The UK crisps, snacks, and nuts sector is experiencing growth driven by a combination of factors including increased demand for affordable treats, particularly during at-home occasions, and a desire for exciting and diverse flavours.
Consumers are also increasingly interested in healthier snacking options, leading to innovation in this space.
Now worth almost £5.3bn (NielsenIQ), Crisps, Snacks and Nuts (CSN) is a category of huge scale, continuing to experience growth in both value and volume sales.
Speaking about the category opportunity, Stuart Graham, Head of Convenience and Impulse, KP Snacks, says: “CSN is a dynamic, exciting and growing category, outpacing the growth of other impulse sectors. It represents a massive opportunity for retailers to grow sales and drive footfall, by continuing to focus on key consumption and shopper trends.
“At KP Snacks, we are fuelling this momentum and driving much of the category growth with our broad portfolio of snack products, offering something for all consumer need states, occasions, and budgets. We have some of the nation’s biggest snack brands, with Number 1 brands in many segments from Hula Hoops and McCoy’s to Butterkist and KP Nuts.”
Stuart Graham continues: “The Crisps, Snacks & Nuts category is thriving, driven by key trends in convenience, bold flavours, and sharing occasions. Food-to-go and at-home occasions are an essential part of category growth, with innovation and promotions continuing to drive category momentum and shopper appeal.
“In Food to Go PMPs are leading the way as shoppers seek value and convenience. Meanwhile, with more people spending nights in, at-home snacking is booming, with sharing formats fuelling category expansion. As well as gravitating towards trusted brands, consumers are also experimenting with bold new flavours, with spicy and meaty profiles in particular gaining momentum.”
Food to Go missions now account for 16% of the Top 10 missions in the Convenience channel, catering to today’s fast-paced, on-the-go society as consumers look for quick, affordable meals which suit their routines and budgets (Lumina).
The KP Snacks portfolio is strategically positioned to drive the momentum of Food to Go growth, delivering strong single sales alongside flavour innovations that capitalise on key consumer trends. PMPs remain key to the Food to Go mission, and KP’s PMP portfolio is strong, broader than ever before and growing ahead of the overall category (NielsenIQ), with Hula Hoops Big Hoops BBQ Beef, McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak, Nik Naks Nice N Spicy and Big Hoops Salted featuring in the top 10 10 best-selling large PMP SKUs.
When not on the go, people are indulging in snacks with family and friends at home. At-home occasions drive the growth of Sharing, the largest segment in CSN worth £2bn and growing at +3.5% MAT (NielsenIQ). Covering a broad range of snacking options, including nuts, popcorn & pretzels, KP’s portfolio taps into this trend to create value and generate demand. Already synonymous with the movie experience, the Popcorn segment has huge potential for Big Night In occasions and Butterkist is the UK’s number one popcorn brand (NielsenIQ). Meanwhile, KP Nuts leads the category as the number one Nut brand (NielsenIQ), with a strong, bold sharing range delivered through the Flavour Kravers range.
Andy Brown, Director at Envis, comments: “We notice that the main consumer choices are the brands they are most aware of, good value for money and trying something new so it’s important for shops and wholesalers to stock lines that fall into each of these areas so having a mix of core best sellers, mix of PMP and non PMP to allow flexibility on margin and price and also a range of differentiated or new lines.
“At Envis we have a great mix of lines and dependent on location fit into core with X-cut Paprika a great example, flexibility on price with Wanted Tortilla Chips £1.25 PMP bags and non-price marked with good RSP suggestions to allow flexibility as well as constantly introducing existing flavours, like WOW Jalapeno and Cream Cheese, and offering a range of differentiated snacks like Pomsticks and Curly Classic.”
Envis has added two flavours to its Crunchips X-cut range this year in Sour Cream and Kebab which are both selling well and adding some incrementally to existing Lorenz sales.
“The basics of making sure there is good availability, stock rotation and value are the main things for base sales in wholesale and are also something we strive for from our warehouse along with being unique in offering long shelf life across our range which is always a big help across the sector,” adds Brown.
Shaun Whelan, Jack Link’s Convenience/Wholesale and OOH Controller, comments: “The jerky and biltong category is one of the fastest growing segments within crisps, nuts, and bagged snacks, now worth over £40 million RSV and continuing to expand in both value and volume. As consumer demand for high protein, lower calorie alternatives rises, meat snacks are becoming an increasingly relevant choice for those seeking a satisfying and tasty yet healthier option.
