Potato Chips are most popular snack in Australia and New Zealand

A recent study by Roy Morgan Research shows that potato chips are still Australia’s most popular snack food, with a third of Australians aged 14+ in the year to March 2013 buying the product in an average four-week period (33% down from 36% in the year to March 2009). 

Sweet plain biscuits (22% down from 28% in March 2009) and nuts (22% down from 24%) are also popular.

Those with children aged under 16 living in the household were more likely than those without children to have purchased all the top six most popular snack foods bar nuts (20% of those with kids vs. 22% without). 

 

Top 6 Snack foods bought by Australians in an average 4 week period;Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), April 2012 –March 2013, n = 20,767.

Potato chips are also the most popular snack food in New Zealand: 44% of Kiwis in the year to January 2013 bought some in an average four-week period (unchanged from the year to January 2009). Chocolate-coated and plain sweet biscuits were tied as the second most popular snack food (30%, both down from 32% in the year to January 2009), but biscuits with a chocolate coating had the edge among people with kids at home (35% to 34% for plain). 

New Zealanders with children aged under 16 in the household were much more likely to have purchased the top six snack foods than those households without children—including nuts. 

Kiwis with or without kids are more likely to buy each of these Top 6 snack foods than their Aussie counterparts. 

 

Top 6 Snack foods bought by New Zealanders in an average 4 week period;Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (New Zealand), February 2012 – January 2013, n = 11,509.

Norman Morris, Industry Communications Director, Roy Morgan Research, says: 

 

“Over the last five years there has been a small decline in the proportion of Australians purchasing snack foods in an average four-week period. Despite this decline, potato chips remain the most popular quick fix. 

“Parents in both Australia and New Zealand are more likely to buy snack foods than people without children at home, with only nuts and savoury biscuits or crackers approaching parity between the two groups. 

“Snack food companies need detailed profiles of their customers to ensure they remain competitive not only within their category but against the many other snack options.”