Natural, healthy and ready-to-eat snacks are trending.
Nibblish for example has introduced an innovative mixed berries variant to their snack range. The mixed berries are gently baked, offering a fresh and exciting way to savour the natural flavours of strawberries, cranberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants. Like all Nibblish fruit snacks there are no added sugars or chemicals, offering a convenient product that doesn’t compromise on taste.
Sweet As Popcorn
Wilson Consumer Products markets and distributes three market leading brands in the popcorn category: Pop’n’Good and Sweet As (ready-to-eat popcorn) as well as ACT II (microwave popcorn).
“Pop’n’Good is the number one ready-to-eat popcorn brand in New Zealand and is popped locally in Te Awamutu,” says Susan Harvey, Marketing and Business Development Manager. Pop’n’Good popcorn is air popped, gluten free and is the perfect little snack for the whole family to enjoy.
Harvey explains: “We are pleased to be continuing our support of the Pop’n’Good brand with marketing activities including TV, radio, and events. This year the nation’s favourite Christmas party, Coca Christmas in the Park, is on again and Pop’n’Good is proud to be a sponsor of this event. Coca Christmas in the Park will take place in Christchurch at Hagley Park on November 25 at 7.30pm, and in Auckland at The Domain on December 9 at 7.30pm.
“The Pop’n’Good brand has a strong 27.9% share of the total popcorn market and is growing at 5.9%.”
She adds: “Sweet As popcorn, is the number one premium ‘wet-popped’ popcorn brand in New Zealand and is batch made. We are pleased to announce new packaging which features wider ‘handful friendly’ bags on selected products. We have also made our products easier to fit on shelf by reducing the carton size for selected lines.
“Due to overwhelming customer demand, we are delighted to be bringing back our Christmas limited edition Sweet As Gingerbread popcorn again this year – get it while you can! Sweet As has 8.0% share of the total popcorn market and is also growing at +1.2%.
“ACT II is the number one microwave popcorn brand in New Zealand which has 29.2% share of the total popcorn market and is growing +16.7% .
“ACT II is the perfect companion for watching movies and snacking at home. Nothing beats the taste and experience of making fresh popcorn at home and the aroma of the of fresh hot popcorn,” says Harvey.
Circana Pop n Good Popcorn dollar share of total popcorn, dollar growth YA% MAT to 20/8/23.
Circana Sweet As dollar share of total popcorn, dollar growth YA% MAT to 20/8/23.
Circana Act II dollar share of total popcorn, dollar growth YA% MAT to 20/8/23.
Global trends to watch
An AI-designed protein bar from Jeff Bezos-funded NotCo and a sparkling drink from the founders of Oatly are among the first products testing the waters of the emergent ‘blood sugar-friendly’ trend.
Flagged up by consultancy New Nutrition Business in its influential 10 Key Trends 2024 report, the early-days trend is already capturing consumers’ attention, and brands targeting healthier blood sugar as one of their lead benefits are emerging.
Promising to “avoid the sugar crash,” NotCo’s snack bar uses plant proteins and Palatinose™, a sugar substitute which helps regulate blood glucose levels.
Good Idea sparkling mealtime drink, created by the inventors of Oatly oat drink, offers “balanced blood sugar, backed by science” and can cut post-meal blood sugar spikes up to 20-30% thanks to its amino acid blend and the essential mineral chromium picolinate. Good Idea explains that these “work together for your metabolism which helps to reduce your blood sugar after meals and provide you more stable energy.”
“Managing blood glucose levels has long been an area of interest for health active consumers,” says Julian Mellentin, Director of New Nutrition Business. “While people have tended to think of managing blood glucose for diabetes, that is beginning to change, driven by the consumer, by the power of social media and by emerging science.”
In a survey of five countries by New Nutrition Business, 21% of consumers said they were trying to eat to manage their blood sugar.
Adding to the trend’s potential is its connection to many of the other powerful consumer growth trends highlighted in 10 Key Trends 2024, including more protein, more fibre, increasing acceptance of more fat, a desire for ‘real foods’, better & fewer carbohydrates, mood & mind and weight wellness.
“Health-forward consumers are now beginning to look at blood glucose in relation to multiple health benefits, including weight wellness, better metabolic health, hormonal health and even better mood and mind,” says Mellentin.
