Snack Foods Manufacturing Industry Profile

Companies in this industry make snack foods such as nuts, chips, and popcorn, as well as peanut butter. Major companies include Clif Bar, Frito-Lay, Mondelez International, Utz Quality Foods, Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds, and the snack divisions of diversified food manufacturers such as Campbell Soup and Kellogg (all based in the US); other leading firms include Calbee Foods (Japan), Nongshim (South Korea), United Biscuits (UK), and Walkers Snack Foods (UK).

Worldwide, the snack foods market is expected to exceed $600 billion in revenue by 2020, according to Global Industry Analysts. Europe and the US are the largest markets for snack foods manufacturers. The Asia/Pacific region is the world's fastest-growing snack foods market. Other regional growth opportunities include Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

The US snack foods manufacturing industry includes about 650 establishments (single-location companies and units of multi-location companies) with combined annual revenue of about $38 billion.

The industry does not include makers of cookies and candy, which are covered in separate industry profiles.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by consumer tastes and health considerations. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations, effective marketing, and a strong sales force. Large companies have advantages in raw material purchasing, manufacturing efficiencies, distribution, and marketing budgets. Small operations can compete effectively by self-distributing products, selling online, or marketing snacks as gift items. The US industry is highly concentrated: the top ...