Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ARGENTINA
Euromonitor International
July 2017
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport I
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 1
TRENDS
From the end of 2016 and into the first months of 2017 savoury snack companies reduced
prices and made significant investments in campaigns to boost consumption, which had
registered declines in 2015 and 2016. The economic crisis negatively impacted demand for
packaged food, and savoury snacks was not an exception in 2016. The high price of savoury
snacks compared to other products was key in the decline in sales and companies strove to
reverse the situation with aggressive pricing strategies in 2017.
Savoury snacks registered 1% retail volume growth in 2017, in line with the CAGR of 1%
witnessed over the review period. Companies continued to invest in significant launches to
boost the category and, faced with a complicated economic scenario, reductions in prices
became another key strategy to boost sales.
Nuts, seeds and trail mixes registered the strongest retail volume growth of 2% to reach 3,200
tonnes in 2017. It should be noted that this remains an underdeveloped category and
competes with unpackaged options, which are significantly more economical. Consumers
perceive nuts, seeds and trail mixes as healthy and as containing ideal nutritional support for
sporting activities. In addition, an increasing number of new players appeared, with the launch
of Natural Break by Accor a good example.
Potato chips recorded 2% retail volume growth in 2017 after a strong contraction the previous
year. The decline in consumer purchasing power negatively impacted salty snacks to a
significant extent given the high prices compared to other competing products. To boost the
category, PepsiCo Snacks Argentina, the leading company in salty snacks, carried out
aggressive advertising campaigns from the end of 2016, announcing a price drop for its
leading Lays brand.
Average unit prices of savoury snacks increased by 20% in 2017, well below the 36%
increase registered in 2016. The price increase in 2017 can be explained by the higher costs
of inputs and services, considering that Argentina is one of the countries with the highest
inflation rates in the world. Leading companies have been making reductions in the prices of
some products since the end of 2016 in order to boost the category.
Savoury biscuits recorded the weakest retail volume growth of 1% in 2017 due to a
widespread replacement of savoury breakfasts with bread by consumers. During the review
period the increase in bread prices were below those of savoury biscuits, which prompted a
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 2
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Bagley Argentina maintained its lead over PepsiCo Snacks Argentina in savoury snacks with
a retail value share of 32% in 2017. The company recorded the strongest performance over
the review period among the leading ten players with an increase in its share of seven
percentage points. This excellent performance was due to its entry into salty snacks in 2014
with its Saladix brand. Despite the dominance of PepsiCo Snacks Argentina in salty snacks,
Bagley quickly learned to position Saladix as one of the most important brands, with
teenagers the main consumers. Bagley built its share of savoury snacks with a 47% retail
value share in savoury biscuits and 13% in salty snacks in 2017.
PepsiCo Snacks Argentina was the second most important company in savoury snacks with a
retail value share of 31% in 2017, having lost its leadership of the category in 2016 to Bagley
Argentina. PepsiCo Snacks Argentina stood out in salty snacks with a retail value share of
72% thanks to the long tradition of its brands, including Lay's, Bun, Doritos and Pehuamar.
The latter was acquired from a domestic company in late 1997, which consolidated PepsiCo
Snacks Argentina's leading position within the category.
The multinational companies, Bagley Argentina, belonging to Arcor SAIC, PepsiCo Snacks
Argentina and Mondelez Argentina led savoury snacks with a combined retail value share of
81% in 2017. The remaining 19% was largely made up of small and medium-sized
companies. Over the review period, thanks to the launch of Saladix in salty snacks in 2014 by
Bagley Argentina, domestic companies gained ground at the expense of the multinational,
PepsiCo Snacks Argentina.
In June 2016 Arcor entered nuts, seeds and trail mixes with the launch of Natural Break. This
new product is available in three different varieties, Nutritivo, Energia and Liviano, as is
composed of nuts, cereals and seeds. The launch was accompanied by advertising on TV
and actions on social networks and at various points of sale. In the initial stage, the product
was manufactured by an external supplier. Given the rapid acceptance of consumers,
production began at the Arcor plant in the province of Tucumn.
