Bonding over snacks to beat boredom – Times of India

MUMBAI: The pandemic has given a boost to shared consumption of snacks in a departure from the pre-pandemic trend of solo munching. Indians appear to be snacking and bonding to beat boredom this year.
Snacking has emerged as an “antidote” for loneliness, finds a global report by Mondelez. Consumers connected with others through food in the last six months (95%), such as to make a snack together (55%) or eating a snack to celebrate a special occasion (54%).
A few years ago, there was a visible shift towards individualisation or solo consumption with consumers, glued to their small screens, then preferring to snack alone. Solo consumption was defined by traits of “self-centered consumption”, especially in snacks.

Post-pandemic, the average time spent on snacking by Indian consumers has increased by 5-10% to 22.6 minutes a day this year, which is ahead of the global average of 15.5 minutes, said Anil Viswanathan, senior director — marketing (chocolates), insights and analytics, Mondelez India.
“Snacking accelerated in the pandemic. Relative to global, Indians are snacking more socially within the house and with friends virtually. Snacking has also been a reason to celebrate at the end of a long day. They seek comfort in it and what’s driving it is a sense of connectedness to the community,” said Viswanathan.
Two-thirds of Indians are snacking more during the pandemic. A majority of Indian consumers said they are seeking nostalgia snacks during trying times. 67% snacked to boost their mood in 2020, 66% for comfort and 64% to relax.
Largely, Indian consumers are said to be social snackers. In the study, 63% said they prefer to snack with others, as compared to 46% globally. 55% said during the pandemic, they snacked with others than they normally would.Parents, too, have leant on snacks to strengthen bonds. 84% parents said once the pandemic ends, they can’t wait to get back to shared snacking with friends and family outside home. The size of the Indian snacking market is $118 billion, growing at 14.5% CAGR for two years.