Savoury Snacks in Spain

PROSPECTS

Tortilla chips continues to offer wide range of consumption occasions

Savoury snacks continued to record stable demand due to strong sales in all distribution channels, including retail, impulse and foodservice, supported by the performance of larger category nuts, seeds and trail mixes, which appeal to consumers searching for healthier snacks, while tortillas recorded another year of strong growth. This category continues to offer a range of consumption occasions including sharing, to dip and to be served at parties, in addition to the increasing popularity of Mexican cuisine where it can be used to prepare dishes such as nachos.

Dynamic flavour combinations excite consumers

Dynamic and sophisticated flavours are boosting demand for savoury snacks as Spanish consumers still look to indulge and treat themselves, with leading private label line Hacendado launching a new line of potato chips with a wide range of flavours including lemon and pepper, mustard and honey, and fried egg, in addition to a new variant of mushroom flavour (boletus) that was launched in December 2018, attracting consumers due to their unusual flavour combinations. It also launched a new artisanal variant called Recetta Churrería, whereby it uses a traditional recipe for its potato chips.

Category offers wide range of perceived healthier snacks

Savoury snacks also offers consumers who would like to follow health and wellness trends a range of products, including rice snacks, popcorn, nuts, seeds and trail mixes and vegetable chips. Innovation in the latter has been driven by new product development including vegetable roots, peas, rice and lentil-based products.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

PepsiCo retains leadership with focus on healthier savoury snacks

PepsiCo Foods AIE continued to lead overall savoury snacks in 2019, offering a range of well-known brands including Lay's potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips and Cheetos puffed snacks. The company continues to invest in innovation and product development to retain consumers’ attention and its leadership, which more of a focus towards the end of the review period on healthier variants.

Smaller players compete through innovation

Smaller companies find it difficult to compete to gain a position within savoury snacks due to the strength of multinational players and retailers with their affordable private label lines. Tosfrit is attempting to attract consumers through indulgence, with new products such as cheesy puffed snacks, Butter Stars “Estrellas de Mantequilla” and “Bolas Paintball Pinta-Lenguas” which are butter-flavoured corn balls that paint the tongue blue when in contact with saliva, which appeals to children but are gluten-free and made with sunflower oil.

Leading popcorn brand Popitas gains new owner

One of the most important movements within savoury snacks was the acquisition of leading popcorn brand Popitas (Borges International Group SL) by Aperitivos y Extrusionados SA (APEX). This purchase was prompted by the potential that popcorn holds moving forward.

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