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Recession Taking Bite Out of 100-Calorie Packs
JUNE 16, 2009 --
It appears that today-s cost-conscious consumers have begun to pull away from the once-popular 100-calorie packages of cookies snacks, and other products and sales are beginning to weaken.
A report by market research firm Mintel said consumer concerns about taste, price, and even sustainability are now outweighing the number one purpose for those products – a convenient way to limit caloric consumption.
Food industry consultant Phil Lempert, the “Supermarket Guru,” identified three reasons for this cooling interest:
• A single pack lacked ample food to satisfy many, which resulted in consumers eating two or three packs at a time – feeling guilty in the process.
• The recession led shoppers to calculate the high per-ounce premium they were paying for the convenience of grab-and-go packs. They decided to buy less costly regular-sized packs abnd make their own smaller packs using plastic sandwich bags.
• Becoming more environmentally conscious, many consumers considered the 100-calorie packs to be examples of “over-packaging” and waste, and thus, environmentally unsound.
According to the Mintel research, only one adult in seven currently buys pre-measured packs, and the primary reason is convenience, not weight management. Some 67 percent of women and 55 percent of men said they would buy more if the packs were less expensive.
Kraft began the craze in 2004 with its introduction of Oreo Thin Crisps, Wheat Thin Minis and Nabisco Mixed Berry Fruit Snacks and produced 475 million in sales, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI). A year later, Kellogg and General Mills launched 100-calorie entries.
For the 52 weeks ended April 19, sales of most 100-calorie pack items tracked by IRI have declined, and dollar sales of Kraft’s Nabisco 100-calorie Oreo Thin Crisps dropped 30.5 percent to $16.7 million. Lempert points out that Oreos in the 100-calorie packs are missing the cream filling—their main taste attraction for many consumers.
Consumers may also question whether the portion control packs really help them lose weight. According to a Journal of Consumer Research study last year, consumers given 100-calorie snacks while watching television ate significantly more than a second group given two regular-sized bags of chips.
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