The latest Total Consumer Report from Nielsen, which leverages the company's new Total Food View, shows that fresh categories within the U.S. are driving nearly 49% of all dollar growth across the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brick-and-mortar landscape. In fact, within the last year, fresh and perishable foods generated more than $177 billion in sales—marking a sizable growth opportunity for many FMCG marketers who may be operating with a siloed and non-holistic view of their market. However, among the trends is that On-the-go fresh produce fails to keep pace with clean snacking.
Nielsen reports that "Although Americans would rank eating more fruits and vegetables as the top factor for healthy eating, they're not flocking to on-the-go fresh produce offerings as much as they are to other snack options. On-the-go fresh produce—pre-cut produce that has been portioned intentionally for snacking purposes—declined by nearly 2% in dollars and 6% in unit volume over the last year. On the flip side, salty snacks are proof that consumers are seeking indulgence in their snacking purchases too, as sales grew nearly $1 billion year-over-year. However, indulgences can still be seen as "clean" to health-conscious consumers. In fact, clean label products represented over one-third (35%) of salty snack dollars in the past year. Retailers and manufacturers that can demonstrate transparency through their labelling can capitalize on the wave of consumer interest around "responsible" snacking. Consumers do have a sweet tooth, but the best way to capitalize on it is through the sweet spot of appealing to the smart snackers of today."
