Savoury Snacks in the Netherlands

PROSPECTS

Increasing popularity of protein-packed snacks is a boon for the category

Savoury snacks such as nuts, seeds and trail mixes and to a lesser extent, vegetable, pulse and bread chips, are increasing in popularity due to their perceived healthier properties. Unsalted peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts and almonds are increasingly demanded for their high protein content, which is becoming more fashionable within packaged food in the Netherlands across a number of categories, as they can be consumed after exercise, used in salads and in cooking such as pine nuts.

Tortilla chips continues to perform well due to the sharing trend

Although tortilla chips holds low retail volume share within salty snacks compared to potato chips, it continues to enjoy increasing demand due to its positioning around the sharing occasion, especially for parties where they can be dipped into guacamole, sour cream or salsa, due to the growing popularity of international cuisine such as Mexican. Offering versatility, tortilla chips can also be made into a sharing dish such as nachos.

Staying-in trend supports demand for potato chips and popcorn

The staying-trend is driving sales of salty snacks as potato chips and popcorn which Dutch consumers like to eat while relaxing in front of the television. However, while popcorn used to be associated more with consumption occasions outside of the house such as going to the cinema, its healthier perception compared to potato chips due to the latter’s fat content, is helping to support its growing popularity as a healthier savoury snack.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Strong competition for Smiths Food Group from private label and smaller players

Smiths Food Group retained its leadership of savoury snacks in 2019, enjoying a long-established reputation for offering leading brands such as Lay’s potato chips and Doritos tortilla chips. The player offers a wide variety of savoury snacks that cater to consumers who wish to entertain at home with friends and family, offering large party mix packaging with a selection of popular products in potato chips and puffed snacks.

Private label well represented in savoury snacks that are perceived healthier

Private label is well represented in savoury snacks as retailers are able to offer large shelf space to a wide variety of different products at affordable prices. Lidl continued to gain strong value share in nuts, seeds and mixed grains, which continued to perform well in 2019, which is led by another retailer Albert Heijn, benefiting from the ongoing health and wellness trend.

Pringles persuades consumers that tortilla chips don’t have to be triangles

Pringles continued to gather speed within tortilla chips after an unsettled start when it first entered the category mid-review period, recording double-digit current value growth in both 2018 and 2019. Consumers may have first hesitated when the product initially appeared on retailers’ shelves because the tortilla chips are packaged in a similar way to its extruded potato chips in a cardboard tube, with the same recognisable shaped snack for easy stacking.

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