Christmas snacks special: Festive flavours, big sales

Season of indulgence is here. It is the season when we forget diets and calorie counting; it is the time when crisps, snacks, and nuts come into their own, much like the glittering baubles we dust off every December.

Convenience stores know this better than anyone. December transforms these everyday items into must-haves, with shoppers piling their baskets high with everything from festive-flavored crisps to honey-roasted nut mixes that pair perfectly with a glass of mulled wine. After all, everyone craves a good crunch during Christmas movies or as we gather with friends and family.

For community convenience stores, the opportunity is ripe and delicious. The festive period is the perfect time to showcase creative displays of snacks that not only catch the eye but stir the imagination.

After all, what’s Christmas without a bowl of crisps? These little bites might not make the Christmas card, but they’re undeniably part of the magic.

PepsiCo is quick to back up the crunch-love with numbers.

A spokesperson points out that salty snacks in independent and symbol stores now clock in at a hefty £631.6million, growing at a rate of +18.0 per cent. Within this, Crisps, Snacks, and Nuts dominate, accounting for a jaw-dropping 94.1 per cent of value sales in total savoury snacks.

Matt Collins, Sales Director at KP Snacks, is excited about the Christmas boom.

“Treat occasions grow in the Convenience and Impulse channel over the festive season as friends and family seek out their favourite snacks to boost enjoyment of Christmas occasions,” he says, adding, “From parties to festive movie nights, Crisps, Snacks, and Nuts are a staple of Christmas get-togethers, creating a critical opportunity for retailers to bolster sales.”

Tash Jones, Commercial Director at Fairfields Farm, sees even more reason to be cheerful.

Jones says, “The snacking market overall is – and always has been – robust. The make-up of this can change, with interest in better-for-you increasing and more flavour discovery, but fundamentally the British public will always be looking for snacks, and more often than not this will be an impulse decision in a convenience location. As ‘meal’ occasions become less rigid, the opportunities in this category are only going to grow.”

Snacks anyway rule the convenience channel.

Tayto’s spokesperson points out the hard facts: in the convenience channel, savoury snacks are a £1bn category, growing at 5.1 per cent, outpacing the major mults’ +4.5 per cent. That makes them a key driver of footfall and a golden goose for independent retailers this festive season.

Crunching Into Christmas with bestsellers

If there’s one thing that unites the nation during the holidays, it’s the sheer joy of family time spent at home (accompanied by snacking).

Christmas is all about creating those “small, happy moments” with friends and family, and snacks are the unspoken heroes of these occasions. In fact, 45 per cent of shoppers say they find happiness in these little moments, which makes your snack aisle as critical as Santa’s workshop.

A PepsiCo spokesperson puts it plainly, “As consumers come together to connect at home this Christmas, many will also be looking for larger pack sizes of their favourite savoury snacks that they can enjoy together.”

“Sharing formats are now the largest segment within the Salty Snacks Category, making up 69.4 per cent of it. Stocking a variety of formats will help cater to different need states and therefore help drive sales.”

Shoppers look for elevated snacking options to share with friends and families during holiday celebrations. This leads to them increasing their savoury snacking spend by 36 per cent over the Christmas period, presenting a huge opportunity for retailers.

A name to bank upon here is KP Snacks.

As a leading snacks manufacturer, KP Snacks offers a broad portfolio of tasty products perfectly positioned to create value and generate demand by meeting all consumer needs this Christmas.

Brand is the most important factor influencing product choice and KP Snacks delivers iconic and trusted brands including KP Nuts and Tyrrells to help drive retailer sales.

Collins says, “KP Nuts leads the segment as the UK’s number one Nut brand, worth £100.2m and growing in value +2 per cent. At nearly four times the size of the nearest branded competitor, KP Nuts holds 18 per cent share of the Nuts segment.”

With iconic flavors like Original Salted, Dry Roasted, and Honey Roast, KP Nuts prove to be quintessential pairing for everything from festive movie nights to a cheeky mulled wine. Better yet, their 375g Nut Cuddies and large Sharing bags tick both the indulgence and health-conscious boxes, as they are naturally packed with protein and fiber.

Over the festive season, shoppers are willing to spend more on higher quality CSN products to bring extra flavour and excitement to Christmas occasions. KP Snacks’ premium hand-cooked crisp brand Tyrrells is perfect for tempting shoppers to trade up.

