How fruit and vegetables are driving snacking occasions and sales

Today’s consumer is snacking more than ever. While snacks can run the gamut from potato chips to granola bars, produce and produce-focused snacks are coming into the limelight. 

In general, they’re easy to grab and eat, they’re healthy and they often appeal to kids when they come in mini sizes.

In 2023, a majority of consumers (62%) said they snack once or twice a day, according to a report from Statista. Another 11% said they snack three or more times daily.

Snack foods are big business, and consumers are looking for them to fulfill various needs: They want them to be healthy (49% of consumers say snacking is an important part of healthy eating, according to Datassential’s Snack Trends Foodbytes issue, October 2023); they want them to be convenient with no prep; and they want them to taste good.

Miniature, ready-to-eat veggies

Today’s consumers “are looking for high flavor, snackable options that are easy,” said Jenny Halpin, spokesperson for San Antonio-based NatureSweet.

NatureSweet offers cherry and grape tomatoes, mini seedless sweet peppers and mini cucumbers, which launched in the fall. It’s all about convenience, Halpin said.

“People just can’t get enough time. [They] appreciate something that’s already washed; it’s not an extra step,” she said.

Mastronardi Produce Ltd., Kingsville, Ontario, offers tomatoes, cucumbers and mini peppers.

“Our snacking tomatoes continue to be king when it comes to sales in the snacking category,” said Daniel Natelborg, vice president of customer strategy and development. “We’ve developed almost a cult-like following with our Bombs lineup, and our Wild Wonders and Angel Sweet tomatoes are customer favorites as well. We’re seeing impressive early success from our new innovation items too, from the seedless Wild Wonders mini peppers to our two-bite Qukes.”

Mucci Farms, also in Kingsville, offers its Sun Drops sweet grape tomatoes in half-pound, 2-pound and 1-pint containers to accommodate all customers, said spokesperson Ajit Saxena. The company also has a Veggies-To-Go lineup featuring 5-ounce snack packs of its mini tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Supermarket snacking

According to Datassential’s Foodbytes, 30% of consumers purchase snacks from a grocery store at least once a week.

K-VA-T’s Food City stores offer cherry and grape tomatoes, in quart containers and individual servings, to satisfy these customers. They also offer mini peppers, which are less popular, said Joe Greene, vice president of produce and floral for the Abingdon, Va.-based company.

Mini tomatoes are also flying off the store shelf for New Seasons Markets, Portland, Ore. 

“We keep adding new items — different types, color combinations, on the vine, different sizes — to that category and sales keep growing and we’ve definitely not reached saturation,” said Chris Harris, category director, produce and floral. “I think people just open those containers and snack right out of them.”

Mini peppers do well there, and stores often display then in a stand-alone promotional display in the produce department as a grab-and-go item. 

Topline Farms’ grape and cherry tomato packs are largely used for snacking, said Brian DiCarlo, key account manager for the Leamington, Ontario-based company. 

“They are getting sweeter, more readily available, and outpacing larger tomatoes in market growth,” he said.

Consumers are looking for something that doesn’t require any prep, DiCarlo said. “The limited prep weighs into it being a snacking item.”

Topline’s packs range from a 4-ounce individual size to a 2-pound pack. The 1-pint containers are the biggest seller in most grocery stores, while the individual servings sell best in the convenience channel, DiCarlo said.

And mini seedless cucumbers and mini peppers are gaining popularity, competing with options like celery sticks and baby carrots to eat as a snack, he added.

“Data shows a trend towards healthy snacking,” DiCarlo said. “For tomatoes, you’re seeing people switch to convenient choices with more flavor.”

Dips and spreads

Adjacent to its cut fruit and vegetable section, Food City stores feature a 4-foot section with guacamole and other produce-based dips, both branded and private label. Guacamole and ranch are the bestsellers, Greene said.

Fresh Innovations/Yo Quiero, Rhome, Texas, offers a range of products from guacamole to queso and salsa, adding that the chunky and original guacamole in 8-ounce containers are its bestselling products. Also popular are mini cups (individual servings) because they’re easy to take on the go.

Shoppers are looking for products made with top-quality ingredients, says Tara Murray, vice president of marketing. 

“Consumers are looking for mindful indulgence,” she said. “Snacks and foods that have health benefits and at the same time are delicious and satisfying.”

