Food Bars in the U.S.: Trends in Cereal/Granola Bars and Energy/Nutrition Bars

This Packaged Facts report examines the $5.7 billion U.S. retail market for food bars, classified into two categories: cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars.
Food bars have been making noise in the marketplace recently, posting double-digit growth rates for successful product types. Reasons for this surge include a wave of new product launches, increased sophistication in marketing bars to different consumer sets, and continued innovation in delivery formats. Eating trends such as the blurring of meals and snacks, an emphasis on portion control, and increasingly informal, spur-of-the-moment, and customized eating all favor the food bar market.
A main trend in the food bar market overall is the blurring of distinctions between cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars. Broadly speaking, cereal/granola bars are focusing more on nutrition and incorporating functional ingredients (such as added protein or fiber), while energy/nutrition bars are incorporating ever more creative and decadent formulations to make them more appetizing.
Although overall the cereal bar segment has seen little growth beyond that achieved through price increases, new products continue to be introduced to meet more targeted consumer needs. Cereal bar manufacturers are targeting consumers who wish to move away from treats and are looking for a workout energy boost, a nutritious snack or even a fast meal replacement option. Over the past few years, cereal bars with reduced calories, fat or sugar have performed quite well, although the number of product introductions with these claims has fallen sharply in the last five years. Manufacturers are addressing more sophisticated concerns, such as creating products to supplement perceived nutritional deficits that might be incurred in a weight-loss program. High-protein, low-carbohydrate or balanced-gastrointestinal formulations have seen good growth.
In the energy/nutrition bar category, new flavor and ingredient introductions along with improvements in taste and mouthfeel have made the future of these products look a lot more interesting. Among the functional ingredients that manufacturers are using to vary the nutrition bar formula are CoQ10, L-carnitine, omega-3, resveratrol, and vitamin K2.
This report is based on information gathered from primary, secondary, and syndicated sources. Primary research involved consultation with industry sources and a Packaged Facts online consumer survey conducted in February-March 2012. Secondary research involved the evaluation and comparison of data and information found in financial, trade, and government sources, as well as company media. Analysis also draws on mass-market sales-tracking data from SymphonyIRI and national consumer survey data from Experian Simmons.
- Chapter 1: Executive Summary
- Scope and Methodology
- Food Bar Market Overview
- Cereal Bars
- Granola Bars
- Energy/Nutrition Bars
- A Boom in Food Bars
- Food Bar Market Approaches $5.7 Billion in 2011
- Table 1-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal/Granola Bars and Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2007-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Market Projected to Near $8.3 Billion in 2016
- Table 1-2: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal/Granola Bars and Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2011-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Long-Term Food Trends Framing Market Growth
- The Cereal/Granola Bar Category
- Insights and Opportunities
- The Market for Cereal/Granola Bars
- Different Trajectories for Cereal Bars and Granola Bars
- 2012 U.S. Retail Sales Projected at $3.2 Billion
- Table 1-3: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2010 vs. 2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Table 1-4: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2012 (in millions of dollars)
- Table 1-5: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2012-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Trends and New Products
- Retail Dynamics
- Demographics for Consumers
- The Energy/Nutrition Bar Category
- Insights and Opportunities
- The Market
- U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/Nutrition Bars Reach $2.5 Billion
- Table 1-6: U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/nutrition Bars, 2008-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Double-Digit Growth for Lifestyle/Wellness & Diet Bars in Natural Channel
- Retail Sales Projected to Approach $4.5 Billion in 2016
- Table 1-7: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/nutrition Bars, 20011-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Trends and New Products
- Milk Proteins Improve the Palatability of Energy/nutrition Bars
- Gelatin as a Protein Source and Texturizing Agent in Energy/nutrition Bars
- New Functional Ingredients Jazz Up the Market
- Retail Dynamics
- Mass Merchandisers at 30% Category Share
- Demographics of Energy/Diet Bar Consumers
- Chapter 2: Food Bar Market Overview
- Key Points
- Varieties of Food Bars
- Cereal Bars
- Granola Bars
- Energy/Nutrition Bars
- High-Carbohydrate Bars (Clif Bar, PowerBar, etc.)
- High-Protein Bars (Myoplex, PowerBar Protein Plus, etc.)
- Ingredients in Protein Bars
- Leading Brands of Protein Bars
- Lower-Calorie Bars (Luna, etc.)
- Meal-Replacement Bars (Balance Bar, PR Bar, etc.)