PepsiCo Snacks Argentina constantly launches new products to expand its portfolio and
boost consumption. In June of 2016 it launched Lay's in potato chips in Humita Nortea,
Ciervo Ahumado, Grilled Provoleta and Salame flavours in packs of 43g and 103g. In
February 2016 the company launched Doritos Beso in tortilla chips in two different flavours,
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 3
Dorito Beso Suave with butter-corn flavour butter corn and Dorito Beso Ardiente in a spicy
flavour, both available in packs of 36g and 94g.
Each year Bagley Argentina carries out an important marketing campaign and launches new
varieties of its Saladix brand to position the brand in salty snacks, a category strongly led by
the multinational, PepsiCo Snacks Argentina. In early 2016 the company launched Saladix
Picanto flavour with Wasabi and Soja with the slogan "now there is a touch of spice where
before there wasnt", accompanied by TV advertising. In October 2016, Bagley launched
Saladix Crax and to publicise the product ran a TV advertisement under the slogan
Buenisimas (ms buena que tu hermana) (Terrific (even better than your sister). In the
advertising, a teenager calls everything "terrific", and, in the final scene, when recommending
Saladix Crax to his friends, the protagonist makes a comparison with the sister of one of his
friends.
Under the slogan "Celebrate with Lay's" PepsiCo Snacks Argentina reduced the price of its
traditional brand at the end of 2016 with the intention of boosting a category which had
registered a strong decline as a result of the economic crisis. To promote the campaign, the
company placed posters on the public highway and carried out a campaign on TV. The
campaign shows everyday situations between friends and claims there is always a good
reason to celebrate with Lay's.
Dos Hermanos, one of the most important players in rice, entered salty snacks in July 2015
with the launch of original healthy snacks. Based on rice, the company launched sticks in
cheese flavour and discs in ham flavour in flexible plastic packs of 80g. In November 2015,
the company expanded the portfolio with the launch of cream with onion-flavoured rings, also
made from rice.
Premium products are mainly available through wine shops and delicatessens, as well as
through supermarkets and hypermarkets. Standard brands have a strong presence in kiosks
and other impulse channels, such as forecourt retailing. Economy products, mainly private
label, are available through discounters, supermarkets and hypermarkets.
PROSPECTS
Healthy snacks are expected to take a more leading role over the forecast period. Consumers
are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of reduced salt or rice-based products, which
are considered healthy and nutritious. In the short term, with the recovery of purchasing
power, a large number of launches are expected, particularly in salty snacks.
Savoury snacks is expected to record a retail volume CAGR of 3% over the forecast period,
higher than the 1% CAGR witnessed over the review period. The recovery of consumer
purchasing power will undoubtedly play a key role in the performance of savoury snacks, a
category which was significantly negatively affected by the economic crisis of the review
period. The constant launches and renewal of products will also play a key role in the
performance of the category in the short term.
Tortilla chips is expected to record the highest retail volume CAGR of 5% over the forecast
period. Unlike potato chips and puffed snacks, tortilla chips is underdeveloped in Argentina. In
the review period PepsiCo Snacks Argentina invested in advertising to boost sales and slowly
small domestic companies began to demonstrate greater interest in participating in tortilla
chips, given the potential for development.
Savoury biscuits is expected to register a retail volume CAGR of 3% over the forecast period,
higher than that registered in the review period, as it is anticipated that a large number
consumers who had migrated to bread due to price concerns in the review period will again
begin to consume savoury biscuits.
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 4
Nuts, seeds and trail mixes is expected to achieve a retail volume CAGR of 3% over the
forecast period, surpassed only by tortilla chips. This dynamism is due to the growing number
of Argentineans who perform physical activity. Consumers find that nuts, seeds and trail
mixes contain nutrients ideal for exercise and recovery. In addition, the recent entry of Arcor
with Natural Break will likely play a key role in the development of nuts, seeds and trail mixes
in the short term.
Bagley Argentina is expected to continue to gain ground thanks to its Saladix brand in salty
snacks, which rapidly positioned itself in the category after its entry in 2014. The brand's
strategy in the review period focused on advertising aimed exclusively at teenagers, and
possibly in the medium term will be aimed at a wider audience in order to expand its sales.
