The meat snack category as a whole has looked solid for the past four years, seeing a dollar sales 4.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), according to Nielsen total U.S. data for all outlets, plus convenience for the period ending Dec. 28, 2019.
Beef sticks performed even better, with a 7.6% CAGR in dollar sales with the steak and bar form segment even stronger, turning in a dollar CAGR of 9.7%.
The old standard Slim Jim was tops in dollar sales not just among non-jerky segments, but all meat snack types, showing growth of 5.1%, with Jack Link’s non-jerky products on its heels and outpacing with 7.6% growth, according to IRI convenience all scan data for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 29, 2019.
In jerky, Jack Link’s rules the barn with a steady gait, but Old Trapper’s jerky made a big 14% gain from the previous year. Still, while jerky is the rock of the category, manufacturers would like to build on that foundation. That means enticing new customers with new flavors.
“I think flavored is growing in that segment,” said Joseph Bickham, president of Fuel City, which has five stores in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. “They’re coming out with all different types of flavors. … It’s done really well.”
And don’t forget the consumer appeal of buying local.
“Late last year, I did a test with a local company out of Louisville — Derby City Jerky — in a few stores, and the test was so successful that I’m getting ready to roll out to the rest of our stores,” said Mark McCarty, director of category management with Clark’s Pump-N-Shop, which operates 67 stores in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Florida.
Fuel City also recognizes the wisdom of carrying hometown products. “We have Jack Link’s and some of the large (brands), but we also have some of the more local cured,” Bickham said.
Still, his bestseller is traditional flavor, with teriyaki running right behind.
“I feel that, in 2020, meat snack companies will continue to expand on their flavor profiles, which I believe helps to drive trial in the category,” McCarty said.
And driving trial among snackers who don’t usually buy the classic meat snacks means creating opportunities for growth. Classic meat snack flavors make for a solid foundation to build sales through form and flavor innovation.