“With fewer than one in ten households currently purchasing jerky, there is significant opportunity for further category expansion. The combination of protein-rich nutrition and great taste makes jerky a compelling snack for busy, health-conscious consumers. As a natural alternative to traditional crisps and snacks, jerky offers a balance of health, convenience, and flavour variety, catering to a broad range of shopper needs.” Wholesalers can maximise the potential of the category through merchandising strategies.
Jack Link’s has seen strong growth in the past year, reinforcing the increasing consumer demand for high-protein, flavourful snack options.
Jack Link’s has grown sales by over 18% in value and 17% in volume, making it a high-growth opportunity that wholesalers cannot afford to miss. Its Beef Jerky Original 25g has the highest unit rate of sale in the category, providing an accessible entry point for new shoppers, while its larger 60g pack continues to perform strongly in value ROS. Once consumers try jerky, many return, demonstrating the appeal of meat protein snacks as a satisfying alternative to traditional crisps.
Flavour innovation remains key to driving engagement, and we have seen a strong appetite for spicy and bold flavours. Our Sweet & Hot and Teriyaki varieties have been particularly popular – offering a balance of heat and indulgence with notes of soy, ginger, and sweetness. These flavours cater to evolving consumer preferences for global and adventurous tastes while maintaining the key nutritional benefits that set Jack Link’s apart.
With increased focus on health-conscious snacking shaping the category, Jack Link’s provides a naturally lean, high protein, low calorie option that meets the needs of time poor shoppers who want tasty, ready to eat snacks. Its core audience, predominantly active males aged 16-45, values the convenience of an on-the-go snack that delivers lasting energy throughout the day. The bite-sized nature of the jerky makes it a convenient and satisfying afternoon snack, providing a flavourful chew that encourages repeat purchases.
“As the demand for protein rich, convenient snacks grows, we see further opportunity to expand flavour innovation while staying true to our core proposition of quality and taste,” adds Whelan.
Jack link’s is a 100% lean beef, ready to eat snack. It is high in protein, naturally lean, low in calories (below 70 calories in every 25g serving), and low in fat.
“The key snacking consumption occasions are self-treating out of home, lunchboxes, take home treats, and at home socialising, including big nights in,” says Kate Stokes, Marketing Manager for Jacob’s Mini Cheddars, pladis UK & Ireland. “Snacking is a much-loved part of British daily life, with the majority of UK households buying crisps, snacks and nuts regularly in the different retail sectors, including convenience stores and forecourts, adding up to a major opportunity for wholesalers.”
“Healthy snacking is a shopper mission that’s growing in importance,” says Kate Stokes. “Increasing numbers of consumers are looking for lighter versions of their favourite snacks, hence we’ve expanded our portfolio to include them.
“We ensure we maintain Jacob’s’ popularity as a long-established, much-loved British snacking brand by developing our products in step with shoppers’ evolving preferences and to make sure there’s something for everyone in our range. We know consumers take a holistic approach to health, which is why ‘baked’ is an important ‘better for you’ cue.”
HFSS has heightened consumers’ awareness of the benefits of healthy eating and affected their snacking choices. In 2023 pladis lowered the fat content of the classic Cheese & Onion and Salt & Vinegar flavours in the Jacob’s Crinklys signature ridged crisps range. Both variants were in 2023’s Top Five non-HFSS launches (Nielsen), having generated an additional £3.7m in brand sales (Nielsen) that year, and the Jacob’s Crinklys range grew 62.9% in 2024 (NIQ). pladis’ value share of the total Crisps & Snacks category is 3.1%, and our value share of non-HFSS snack sales is 4.1% (NIQ).
“More than ever, good value is a hugely important purchase motivator in snacking,” says Kate Stokes, “with larger pack formats such as multipacks and sharing pouches’ lower price per kg contributing to their double-digit growth.
“Saying that, crisps and snacks are viewed as an affordable indulgence, and own label’s recent growth in the difficult economic climate has impacted snacking less than other categories. Shoppers might try cheaper own label alternatives on occasion, but they come back to recognised snack brands like Jacob’s Mini Cheddars, Twiglets, and Jacob’s Crinklys, that they know and trust to deliver quality and flavour.
“A proven way to communicate value in a branded environment like this is with PMPs. Despite only making up 12% of snack SKUs in convenience stores, PMPs account for three quarters of category sales in the channel, (Nielsen) so wholesalers should encourage their retailers to stock the branded bestsellers in this format, dotted among the full price products.”
