Savory snacks are by far the most popular type of snack food in Canada, with sales reaching well over two billion Canadian dollars. Within this product category, potato chips products appear to be consumers’ favorites, according to sales data. Despite this, the volume of potato chips imported into Canada has decreased in recent years. There are, however, over 120 snack food manufacturing establishments in Canada to keep up with consumer demand.
With holiday traditions such as trick-or-treating at Halloween or Christmas gift-giving, the holiday season is typically a popular time for candy and confectionery consumption. Corresponding with these holidays, Canadian monthly manufacturer sales of sugar and confectionery products have risen towards the end of the calendar year. Annual Canadian confectionery retail sales have remained around 3.5 billion U.S. dollars in recent years.
When consumers want a healthier snack, fresh fruit and vegetable are the go-to option for a large share of Canadians. The grocery store is the most popular shopping location for snack foods, followed by dollar and convenience stores. Claims such as no added sugar and low salt/sodium, were listed as the most important health attributes when making a snacking purchase decision.
