As Americans stayed home for another year during the COVID-19 pandemic, popcorn sales steadily rose, especially in the ready-to-eat popcorn/caramel corn category.

Market data

According to IRI (Chicago) data from the past 52 weeks, which ended on May 16, 2021, the ready-to-eat popcorn/caramel corn category was up 8.7 percent, with total sales of $1.6 billion.

Smartfoods, Inc., a Frito-Lay brand, was the leader in the category, with $471 million in sales and a 1.9 percent increase. Skinnypop took second, with $329 million in sales and a nice increase of 13.4 percent, and Angie’s Artisan Treats LLC, which produces Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP, took in $143 million in sales, with an 8.6 percent increase.

Others to note in this category are Cheetos brand RTE popcorn/caramel corn, with a huge increase of 110.7 percent in sales, and Smartfood’s Smart 50 brand, with a 418.7 percent sales increase. G H Cretors, known for its caramel and cheese popcorn mixes, also showed a 32.5 percent increase in sales.

In the microwave popcorn category, the category as a whole experienced an uptick of 2.7 percent, with $884 million in sales, and Conagra Brands took the lead, with $459 million in sales and a 12.6 percent increase. Snyder’s Lance Inc. brought in $187.9 million in sales, with a small decline of 7.6 percent, and private label popcorn brought in $114 million in sales, with a 15.6 percent dip in sales.

Brands to watch are Act II’s microwave popcorn, which had a 32.4 percent increase in sales; Orville Redenbacher, which had a 17.1 percent increase in sales; and SkinnyPop, which increased its sales by 51.8 percent.

Looking back

“Lately we’ve been seeing a lot of customers going back to the basics—caramel, cheese, butter, and salted popcorn. Despite an overall trend in snacks from the past decade of ‘unique, different, and sometimes even exotic,’ lately consumers seem to return to what they know and what is comfortable,” says Michael Horn, president and CEO, AC Horn, Dallas. “In 2020 we all spent so much more time at home, so going back to the basics just makes sense.”

“The category has seen a burst of flavor innovation in recent years, especially with the explosion in ready-to-eat popcorn offerings. No longer limited to plain, buttered, and cheese-dusted choices, today’s popcorn is available in an array of flavor profiles for more adventurous palettes, from sweet and savory kettle corn and spicy jalapeno ranch, to indulgent chocolate-drizzled and caramel-coated options. Seasonal flavors have also found their way to store shelves, including the obligatory pumpkin spice,” she says.

However, from a nutrition perspective, consumers largely view popcorn as a guilt-free indulgence, Mavec notes.

“Lighter varieties and on-trend labels like organic, gluten-free, and whole-grain lean into that healthy image. Many leading brands have further leveraged popcorn’s better-for-you persona, with label claims featuring ‘no artificial ingredients’ and ‘non-GMO.’ Popcorn also dials into consumer desires for recognizable ingredients and minimal processing, with ingredient statements that can be as simple as popcorn kernels, oil, and salt,” she adds.

Looking forward

Boesen’s prediction is that we will continue to see consumers turn to products that deliver comforting, familiar flavors, such as fresh popped kernels and warm, movie theater butter popcorn that perfectly deliver what consumers would have previously ordered at the movie theater. “Orville Redenbacher’s and Act II products are available in a range of pack sizes, including larger 12-to-18 count multipacks of microwave popcorn or new ‘party size’ ready-to-eat popcorn bags that saw increased consumer adoption during the pandemic due to their superior value and consumers’ desire to stock up and have larger quantities of their favorite snacks on-hand,” he adds.

As for other 2021 predictions, consumers will continue to spend more time at home this year, as the pandemic is not yet over—and thus spend more time in front of the TV, with a bowl of popcorn in hand.

“In addition, as more workplaces re-open and welcome employees back, ready-to-eat popcorn such as Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP will continue to serve as a preferred snack for on-the-go consumption, fueling continued growth,” says Boesen. “Overall, we believe that the delicious taste, convenience, and benefits of microwave, kernel, and ready-to-eat popcorn, coupled with innovation in pack architecture and flavor, will continue to drive growth across these categories for years to come.”