Innovations in packaging are not expected, especially after the poor experience of Saladix
when launched in a folding carton, confusing consumers between salty snacks and savoury
biscuits.
Natural Break by Arcor showed great potential within a few months of its launch thanks to
rapid acceptance among consumers. Other new launches, such as Saladix Picanto flavour
Wasabi and Soja or Lay's in the Humita Nortea, Ciervo Ahumado, Provoleta Grillada
flavours, will probably have a limited life, given that the companies' strategy is to constantly
renew their portfolios to boost consumption.
CATEGORY DATA
Table 1 Sales of Savoury Snacks by Category: Volume 2012-2017
'000 tonnes
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Nuts, Seeds and Trail 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.0
Mixes
Salty Snacks 20.7 21.8 22.0 22.0 20.0 20.3
- Potato Chips 15.4 16.2 16.4 16.3 14.8 15.0
- Tortilla Chips 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
- Puffed Snacks 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.5 3.6
- Rice Snacks - - - - - -
- Vegetable, Pulse and - - - - - -
Bread Chips
Savoury Biscuits 165.6 180.1 179.0 175.1 173.3 175.2
Popcorn 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.6
Pretzels 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other Savoury Snacks 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.0 3.0
Savoury Snacks 193.6 209.9 209.2 205.2 200.7 203.0
Source: Euromonitor International from official statistics, trade associations, trade press, company research,
store checks, trade interviews, trade sources
ARS million
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Nuts, Seeds and Trail 169.5 361.6 503.3 652.5 818.6 1,000.6
Mixes
Salty Snacks 2,164.1 2,890.5 3,959.8 5,131.6 6,301.1 7,694.6
- Potato Chips 1,601.3 2,132.8 2,923.4 3,778.4 4,627.5 5,648.8
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 5
% volume growth
2016/17 2012-17 CAGR 2012/17 Total
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 6
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 7
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 8
'000 tonnes
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Nuts, Seeds and Trail 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.5
Mixes
Salty Snacks 20.3 20.7 21.3 22.0 22.7 23.5
- Potato Chips 15.0 15.3 15.7 16.2 16.7 17.3
- Tortilla Chips 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.2
- Puffed Snacks 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0
- Rice Snacks - - - - - -
- Vegetable, Pulse and - - - - - -
Bread Chips
Savoury Biscuits 175.2 179.6 184.9 191.0 197.4 204.3
Popcorn 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8
Pretzels 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other Savoury Snacks 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5
Savoury Snacks 203.0 208.0 214.2 221.1 228.5 236.6
Source: Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews,
trade sources
ARS million
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Nuts, Seeds and Trail 1,000.6 1,032.3 1,066.5 1,108.6 1,158.5 1,216.6
Mixes
Salty Snacks 7,694.6 7,888.8 8,123.2 8,385.0 8,680.4 9,010.4
- Potato Chips 5,648.8 5,788.3 5,957.6 6,144.2 6,356.7 6,592.1
- Tortilla Chips 488.2 511.4 540.5 572.7 608.1 652.5
- Puffed Snacks 1,557.7 1,589.1 1,625.2 1,668.1 1,715.6 1,765.9
- Rice Snacks - - - - - -
- Vegetable, Pulse and - - - - - -
Bread Chips
Savoury Biscuits 14,671.1 15,069.8 15,562.1 16,123.6 16,719.5 17,365.8
Popcorn 357.2 364.8 374.7 386.9 400.9 415.8
Pretzels 7.4 7.5 7.7 7.9 8.1 8.4
Other Savoury Snacks 807.5 829.2 853.3 880.1 911.8 947.1
Savoury Snacks 24,538.5 25,192.4 25,987.6 26,892.0 27,879.1 28,963.9
Source: Euromonitor International from trade associations, trade press, company research, trade interviews,
trade sources
Euromonitor International
SAVOURY SNACKS IN ARGENTINA Passport 9
% volume growth
2017/18 2017-22 CAGR 2017/22 Total
Euromonitor International