The pot snack market –are today’s consumers demanding health as well as convenience?

Identifying the target audience for hot pot snacks and which factors influence their buyer behaviour is vital information for product developers and manufacturers. The reported market research, undertaken at Manchester Metropolitan University, evaluated the effect of changing lifestyles on the growth of the pot snack market and investigated consumer opinion of pot snacks with particular regard to their nutritional status. A consumer questionnaire was used to measure the opinion of pot snacks and frequency of consumption and influences on the growth of the pot snack market. Existing data on snacking habits, household size, increase of working women and changes in society were reviewed. Conclusions from the work confirm that food choice is multi‐factorial and within the pot snack market there is a variety of reasons determining the demand, each influenced by a variety of extrinsic factors. The findings indicate that frequency of consumption is influenced by knowledge and opinion about the nutritional content of the pot snack product, suggesting that consumers now are demanding health as well as convenience.