Dive Brief:
- Despite an increase in healthy eating by consumers, Twinkie sales are on the rise, according to Bloomberg.
- A report conducted by the Boston Consulting Group and IRI revealed indulgence was a top food trend, alongside nutrition. A Twinkie is 130 calories and 14.5 grams of sugar, which is better than a Coke, which comes in at 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar.
- ‘‘For as much as millennials bring us challenges, they also have a belief that you only live once and you should enjoy yourself,” Bill Toler, chief executive officer of the Kansas City, Missouri-based Hostess, said in an interview. “They believe in a license to indulge.”
Dive Insight:
While 75% of consumers answered an NPR survey last year saying they were eating wholesome food, and similar studies have found almost equal results, people still love to indulge. Most people would rather eat their calories than drink them, according to a Harris Poll, with 87% of consumers preferring to have their calories come in the form of food.
Hostess as a company hasn’t been ignoring the healthy eating trend altogether—in fact, it’s released whole-grain muffins as “smart snacks” for the federal school food program, and it’s in the process of removing trans fats from many of its products.
But the brand knows what its fans want, and that’s led to some indulgent products hitting the shelves the past year, including frozen deep fried Twinkies and Twinkies ice cream. The company also is launching an in-store bakery concept that will bring Twinkies and items from its Superior Cake Products to the grocery store area. The in-store bakery is growing faster than the company's packaged products found on grocery store shelves, giving the company an opportunity for significant growth..
As Hostess has found, consumers may be eating healthier but they're not afraid to snack on a sweet treat now and then. The public may be gravitating away from soda, but candies, cookies, cakes and the iconic Twinkie appear to have carved out a niche in the America's "healthy" diet.