- Labeling and Quality/Content of Ingredients
- Calorie Content Ranges
- Too Much of a Good Thing
- Advice for Energy Bar Use for People Engaged in Aerobic Sports
- Market Size and Growth
- Food Bar Market Approaches $5.7 Billion in 2011
- Table 2-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal/Granola Bars and Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2007-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Market Projected to Near $8.3 Billion in 2016
- Table 2-2: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal/Granola Bars and Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2011-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Average Mass-Market Price Per Unit and Price Per Volume for Food Bars
- Table 2-3: Average Price Per Unit For Food Bars in Food, Drug and Mass-Merchandiser Stores, 2010-2011
- Table 2-4: Average Price Per Volume For Food Bars in Food, Drug and Mass-Merchandiser Stores, 2010-2011
- Private-Label Products in the Food Bar Market
- Table 2-5: U.S. Retail Sales of Private Label Food Bars, by Category, in Food, Drug and Mass-Merchandiser Stores, 2010-2011 (in thousands of dollars)
- Opportunities for Private-Label Manufacturers
- Trends Affecting the Food Bar Market
- 2012 Trends
- What’s In and What’s Out in Foods and Food Ingredients for 2012
- 2011 Trends
- Consumer Awareness of Functional Foods Increases
- Allergen-Free
- The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004
- Exemptions, Petition, and Notification to the FALCPA
- Protein Enhanced/High-protein
- Omega-3-enhanced
- Probiotic-enhanced
- Prebiotic-enhanced
- The Use of Inulin and Oligofructose in Cereal Bars and Energy/nutrition Bars
- Women’s Health
- Weight Loss
- Food and Beverage Manufacturers Pledge to Cut 1.5 Trillion Calories From the U.S. Food Supply
- New Strategies in Weight Management Products
- Weight-loss Ingredients Trends
- Ingredients that Enhance Satiety
- Fiber
- Manufacturers Must Substantiate Claims for Weight-loss Products
- Ingredients Trends
- Konjac—A Novel, Multitasking Ingredient
- Cereal Bars and Nutritional/Energy Bars Appeal to All Demographics
- Formulation and Ingredient Trends
- Long-Term Food Trends Framing Market Growth
- Allergen-Free
- The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004
- Exemptions, Petition, and Notification to the FALCPA
- Protein Enhanced/High-Protein
- Omega-3-Enhanced
- Probiotic-Enhanced
- Prebiotic-Enhanced
- Inulin and Oligofructose
- Women’s Health
- Weight Loss
- New Strategies in Weight Management Products
- Ingredients that Enhance Satiety
- Fiber
- Manufacturers Must Substantiate Claims for Weight-Loss Products
- Chapter 3: The Cereal/Granola Bar Category
- Key Points
- Insights and Opportunities
- The Products
- Cereal Bars
- Granola Bars
- The Market
- 2012 U.S. Retail Sales Projected at $3.2 Billion
- Table 3-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2010 vs. 2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Table 3-2: U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2012 (in millions of dollars)
- Table 3-3: Historical and Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Cereal Bars and Granola Bars, 2007-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- Symphony-IRI FMDx Sales of Granola Bars at $1 Billion
- Table 3-4: SymphonyIRI-Tracked Sales of Breakfast/Cereal/Snack Bars and Granola Bars Through Food Stores, Drugstores, and Mass Merchandisers Other Than Walmart, 2011 (in thousands of dollars)
- The Marketers
- Kellogg Corners Three-Fifths of Mass-Market Cereal Bar Sales
- Figure 3-1: Symphony-IRI Tracked Marketer Shares of Breakfast/Cereal/Snack Bar Sales, 2011
- Table 3-5: SymphonyIRI-Tracked FDMx Sales and Segment Shares for Selected Brand Lines of Breakfast/Cereal/Snack Bars, 2010-2011 (in thousands of dollars and percent)
- General Mills Leads in Granola Bars
- Figure 3-2: Symphony-IRI Tracked Marketer Shares of Granola Bar Sales, 2011
- Table 3-6: SymphonyIRI-Tracked FMDx Sales and Segment Shares for Selected Brands Lines of Granola Bars, 2010-2011 (in thousands of dollars and percent)
- Competitive Profile: Clif Bar & Co., Emeryville, CA
- Company Profile
- Financial Information
- Products
- Corporate Strategy
- Competitive Profile: General Mills, Inc., Minneapolis. MN
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Corporate Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Hain Celestial Group, Inc., Melville, NY
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Competitive Profile: Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Competitive Profile: KIND LLC, New York, NY
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Snack Bar Products
- Corporate Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Kraft Foods Inc., Northfield, IL
- Financial Information