A rising trend for wholesalers to be aware of is the demand for flavour innovation. Purchases are fuelled by flavour innovation by the leading suppliers, which keeps shoppers coming back for more. Growth continues to be driven by the core, bestselling products from shopper-favourite brands, such as Jacob’s Mini Cheddars, which one in three (31.5%) UK households buy regularly, and they are must-stocks in any savoury snacking offering.
Becky Allan, Marketing Manager, Takis, comments: “When it comes to shopper attitudes to snacking, bold and strong flavour choices are dominating purchase decisions. While planned purchases lend themselves to ‘weaker’ flavours, impulse purchase (57% of shoppers buy bagged snacks at least once a week according to Takis) is where intense flavours, such as chilli and paprika, have their moment to shine (Takis). In fact, snacks are growing at a rate of +13.9% value sales year-on-year and Takis sales over-index on distribution (IRI). The ‘Need for Heat’ is not showing any signs of stopping, as 33% of snackers are looking to explore new intense flavours in the category (Takis), suggesting a continued interest in spicy flavour profiles.”
The younger shopper is looking for bold flavour profiles to satisfy boredom and snacking urges that aren’t part of the weekly shop, and Takis meets this need.
Putting Takis on shelf is an opportunity for retailers to appeal to this audience, as Takis is a product ripe for the Gen Z market.
They are the super-snacking generation who are on the hunt for foods that stimulate their senses (Mintel). Brands are pulling out all the stops when it comes to this trend as there is huge demand within Gen Z when it comes to this flavour profile, driven by social media. The snacking brand went viral in the US first, and has since found online fame internationally, leading to its UK launch.
As there is a continued pressure on shopper wallets, snack-packs (single serve packets) continue to appeal due to their convenience, and therefore ability to satisfy an impulse need such as hunger or boredom. Within the wider category selling 2.8bn packs of crisps, nuts and bagged snacks a year, sharing formats are the only format to see year-on-year growth in both value and volume, holding a 18% wider market share (Circana).
Takis’ 100g pack is proving to be popular with consumers as it works for multiple different consumption occasions – it can be a sharing bag, can sit over two consumption moments or be consumed in one sitting. This pack size makes it multi-functional and unique to the market. Given the current pressure on purse strings, to some consumers this format is justifiable as a sharing bag, whereas others can afford it as a single serve.
The fastest (Circana) growing snack brand with cult following, Takis has spiced up aisles up and down the country with the launch of Blue Heat – the latest addition to its bold and intensely flavoured range of rolled tortilla chips. Following huge success in international markets, the striking blue snack that is the brand’s number two flavour in the US (Barcel), is now available nationwide.
The launch taps into the continued demand for spicy snacks in the UK. The bagged snacks category continues to grow and is now worth £4.19bn in value (Circana), and within that, the ‘Heat’ segment is out-performing total crisps at +9% value sales in the last year (Circana). Takis is perfectly placed to cater to this demand as the brand is outperforming the market, growing in value sales by 10% in the last year (Circana).
Allan adds: “There is no denying that UK consumers love a bit of spice. Gen Z in particular are leading the way with this and becoming more adventurous in their snack options. Takis Blue Heat has already seen incredible success in international markets, garnering a huge cult following. With its unmatched intensity across heat, flavour and visual appeal this new launch is set to resonate strongly with UK consumers and drive further growth within the category.”
Already a fan favourite across the globe, Takis Blue Heat delivers an explosive combination of chilli and lime flavours, designed for those who crave adventure in their snacking experience. The bold new offering joins the brand’s popular lineup, which includes best-sellers Fuego and Dragon Sweet Chilli.
Stephen Boyd, Business Manager – Head of Impulse at Calbee UK, comments: “Flavour is incredibly important within the crisps and snacks sector. Alongside new textures and shapes that enhance the products further, flavours keep the category exciting.”
Well-established flavours never fade from popularity.
However, new and limited edition products allow brands to experiment with interesting flavour combinations, bringing back nostalgic tastes as well as experimenting with new flavours.
Ultimately new flavours and new products reignite consumer interest, engage impulse-driven shoppers and drive sales for retailers.
“Value for money options are incredibly important to shoppers. Seabrook’s success stems from great taste at an affordable price, it’s why we focus on products that make sense commercially for the retailer and offer value for the customer,” adds Boyd.
