Snack News
Salsa wins on Super Bowl survey conducted by Plano snacks company
Plano-based snacks company Frito-Lay conducted a poll about snacks consumed during Super Bowl Sunday and two winners emerged: potato chips and salsa.
Does Frito-Lay, which makes Doritos, Cheetos, and Tostitos, really need a poll? Seems like they would have sales figures that tell them what consumers snack on during big games or any other time of the year.
But a poll can serve as the basis of a story such as this, especially on a site that doesn't do many Super Bowl-related stories. Also Plano is a local company, and that surely merits some coverage.
The poll was conducted January 8-9, among a national sample of more than 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
According to a release from the company, Super Bowl Sunday, which this year takes place on February 3, is one of the single-largest retail sales days for snacks at many supermarkets. The poll found some minute differences in geographical preferences, says senior VP Steven Williams.
"Frito-Lay keeps its finger on the pulse of snacking, always looking at what consumers prefer," Williams says. "It's interesting to see how different regions and age groups snack – whether it's potato chips or tortilla chips, classic or spicy."
Poll results include:
- 80 percent of Americans surveyed will have potato chips or tortilla chips
- Chicago favors popcorn
- L.A., Dallas, Miami, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C., favor potato chips
- Houston, Atlanta, and Boston favor tortilla chips
- Younger people — nearly half of Gen Z and millennials surveyed — favored cheesy and spicy snacks
- Salsa is the top dip
"Super Bowl Sunday is one of the busiest shopping days of the year for snacks," Williams says. "It's different than other holidays we see throughout the year as consumers are most likely to be enjoying snacks specifically at home, which can mean their choices can vary from other occasions."