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Corporate Strategy
- Competitive Profile: McKee Foods Corporation, Collegedale, TN
- Company Overview
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Competitive Profile: Odwalla Inc., Half Moon Bay, CA (a division of The Coca Cola Company)
- Company Overview
- Cereal Bar and Snack Bar Products
- Company Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Quaker Oats Co. (a division of PepsiCo)
- Company Overview
- Cereal Bar and Granola Bar Products
- Competitive Profile: Shandiz Natural Foods, Markham, Ontario, Canada
- Company Overview
- Business Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Slim-Fast Food Co. (a Unilever Company)
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Energy/nutrition Bars
- Business Strategy
- Trends and New Products
- Snacking, Early and Late
- Cargill Introduces Prototype Granola and Snack Bars Containing High Oleic Canola Oil
- Blurring the Lines—A Growing Number of Cereal and Granola Bars Feature Nutritional Benefits
- Selected Products Introduced in 2012
- General Mills Introduces Nature Valley Protein Bars
- Kashi Company Combines Fruit and Vegetables in New Tasty Soft n' Chewy Bar
- Kraft Launches Refrigerated MilkBite Milk & Granola Bars
- Selected Products Introduced in 2011
- Gluten-Free Granola Bars Introduced by Bakery On Main
- Clif Kid’s Zbar Crispy Organic Snack
- Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars Join the Company’s TLC Line
- Mars Expands Kudos Line
- Odwalla Introduces White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Mix Bars and Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Bars
- PRBar Launches Five New Granola Bars in August 2011
- Cereal and Snack Bar Manufacturers Address the Obesity Epidemic
- Cereal Bars by Any Other Name
- Superfruit and Resveratol Enter the Cereal Bar Sector
- Retail Dynamics
- Mass Merchandisers at 30% Category Share
- Table 3-7: Retail Channel Shares for Energy/nutrition Bars, 2012 (percent)
- 63% of Category Customers Buy Cereal/Granola Bars at Supermarkets/ Grocery Stores
- Table 3-8: Consumer Purchasing of Cereal/Granola Bars by Retailer Type, 2012 (percent of energy/nutrition bar purchasers)
- Consumer Trends
- 14% of Adults Use Energy/Diet Bars
- Table 3-9: Consumer Purchasing Rates for Energy/Nutrition Bars vs. Cereal/Granola Bars, 2004-2011 (percent of U.S. adults)
- Demographics for Cereal/Granola Bar Consumers
- Table 3-10: Demographics for Cereal/Granola Bar Consumers, 2011 (percent and index for U.S. adults)
- Nature Valley and Quaker Chewy Lead in Consumer Base
- Table 3-11: Usage Rates and Consumer Base for Selected Brands Lines of Cereal/Granola Bars, 2009-2011 (percentage and number in thousands)
- Nature Valley, Nutri-Grain, and General Mills Milk and Cereal Bars Lead in Frequent Users
- Table 3-12: Frequency of Consumption for Selected Brands of Cereal/Granola Bars, 2011 (number of U.S. adults)
- Granola Bars Ready for an Image Makeover?
- Table 3-10: Selected Traits of Consumers Who Use Cereal/Granola Bars as Nutritional Snacks, 2011
- Chapter 4: The Energy/Nutrition Bar Category
- Key Points
- Insights and Opportunities
- The Products
- Energy Bars
- Carbohydrate Energy Bars
- Protein Energy Bars
- Maximizing the Benefits of Energy Bars
- Diet/Weight Management Bars
- Condition-Specific Bars
- Bars With Less
- Bars with More
- The Market
- U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/Nutrition Bars Reach $2.5 Billion
- Table 4-1: U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/nutrition Bars, 2008-2011 (in millions of dollars)
- Double-Digit Growth for Lifestyle/Wellness & Diet Bars in Natural Channel
- Retail Sales Projected to Approach $4.5 Billion in 2016
- Table 4-2: Projected U.S. Retail Sales of Energy/nutrition Bars, 20011-2016 (in millions of dollars)
- SymphonyIRI-Tracked FMDx Sales at $1 Billion
- Table 4-3: SymphonyIRI-Tracked FMDx Sales of Nutritional/Intrinsic Health Value Bars, 2010-2011 (in thousands of dollars)
- The Sports Nutrition Context
- Sports Nutrition Products Target a Broader Consumer Base
- The Global Market for Sports Nutrition Products
- What’s Next in the Sports Nutrition Sector
- The Marketers
- Clif Bar Claims 23% of Mass-Market Sales
- Figure 4-1: SymphonyIRI-Tracked FMDx Marketer Shares of Nutritional/Intrinsic Health Value Bar Sales, 2011 (percent)
- Table 4-4: SymphonyIRI-Tracked FDMx Sales and Segment Shares for Selected Brand Lines of Nutritional/ Intrinsic Health Value Bars, 2010-2011 (in thousands of dollars and percent)
- Competitive Profile: Abbott Nutrition (a division of Abbott Laboratories)
- Company Overview
- Energy/nutrition Bar Products
- Competitive Profile: Active Health Foods, Inc., Riverside, CA
- Company Overview
- Products
- Business Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Brynwood Partners VI L.P.
