Americans love salty snacks, and while potato chips remain consumer’s go-to choice, recent interest in ready-to-eat popcorn/caramel corn and alternative fruit and vegetable chips are driving revenue growth for some companies. According to a recent report from Research and Markets, the salty snacks category is projected to reach $27 billion by 2020, up from $22.5 billion in 2015.
Both popcorn and alternative chips fit into the better-for-you snacking trend which has picked up momentum among consumers looking for healthier alternatives to satisfying their cravings. The salty snack category also benefited from a variety of new flavors appearing on snacks hitting the shelves in 2015, such as Tom Yum soup on pretzels and even more traditional, but almost new again, sweet and salty combinations on savory snacks such as potato chips and tortilla chips. Researchers project these trends to continue to be crucial for food companies to embrace throughout the next five years.