Panel SA: Demand for snacks may indicate the search for a cheap product to satisfy hunger, research shows

In addition to the increase in demand for eggs to replace beef, which rose in price, consumers in the lower classes also increased purchases of products such as cookies, snacks and soft drinks, according to monitoring by market intelligence company Horus.

The product that had the greatest growth in its presence in the shopping cart was cookies, up 22.6% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year. The advance was also high in soft drinks (17.9%) and snacks and snacks (9.2%). In classes D and E, the average of these items in the purchase was higher than the others.

Called indulgence items in food retail jargon, the consumption of these products is often associated with a search for a sense of reward in times of difficulty.

For Luiza Zacharia, director of Horus, another possibility is that this category of low nutritional value, which brings together a large group of low-cost products, is being used to satisfy the hunger of low-income families, especially children.

According to Horus research, the increase in the consumption of these products has gained prominence among the social classes with lower purchasing power. Fruits and vegetables, in turn, lost their presence in the shopping basket.

“This may indicate a search for cheaper items to treat hunger, because snacks, snacks, cookies and soft drinks have low-value products, which cost R$ 1, R$ 2. So, for a moment of need, it serves to deceive hunger and even become the next meal”, says Zacharia.

Joana Cunha with Paulo Ricardo Martins and Gilmara Santos