Polish producers offer many types of snacks that have successfully conquered the domestic market: Poles simply love them. Research conducted by Bakalland has shown that approximately 43% of us have a stock of snacks at home in the event of "sudden hunger", slightly less - eat them immediately after purchase [1]. There is no doubt, however, that they very often end up in the shopping cart, and our domestic products enjoy high recognition and ... they are simply liked. Breadsticks, crackers, dried fruit and other ... we love them from our very childhood. But are the inhabitants of other countries able to love them the same?
Upward trends in Polish exports
For several years, Polish food exports (and in particular the market of sweets and snacks) have been growing in foreign exports. And although the coronavirus pandemic slowed down this process for a while, manufacturers hope to recover quickly. But will Polish salty snacks be able to bite into a market worth over EUR 14 billion? It can be said that, to some extent, it has already been achieved, and the question about the future of Polish delicacies on foreign markets should rather concern potential directions of development.
Aksam, one of the largest producers of Polish salty snacks, currently exports its products to almost all European countries, both in the EU (Germany is the leader here) and outside the European community (including Great Britain, Belarus, Russia, Norway, Switzerland). Sticks or small salty pretzels, well known to Poles, also travel to North America and South Africa [2]. The activities of Bakalland may also prove the potential of the foreign snack market: when the company used to focus on the production of only dried fruits and nuts, it now produces more and more salty snacks, which results from the dynamic market demand. For this brand, export amounts to about 10% of total production, the development plan assumes more. The main recipients in Europe are Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Sweden, the countries of the Balkan peninsula, the Baltic states, and outside the EU - Ukraine. Bakalland successfully sends its products to Canada, some African countries, China, and… Australia and Oceania [3].
Strength in taste
Research on consumers shows that preferences regarding salty snacks are very specific and can differ from one country to another: Poles prefer traditional potato chips, but they also like new things, such as popcorn or new flavors of snacks. Poles who have emigrated from the country are still looking for products similar in taste to their native ones in their place of residence, or simply buy products exported from Poland. No wonder that in Europe it is Great Britain that is one of the leading recipients of Polish salty delicacies [4]. Polish producers such as Aksam or Bakalland send large quantities of their products there.
Other studies conducted on a European scale have shown that when choosing snacks, consumers are primarily guided by the taste. This is the main criterion for 56% of Italians, 57% of Spaniards, 62% of French, 65% of Poles and 70% of Germans [5]. Do Polish salty snacks have a chance to suit the tastes of foreign consumers? The growing tendency of Polish food exports gives hope, and there is no doubt that some activities will accelerate my process of popularizing Polish products abroad. A procedure that international producers often resort to is the taste adaptation of the product batch to consumers from a specific area. Knowing the results of consumer preferences research, the manufacturer can modify the recipe to better suit the tastes of specific recipients. There is also a probability that traditional "native" flavors will also steal the hearts (and palates) of Europeans - after all, Polish companies are famous for high-quality production, which translates into the taste of their products. Here, appropriate marketing activities aimed at encouraging foreign consumers to try "new products" from Poland can help in popularizing snacks.
What about healthy eating?
Although the taste is still the main criterion for choosing snacks, the popularization of a healthy lifestyle and conscious eating changes the attitude of some consumers in European countries. Polish snacks can have their chance here, thanks to the aforementioned aspect: the highest quality production, based on natural recipes, translating into taste. Moreover, apart from traditional salty snacks (such as sticks or pretzels), Polish producers offer new items, much more associated with "fit" products (eg nuts and dried fruit).
In conclusion, although the snack market in Europe is not easy, it is also dynamic and open to new offers. It gives Polish producers a chance to "spread their wings", especially since the largest Polish companies already have export bases in European countries (both eastern and western) and do not record a downward trend. Certainly, with good activities, supported by market analyzes and consumer research, Polish snacks have a chance to take more and more space on the shelves of European stores.
Would you like to order a batch of salty snacks? Contact us and we will prepare the best offer on the market for you.
[1] Co sprawia, że Polacy sięgają po przekąski? Portal Spożywczy, źródło: https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/slodycze-przekaski/wiadomosci/co-sprawia-ze-polacy-siegaja-po-przekaski,171563.html (dostęp: 17.09.2020)
[2] Exports, Soleo Snacks, źródło: http://soleosnacks.com/export/ (17.09.2020)
[3] International Experience, Bakalland, źródło: https://bakalland.com/international-experience/ (17.09.2020).
[4] Rynek słonych przekąsek, Portal „Analiza Rynku”, źródło: https://analizarynku.eu/rynek-slonych-przekasek (dostęp: 17.09.2020)
[5] Mintel: wodorosty mają szansę podbić europejski rynek przekąsek, Portal Spożywczy, źródło: https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/slodycze-przekaski/wiadomosci/mintel-wodorosty-maja-szanse-podbic-europejski-rynek-przekasek,126758_1.html (dostęp: 17.09.2020)