How shifting American snacking habits affect packaging trends

In my quest to find something relevant to the July 4 holiday, I came across the below article from Packaging Strategies all about summer snacking preferences. As a data-driven organization, how could we not be interested in something called the "Snack Index"? It conjures images of salsa, queso and guacamole-flavored scorecards, cheese-dusted Gantt charts and pie charts that are made of, well, pie.

Snacks are playing an increasing role in our diets, with one study reflecting that 86 percent of Americans have replaced a meal with a snack meal. This can be dangerous if you’re anything like me and are willing to bend the rules of snacking and serving size; i.e., one serving of Ritz crackers is one sleeve (just trust me on this one). With this shift in consumer preferences, packaging volume is expected to increase as brand owners tailor their product packaging to meet changing consumer lifestyles.

For example, there are increasing instances — many in the area of crackers and potato chips — where the bulk and family-sized packaging we’ve grown accustomed to have been replaced or complemented by several individually packaged servings that enable customers to grab-and-go. This increased packaging surface area will need to be printed with product and branding messages, which will lead to increased usage volumes of printing inks and coatings.

I love the use of the title "snacker" — is that an appointed or an elected position?

Have a great weekend!

— Simon

Frito-Lay Shares This Summer's U.S. Snack Index

The summer season is packed with snacks. To explore just where, when and how Americans will snack this summer, Frito-Lay today unveiled the next installment of its U.S. Snack Index.

Snacks play an integral role in the summertime experience. As the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day historically starts a spike and then snacking hits its highest point during the week of July 4. In fact, according to retail sales data, the week of July 4 represents the biggest snacking week of the entire year for Frito-Lay.

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