- Company Overview
- Energy/nutrition Bar Products
- Business Strategy
- Competitive Profile: Fullbar LLC, Greenwood Village, CO
- Company Overview
- Energy/nutrition Bar Products
- Business Strategy
- Competitive Proflle: Nestlé, Vevey, Switzerland
- Company Overview
- Financial Information
- Energy/nutrition Bar Products
- Competitor Profile: YouBar, Los Angeles, CA
- Company Overview
- Products
- Corporate Strategy
- Trends and New Products
- Milk Proteins Improve the Palatability of Energy/nutrition Bars
- Gelatin as a Protein Source and Texturizing Agent in Energy/nutrition Bars
- Benefits of Soy Proteins Combined With Dairy Ingredients
- New Functional Ingredients Jazz Up the Market
- CoQ10
- L-Carnitine
- Omega-3
- Resveratrol
- Vitamin K2
- Trends in Selected Ingredients
- Energy/nutrition Bar Category Offers Something for Everyone, from Women Bodybuilders to Vampire-Wannabe Teens
- Support Your Local Energy/nutrition Bar
- Selected Products Introduced in 2012
- Balance Bar’s Balance-tine’s Day Chocolate Gift Assortment
- Selected Products Introduced in 2011
- Baked Chocolate Raspberry Nutrition Bar Introduced by Archer Daniels Midland
- Iron Girl Energy Bar Targets Women Athletes
- Brynwood Partners Launches Balance nimble and Café Bars
- Abbott Nutrition Introduces Sweet & Salty Nutrition Bars
- Joulebody Introduces a Detox Meal Replacement Bar
- ResVez Debuts a Second Resveratrol-Containing Nutrition Bar
- Mostly Raw Ingredient Probar HALO Bars Enter the Market
- ThinkProducts Introduces thinkThin Natural, Low-Sugar Nut Bar
- Quaker Oats Launches Bakery-Inspired, Reduced-calorie Nutrition Bars
- F-Factor Bars from Health Valley Offer 12 Grams of Fiber
- Vega Sport Protein Bars With All Natural, Plant-Based Ingredients Target Athletes
- Live Smart Original Flax Bars Offer Allergen-Free Snacking
- Mars Launches Marathon Smart Stuff Bars
- Selected Innovative Products Introduced in 2010
- Pure NRG Launches Chia Breakfast Bar
- FullBar Addresses the Weight Management Trend in Snacking
- POM Wonderful Introduces PomX Antioxidant Superbar Line
- Slim Secrets Introduces Snack Bars to Control Appetite
- Gatorade G Series Pro 01 Prime Pre-Game Fuel Nutrition Bars Enter the Market
- Nature’s Plus Source of Life Targets Teen Vampire Wannabes
- AllerEnergy Addresses Consumers Seeking Allergen-free Nutrition Bars
- Retail Dynamics
- Mass Merchandisers at 30% Category Share
- Table 4-5: Retail Channel Shares for Energy/nutrition Bars, 2012 (percent)
- 55% Buy Energy/Nutrition Bars at Walmart and Other Supercenters
- Table 4-6: Consumer Purchasing of Energy/nutrition Bars by Retailer Type, 2012 (percent of energy/nutrition bar purchasers)
- Consumer Trends
- 14% of Adults Use Energy/Diet Bars
- Table 4-7: Consumer Purchasing Rates for Energy/Nutrition Bars vs. Cereal/Granola Bars, 2004-2011 (percent of U.S. adults)
- Frequent Users Are More Likely To Also Use Cereal/Granola Bars
- Table 4-8: Number of Energy/Nutrition Bars Consumed in the Previous 30 Days, 2004 vs. 2011 (percent of U.S. adults)
- Demographics of Energy/Diet Bar Consumers
- Table 4-9: Demographics for Energy/Nutrition Bar Consumers, 2011 (percent and index for U.S. adults)
- Kashi Brand Edges Out Clif Bars in Consumer Base
- Table 4-10 Overall Consumer Base for Selected Brands of Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2007-2011 (number in thousands of U.S. adults)
- 2.4 Million Dieting Adults Use Slim-Fast Bars
- Table 4-11: Selected Brands of Energy/Diet Bars Most Often Purchased by Consumers Who Are Dieting to Lose Weight (number of U.S. adults and index)
- Clif Bar Leads with 1.6 Million Frequent Users
- Table 4-12: Frequency of Consumption for Selected Brands of Energy/Nutrition Bars, 2011 (number of U.S. adults)