With 92 Great Taste Awards to the brand’s name, Tyrrells is well-known for its delicious flavours and high quality. Delivering classic consumer favourites, including Mature Cheddar & Chive, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar and Lightly Sea Salted, Tyrrells 150g Sharing packs are a great choiceas it pairs perfectly with wines and gins to add a touch of elegance to festive celebrations.

Not to forget the nation’s favourite popcorn brand Butterkist.

Collins points out, “The importance of the popcorn category shouldn’t be underestimated within the sharing occasion. Ideal for cosy family nights in spent watching films or casual family get-togethers. Butterkist delivers family favourite popcorn flavours Sweet & Salty, as well as more indulgent Toffee, perfect for those festive sharing occasions with family and friends.”

While KP Snacks is proficient in fulfilling CSN needs, plaids comes in handy for shoppers seeking savoury biscuit options.

pladis UK & Ireland’s savory biscuit range, led by Jacob’s Savours Selection, has seen double-digit growth and sales of £178m in 2023, proving that a cheese board just isn’t complete without the perfect crunch.

Aslı Özen Turhan, Chief Marketing Officer at pladis UK & Ireland, says, “Looking at Savoury Biscuits, the picture last year was similarly positive. Savoury seasonal assortments, like Jacob’s Savours Selection (+148 per cent) helped pladis increase its seasonal market share to almost a quarter (24 per cent).

“With shoppers still facing high prices across a number of aspects of everyday life, we’re expecting these patterns to continue into Christmas 2024 as shoppers bring more of their festivities in-home and look to their favourite snacking brands to make these feel special.”

Noteworthy here is that shoppers are looking to elevate in-home occasions with special snacks that are both readymade for sharing and that offer the added indulgence they seek at Christmas time. McVitie’s Victoria Chocolate Creations delivers exactly that with its mix of deluxe, fully coated white, milk and dark chocolate biscuits, wrapped up in special gifting packaging.

It was a top choice for shoppers seeking premium options last year, recording sales of £1.2 million, say Turhan.

Turhan adds, “Our Jacob’s Christmas Caddies are a case in point, and we’re working to sustain last year’s double-digit growth (+13.9 per cent) by bringing a brand-new flavour to this year’s line-up. Already a big hit – having reeled in an additional +£3.7m in sales (+43.3 per cent) – Jacob’s Crinklys Cheese & Onion will drive further appeal for this festive-favourite format.”

For those looking for a even savorier kick, consider stocking pork snacks, the fastest-growing segment. This strong demand shows just how much consumers love the unique taste of pork scratching. With over 40 per cent of consumers buying or eating pork snacks, retailers that are not stocking them are really missing out on this highly profitable sector.

Growth of more contemporary pork snacks has been even stronger, with Mr. Porky Crispy Strips up 28 per cent YoY as consumers look for a lighter bite with all the taste of a scratching.

As the category leaders (64 per cent share), Tayto are continuing to drive awareness and interest in the category through our biggest ever campaign – sponsoring TV coverage of PDC darts tournaments on Sky Sports.

Whilst sharing PMPs are the core of a strong snacks offer, independent retailers shouldn’t ignore impulse snacks, as they are a key footfall driver with over 22 million “entry-point snacks” sold in the past year. Golden Wonder plays a key role in this segment through its combination of great taste and great value with its ever-popular Tangy Toms, Spicy Bikers and Oinks and their added value of a multi-buy on-pack offer to drive sales.

There is much talk about HFSS with further restrictions coming into force in October 2025. Consumers understand that snacks are a treat, and they expect them to taste great – even the healthier ones.

Tayto has taken millions of calories and extra salt out of its portfolio - but only where it doesn’t compromise on taste with lines such as with Golden Wonder Tangy Toms and Spicy Bikers.

Snack, Sell, Celebrate Newbies

As festivities kick in, snacks are expected to fly off the shelves so make sure the store is well stocked with not only the bestsellers but also with new launches and limited-edition packs.

With enjoyment remaining the number one driver of choice for consumers when purchasing crisps, taste-led NPD and limited-edition flavours can help retailers maximise sales during this period.

To help retailers tap into the biggest snacking moment of the year, Pepsico has launched two limited-edition festive flavours across its premium Sensations brand.

Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham flavour hit shelves back in October, alongside the return of Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour for another festive season. The limited-edition flavours are set to provide retailers with premium, non-HFSS SKUs that encourage consumers to trade up during this period.

Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour was a crowd-pleaser last year, generating over £1.2m in value sales. Additionally, seafood flavours experienced an increase of 19 per cent average weekly sales within Total Savoury Snacks during the two weeks leading up to Christmas in 2023, with meaty flavours having experienced 27.8 per cent higher average weekly sales.

Walkers, Britain’s most loved crisp brand, is also helping retailers tap into the biggest snacking moment of the year with the launch of two limited-edition festive flavours across its premium Sensations brand.

Sensations celebrates Platinum Jubilee with limited-edition flavourswww.asiantrader.biz

In addition, Walkers has released festive-themed packaging across sharing bags and large multipacks of selected Walkers and Sensations year-round favourites. The activity is set to be supported by a multi-brand marketing campaign across PepsiCo’s Walkers, Walkers Sensations and Doritos brands.

Wayne Newton, Senior Marketing Director at Walkers, comments, "With new shoppers entering the category and existing customers buying more in preparation for the holiday season, Christmas is a crucial opportunity for retailers to be driving theirsavoury snacking sales. During this time, shoppers look for extra special snacking options that will elevate their celebrations, such as limited-edition flavours.

“Our festive reskins will support retailers in offering consumers’ familiar, much-loved snacking favourites with a festive look and feel, while also introducing premium seasonal flavours through our new Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham flavour and the return of the much-loved Sensations King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavour. These limited-edition options are set to meet the demand for bold and exciting festive treats, ensuring there's something special for everyone this Christmas."

The Walkers and Sensations festive packaging and Sensations limited-edition flavours are available now across the grocery, convenience and wholesale channels. Sensations Honey Glazed Roast Ham and King Prawn & Marie Sauce flavours are available in 150g sharing formats, with an RRP of £2.50.

PepsiCo’s multi-brand Christmas campaign will span OOH, digital and social media. With Walkers being the number one crisp brand, alongside Doritos as the category’s number one tortilla chip product range, the campaign aims to help retailers provide a wide range of crowd-pleasing snack options for everyone this Christmas.

Furthermore, the launch of Marmite Snacks has been a major success. The launch created significant press coverage given the country’s love-hate relationship with Marmite. Strong sales have followed with Marmite Crisps.

Matt Smith, Marketing Director for Tayto UK explains, “The response to Marmite snacks has been fantastic. The new range ignited consumer excitement with ‘lovers’ taking to social media about the great Marmite taste.

“We’ve seen strong Marmite Crisps sales across all channels, including PMP in the Convenience sector. The launch of Marmite Tortillas has opened up the brand to younger consumers with sales ahead of our expectations. The good news is that we have further NPD in the pipeline for 2025!”

As the category leaders in Pork Snacks (64 per cent share), Tayto are continuing to drive awareness and interest in the category through its biggest ever campaign.

Savour the Season with tips and tricks

Retailers need to be on top of their game, knowing every shift and trends among shoppers. Its the golden quarter after all, a perfect time for not only boosting sales but also in creating and elevating the store’s brand value.

Jones from Fairfields Farm points out how around Christmas, there’s a noticeable increase in demand for premium snacks, as customers are more willing to spend on quality when gathering with family and friends.

“Retailers should tap into this trend, recognising snacking as an essential part of holiday celebrations.

“Independents have the beautiful gift of flexibility – they can jump on trends quicker and use their experience to break out of a planogram to create a shopping environment for snacks, biscuits and savouries that varies from the norm and which encourages discovery. They also have the benefit of being able to merchandise differently and make use of till-adjacent space and aisle ends for high rate-of-sale items in these categories.

Exploring what works best in convenience, Jones says Freshfields Farm’s 150g sharing packs are ideal for big gatherings with family and friends during the social festive period.

Jones adds, “Bundling products through occasion-led marketing is a great way to boost in-store sales. By grouping festive items and offering incentives, retailers can encourage customers to buy more than the one item they originally came in for. Creating one-stop displays for these occasions helps customers quickly find everything they need, reducing decision time and increasing sales.