“This is supported by the breadth of our range, from price marked bags to eat on the go to crisps and snacks to be consumed at home or carried out as part of a lunchbox.”
Currently, spicy flavours are dominating, and this trend looks set to become a cornerstone of the CSN category.
Consumers are always looking for something new too, so Calbee works hard to keep things fresh and engaging for the independent retailer.
A great example of this is Seabrook’s latest addition, Trebles, which has joined the priced marked pack range. Trebles Spicy Paprika flavour snacks are bursting onto shelves in £1.25 (RSP) priced marked packs. A completely new category concept, Trebles, are also available in Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar flavour.
Calbee’s priced marked multipacks are top sellers, particularly its variety pack, which is a great product for convenience stores. For the shopper, it offers a mix of flavours as well as reliable value, with the reassurance of the price mark flash.
It is perfect for the top up shop and building on this success, Calbee will relaunch its Seabrook variety pack in a new six pack, with a £1.75 RRP price mark to offer even greater value to the consumer.
The Calbee UK business and team have grown from strength to strength since acquiring Seabrook in 2018. The business has doubled in value to almost £100m RSV, with Seabrook becoming the UK’s #2 crisp brand (Kantar).
“Don’t forget the multipacks – retailers can only sell impulse products if the shopper is in their store in the first place. Top-up shops drive footfall so these must not be ignored,” adds Boyd.
“Stock a strong core range of proven favourites – some consumers want products and flavours that they know, love and trust.
“Keep the fixture fresh and interesting with new products – consumers are often on the hunt for something new, particularly in sharing formats for the weekend.
“Shoppers are also looking for value and they want to be excited by what’s on offer.”
Seabrook is heading back onto TV this summer with a ‘Brilliant By The Bagful’ campaign. Celebrating the brand’s down to earth values, the advert focuses on the brilliantly British quirk of being ‘too polite’, while showcasing the breadth of the Seabrook range.
Tash Jones, Commercial Director at Fairfields Farm, comments: “At Fairfields Farm, the seasons play a part in the demand for crisps. During the summer months, we see a surge in demand, especially for bold tastes like Roast Rib of Beef and Bacon and Tomato flavours. This increase coincides with social occasions such as picnics, sporting events, and barbecues. In the winter months, demand rises again as people enjoy cosy activities like movie nights and Christmas celebrations, which is a significant time for snacking and sharing with family and friends.”
In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in health-conscious consumers and discussion around processed foods. Consumers continue to indulge in their favourite snacks, such as bags of Fairfields Farm crisps or packets of salted nuts. Many seek out products that combine better-for-you credentials with great taste and convenience.
Consumers typically seek a balance between quality and price when buying crisps, snacks, and nuts. They want options that meet their preferences, whether they are looking for healthier choices or indulgent treats, all while being mindful of their budget. Cross-promoting products and offering bundle deals often creates a sense of value for consumers, which can encourage them to spend more in their shopping baskets.
“In addition to the growing number of health-conscious consumers, we are also witnessing a rise in the popularity of bold flavours and global influences in taste profiles,” adds Jones. “With platforms like TikTok and YouTube showcasing exciting and unique flavours and combinations from around the world, people have more access than ever to multicultural tastes. As consumers become more adventurous with their snacking choices, it’s essential to stock a diverse range of products. Don’t hesitate to include interesting and limited edition flavours (such as our new Chorizo & Red Wine Flavour crisps) on your shelves alongside the classic options.”
Our best sellers include our classic Lightly Sea Salted, and Sea Salt & Aspall Vinegar and Cheese & Onion flavours. However, as demand for bolder tastes increases, there is a rise in popularity for flavours like Roast Rib of Beef.
Fairfields Farm’s latest summer crisp flavour, Chorizo & Red Wine, is available in 150g sharing packs, perfect for indoor and outdoor snacking with family and friends. Like all products in the Fairfields Farm range, the Chorizo & Red Wine flavour is both vegan and gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy it.
Additionally, Fairfields Farm is introducing a brand new Christmas flavour in October, replacing Maple Glazed Ham flavour with Honey Roasted Chestnut & Sage.
“We always recommend two key things: staying informed about industry and consumer trends, and offering a diverse range of products to attract a wider audience,” advises Jones. “Analyse your consumer base to understand what they are looking for and adjust your inventory accordingly to both retain existing customers and attract new ones. Be sure to provide a variety of options that cater to different tastes and dietary needs, such as high-protein, gluten-free, low-sugar, and indulgent products.”
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