Consumer demand for healthier snacking options continues to gather pace, with greater focus and attention being placed on diets and lifestyles. HIM research shows that 40% of shoppers rate a range of healthy products as very important or important (8, 9 or 10 out of 10). This is equally important for both ABC1 (41%) and C2DE (39%) shoppers.Retailers and suppliers need to ensure that they have a range that satisfies their specific shoppers. Healthy snacking is a huge opportunity for growth, with those failing to act risking losing footfall. 

Having the right range is key. You must understand the needs of your shoppers and what their perception of healthy is. HIM asked shoppers what products they perceived as healthy and 
fruit (81%), nuts (63%) and dried fruit (56%) all scored highly.

Cereal and fruit bars scored 24% and 20% respectively, highlighting a need for a diverse range to satisfy different needs and perceptions.

Healthy snacking is a very broad category and there will be products that perform better in different locations, so retailers need to know 
what their shoppers want when it comes to healthy options.

The location of your healthy snacking fixture can also have a huge impact. Retailers need to make sure the products are visible and easy to locate. One-third of shoppers believe healthy snacks should be placed near the till, whereas one-quarter believe a better position is next to meal deals. Retailers need to consider secondary locations to help highlight the options available.

Secondary locations leads on to our final point – cross-category merchandising. Place healthier snacks with accompanying products to increase impulse and upsell opportunities.

As many as 27% of shoppers want more healthier options to be available within meal deals so tap into this trend and grow sales of other categories as well.

Healthier eating is clearly a growing trend, but shoppers interpret this trend in many different ways. By offering a diverse range of healthy and normal options you mitigate the risk of alienating certain shopper groups.

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