong, the entrants are many, and competition is hot and heavy.
If that wasnât enough, in the UK, there’s an additional challenge; the introduction of new HFSS legislation to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, sugar, and salt in favor of healthier options. Starting this October, snacks ruled as unhealthy will be relegated from prime, impulse-buy positionings, like end-caps and the store entrance. Without a captive audience, they’ll need to work much harder to be seen and bought, especially when they can no longer run “buy-1-get-1-free” promotions.
The new government might yet reverse this decision. But whether the legislation lasts or not, the date is a harsh wake-up call for snacking brands. Consumers want healthier snacks, and retailers like the UK’s M&S are already ditching sugar and salt from tills and promotions. What’s more, economic changes, like squeezed household spending, also affect impulse buying behavior.