Nutrition for younger audiences

Different generations are seeking different attributes from their snacks, according to Datassential. While most people are looking to satisfy a craving, younger consumers are looking to treat themselves with a snack.

Naturipe’s Berry Lemony Bliss Bento, which include blueberries, lemon coconut granola clusters and yogurt almonds, was developed to appeal to younger audiences, like millennials and Generation Zers, “who are craving healthy snack options to suit their on-the-go lifestyles,” said Steve Ware, vice president and general manager, value-added. 

Busy consumers are looking for “something that’s ready to open and doesn’t require a lot of assembly or prep. We are [also] delivering on convenience and nutrition. Taste and flavor profiles are the top two attributes that influence purchase intent,” he said.

For Mastronardi Produce, flavor is first, Natelborg said. “This is the ultimate driver of repeat sales and what Mastronardi Produce brands are known for. That’s why we continue to invest in high-flavor specialty snacking products like our Bombs on-the-vine snacking tomatoes.”

Gen Z drives “mindful indulgence” Murray said. 

“Gen Z uses social media, influencers and the web to research and learn about foods and food trends. They want good food that’s good for them and are willing to even pay a little more to get it,” she said. “We ensure our influencers and content reach Gen Z and provide information to help them make great food decisions and keep them updated on what’s on trend.”

Promotions for sales boosts

Greene highlighted mini produce in two places in Food City stores: in a refrigerated case at the entrance to the produce department and in a large galvanized tub, on ice, in the highly trafficked area at the front of the store. 

New Seasons also runs regular sales, and a recent special of $1 off mini tomatoes led to a 20% sales lift, Harris said.

Naturipe offers a monthly promo opportunity “for traditional hi/low [retail] accounts but have seen good results with a deeper discount on a less frequent basis,” Ware said. Topline Farms provides in-store shelving units and endcaps to support promos. These can have a strong impact on sales, DiCarlo said. “It helps grab the consumer’s attention.” 

Refrigerated products like guacamole and dips are open to great cross-merchandising opportunities, with chips and fresh-cut vegetables, Murray said.

“During big consumption times like Super Bowl, we’ve seen retailers create large displays at the front of the store with our dips, chips, veggies, hamburgers, wings, paper products etc., to create a party destination in store,” she said. “Consumers love this, as they can get all their needs in one spot.”

And during key snacking times, holidays and the Super Bowl, Yo Quiero offers retailers special deals to pass onto consumers and does promotions via social media influencers and contests “to drive excitement and sales at shelf,” Murray said.

Mucci Farms provides in-store signage, recipe cards, wobblers with product information and QR codes. The latter takes consumers to the company website for growing and usage details. It also offers cardboard display units with custom graphics for stores that have sufficient space. 

“We also assist our partners through digital advertising on billboards, through social media channels, as well as targeted ads on various platforms isolating specific store locations to drive sales,” Saxena said.

Mastronardi Produce’s marketing team creates everything from simple, eye-catching POS to fully customized promotions and digital programs for retailers.

“We are also passionate about educating consumers on the benefits of greenhouse-grown snacking items,” Natelborg said, “and we bring that passion to our retail partners.”

Cut produce drives retailer's snacking sales

At K-VA-T’s Food City stores, what really drives produce snacks is cut fruit and vegetables in cups, said Joe Greene, vice president of produce and floral. 

Fruits do best, he adds, from watermelon to grapes. These are ideal for consumers on the go, but the stores also offer 32-ounce bowls for shoppers to keep in their refrigerator for snacking later. These cups and bowls are branded in-house under the ShortCuts program. 

Also popular, but less than the fruit, are cut vegetables such as celery, cauliflower, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes, carrots, and veggie combinations. 

“We feature these in our weekly ads quite frequently, and the fruit tends to outsell the vegetables 2 to 1,” Greene said.

Both cut fruit and vegetables also are available in a small party tray, with a dip (sweet or savory) in the middle. 

“We see a huge lift in this for occasions like Thanksgiving week, Christmas, Super Bowl week, and tailgating,” Greene said.

Food City runs ads for its cut-up produce every week; On Fridays and Saturdays it often runs its snack cups on sale, three for $5 or the 32-ounce bowls for $5.