Have Canadians Changed Their Snacking Due to COVID-19?

Last updated on November 29, 2021

Everyone enjoys a good snack every now and then, especially when we’re stuck at home during COVID-19. 

According to NCBI, 80.4% of Canadians reported consuming at least one snack per day and about 37% of snack consumers reported only one snack episode per day but nearly 10% reported four or more episodes of snacking.

Keeping this in mind, Caddle asked our Daily Survey Panel about their thoughts on snacks.

What are Canadians Snacking on?

Caddle discovered that Potato chips are the most favorable snacking item, followed by ready to eat popcorn and then rice chips (crispy minis), as potato chips are most frequently bought and rice chips the least. 

Deep Dive into demographics

Millennials & Gen Zers are open to trying/buying the non-traditional snacking options as these two generations would also buy rice chips (17.8%) & ready to eat popcorn (20.1%) rather than only purchasing the popular potato chips. This is good for brands within this sector as they can increase their market share by reaching the right consumer base. 

On the contrary, Baby Boomers seem to stick with more traditional snacking options as the majority of respondents have never bought rice chips (44.4%) or ready to eat popcorn (35.3%).

Furthermore, 38% of women have tried a new brand of potato chips vs 36.6% of men, out of this 37.9%, majority of women fall within the Millennial generation bracket. The trend reversed as more men opted to try a new brand of rice chips & popcorn during the pandemic. 

Has the Pandemic Affected Canadians Snacking Habits?

The pandemic hasn’t had a major impact on the frequency of purchasing snacks. Moreover, work from home hasn’t altered the buying patterns drastically either. 

However, consumption of snacks has increased a bit amongst Gen Z as they are purchasing snacks more often: 14.8% of Gen Z are buying potato chips much more often now. 

The pandemic also hasn’t had an impact on the loyalty of the consumer as the majority of them will stick to the brand they bought before the pandemic.

Women were enthusiasts when it came to trying a new potato chip brand, however 60% of women will stick to the same brand of potato chips after COVID-19 and 60% of men will also not alter their brand after COVID-19. 

Main Takeaways

No.1 |

Potato chips is the most favorable snacking item, followed by ready to eat popcorn and then rice chips (crispy minis), as Potato chips are most frequently bought and rice chips the least.

No.2 |

37.9% of women have tried a new brand of potato chips during COVID19 vs 36.6% of men. Out of the 37.9%, majority of women fall within the Millennial generation bracket. 

No.3 |

Consumption of snacks has increased a bit amongst Gen Z as 14.8% of Gen Z are buying potato chips much more often now.

Liked what you just read? Caddle has a lot more to offer, check out our blog on Cereal or Online Groceries!

*Disclaimer: all data presented is owned by Caddle and has a Margin of Error of 1% or lower.

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