Asia Pacific Snack Food Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Asia Pacific Snack Food Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Asia Pacific Snack Food Market is projected to register a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period, 2022-2027.

The market in the region is primarily driven by the high demand for packaged snack products such as cookies, chips, noodles, and macaroni, especially among teenagers and corporate workers. This trend is expected to sustain during the forecast period, as snack manufacturers are focusing on product innovations to launch clean-label varieties including, organic, dairy-free, sugar-free, etc. Additionally, the shifting lifestyles and dietary patterns, have also fuelled demand for low-calorie and zero-sugar snacking options. Moreover, a significant trend fueling the industry is the rising demand for vegan, allergen-free snacks. International brands have seized this opportunity of increased demand for snacks, by providing products in more convenient packaging formats to extend shelf life and promote on-the-go snack consumption. For instance, brands are offering snacking products in an Eco-Lok closure packaging solution, which enables consumers to reclose the package and consume the snacks later.

Furthermore, COVID-19 led to a major consumer shift, as customers are no more brand loyal in developing countries, and they are trying new brands in the low-stock environment. Frequent lockdowns that occurred due to the pandemic in the region have led to the work-from-home culture which has prompted an increase in at-home consumption of snack food products.

Key Market TrendsThe Demand for Convenient and Healthy On-the-go Snacks

On-the-go snacking has become extremely popular, especially among working-class people, teenage children, people living in hostels, and bachelors due to their hectic lifestyles. Moreover, the on-the-go snacking concept is closely associated with easy consumption and handling of products, which is offered by frozen snacks, bakery snacks, savory snacks, and confectionery snacks. Many meal replacement snacks and specific calorie-focused snacks are gaining huge popularity among consumers. Further, emerging concepts like organic food and veganism have strengthened the snack food market growth in the region. As a result, industry participants are keen on launching healthy and nutritious rich snacks to meet consumer needs. For instance, in 2022, Plix, India’s D2C plant-based wellness and nutrition brand, unveiled its first-ever 100% plant-based snackable functional foods in India.

Additionally, increasing participation in fitness and sports activities has promoted the consumption of snack bars that support protein and mineral intake. Key companies are launching energy bars, cereal bars, and nut-based snack bars formulated with good-for-you ingredients like chia, quinoa, flax, spirulina, and hemp to cater to shifts in consumer preferences.

High Consumption of Savory Snacks

The presence of multiple brands and players catering to various portfolios of products, like nuts, seeds, trail mixes, potato chips, tortilla chips, puffed chips, savory biscuits, popcorn, and pretzels, made this segment a highly competitive one. Moreover, key brands are offering healthy versions, containing lower sodium and fat levels to target health-conscious consumers. Flavored nuts and seeds such as roasted and salted peanuts, spicy cashews, and tangy-flavored almonds are gaining popularity among millennial consumers due to their versatility and superior nutritional profiles. Further, the ongoing progress in extrusion technology enables various ingredients to transform into puffed, flaked, and other forms of snacking options. The wide range of flavors that can be incorporated into final products further strengthens its market sentiments. Flavored potato chips and popcorn are appearing to be the widely consumed savory snack in countries such as India and China as brands are catering to varying taste preferences of different age groups through differentiated flavors such as salt-pepper, cheese-based powder, butter-roasted, garlic powder, onion spiced, etc.

Competitive Landscape

• The market concentration in the Asia-Pacific snack food market is very low with many players in the market, particularly in developing countries like India and China. Some of the major players in the snack food market are PepsiCo Inc., Kellogg Company, Nestle SA, and General Mills Inc., among others. The prominent players are focusing on new product launches, expansions, and acquisitions as strategies to cater to the increasing consumer demand, thereby gaining a competitive advantage in the market. Major players are making innovations in their products and their flavors to strengthen their hold in the market. These strategies are supported by the strengthening of distribution channels across both online and offline retailing. For instance, in May 2020, PepsiCo India partnered with Dunzo to launch exclusive e-stores for its savory snack brands Lay's and Kurkure. PepsiCo India has announced its partnership with Dunzo, an on-demand delivery service, to enable last-mile delivery of its food brands - Lay's, Kurkure, Doritos, and Quaker. This initiative has been launched as a pilot in Bengaluru and the company eventually planned to expand to 4 more cities across Mumbai, Gurugram, Delhi, and Jaipur.

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