“This year, we’ve seen a strong increase in the demand for sweet and spicy combinations, alongside a comeback of the ‘swavoury’ trend, where sweet meets savoury. We also recommend that retailers stay informed by reading industry magazines, to keep up to date with the latest snacking trends, and by attending free-entry trade events where they can sample new products and see what else is out there.”

Bowing to popular demand, Freshfields Farm is bringing back Maple Glazed Ham flavour. Available in 150g sharing size with an eye-catching gold foil finish, this vegan and gluten-free option adds a premium touch to Christmas snacking.

Price marked packs (PMPs) continue to be a must-stock for independent retailers within Snacks - accounting for 79 per cent of sales. In the fight to attract and retain value-focused shoppers, PMPs remain essential in giving those shoppers confidence they are still getting great value when shopping locally.

With the decline in impulse pack sales and the continued trend to stay in rather than have a big night out, Sharing PMPs have become the dominant segment but this has slowed as many brands have moved above £1. In contrast, Golden Wonder has remained at £1 and continues to outperform sharing PMPs, showing just how important “value” when household budgets remain under pressure.

Smith from Tayto UK explains Golden Wonder’s success, “We know how important the £1 price point is to both consumers and retailers. By sticking to this key price point we have continued to deliver great tasting, great value snacks with strong retailer margins.

"A highlight is our Transform-A-Snack £1 PMPs, which are outperforming the market with 22 per cent growth, helped by the on-pack promotion in partnership with the Transformers ONE movie.”

With 64 per cent of consumers willing to switch brands for a lower price, the opportunity to profit from Golden Wonder’s £1 PMP has never been greater.

Independents are perfectly placed to cater to a variety of shopper missions for their seasonal purchases. Convenience stores are likely to be in accessible locations, making them the ideal destination for top-up shops in the run up to Christmas, as it’s easy for shoppers to pop into their local c-store to stock up on the Christmas classics in between larger weekly shops.

Turhan points out that although the core ranges should be every independent retailer’s number one priority, convenience stores are also a hotspot for impulse purchases, so it’s important to leave shelf space for novelty products and festive NPD – like McVitie’s Gingerbread Digestives – to encourage shoppers to pick up an extra treat on a whim.

“Alongside the bestsellers, novelty products and premium assortments are hugely popular among shoppers searching for last-minute gifts – a need which convenience stores are well placed to cater to thanks to their opportune locations. Ready-to-gift, fun, festive products from household-name brands work well here.”

Retailers need to stock products like McVitie’s Jaffa Pole and McVitie’s Jaffa Tree, which ranked in the top three for seasonal NPD last year. Shoppers in a rush will instantly recognise the Jaffa Cakes name and feel they can rely on these products to make for a well-received, ready-to-gift treat, Turhan adds.

As a nation, we are especially busy during the festive period, so it’s essential to make the shopping experience as seamless as possible. We recommend that clear signage is key.

Independent retailers should create a dedicated festive snacking fixture in-store and spotlight shopper-favourite brands and Christmas classics on fixtures with POS materials, like barkers, and by dedicating off-shelf features to the bestselling brands within staple festive snacking categories, like Savoury Biscuits, Turhan adds.

Munching Merry Christmas

Christmas parties and gatherings are synonymous with a bounty of snacks. Whether it's a relaxed evening at home with the family or a larger festive bash, crisps, snacks, and nuts are not just options—they're expectations.

Shoppers often pick up these munchies on impulse, which is why it's crucial for local convenience stores to have prime shelf space decked out with all the best-selling flavours. As the bells of the festive season ring louder, convenience stores have a golden opportunity to shine as the go-to destination for Christmas snacking.

Creative displays, bold signage, and tempting bundles—like crisps paired with dips or nuts alongside festive beverages—are your keys to capturing the magic. Use window posters or social media to alert customers to your festive snack promotions, drawing them into the store. Highlight snacks from local brands to create a community feel and offer unique options shoppers can’t find elsewhere.

Don’t just stock snacks; celebrate them! Dedicate an aisle or end cap to the "Snack Wonderland," filled with festive flavours, novelty treats, and sharing packs. Highlight the indulgence of premium options while keeping value-driven price-marked packs front and center. Shoppers are looking for quality that doesn’t break the bank, and convenience stores are perfectly positioned to meet that sweet spot of luxury and affordability.

So, let’s make this season a munching merry Christmas! Let the crunching commence!