April 25, 2025 – In the US, consumers opt savory biscuits and crackers for their convenience, diverse flavors, versatility, and ability to balance health and indulgence in diets. Innova examines the savory biscuits and crackers market trends, including the macro factors, product launches and market influences. It also highlights how brands can find ways to offer enhanced convenience in crackers market.
Biscuits and Crackers Market Size
The sales and volume of the US savory biscuits and crackers market have been steadily rising throughout the past five years, by 2% CAGR each. Despite a snack-centric landscape, US cracker category sales remain sluggish, keeping up with inflation. The category is still sizable, yet slow growth is anticipated through 2027, indicating that crackers are not growing organically with the rise in snacking.
US savory biscuits and crackers per capita consumption grows slowly reflecting population shifts. As the birth rates slow and the US population becomes increasingly older, cracker brands will need to fill in the gaps that have been reduced by fewer households with children. Brands can focus on elevating perceptions of tastes and even occasions associated with crackers to target Gen Z and Millennials through cuisine exploration and sophisticated, functional ingredients.
Company Performance and Strategies
The US savory biscuits and crackers market is dominated by large players like Mondelēz, Kellogg, and Campbell. The top 10 manufacturers accounted for 40% of new product launches over the past four years. This indicates that the market is concentrating on brand acceleration and expansion. Most of the creative innovations are from private labels.
Mondelēz is one of the top crackers manufacturers, and its new US products focus on flavor extensions and innovative packaging for its Ritz and Triscuit brands. Recently, the company is expanding its flavor and occasion horizons using a quick online quiz that elevates consumers’ experience by helping them find the perfect recipe featuring trending flavors. Its multi-channel and brand social strategies focus on flavor, reinforced occasions, and DIY exploration.
Crackers Product Launch Trends
The savory biscuits and crackers product launches has slowed down in the US over the past five years. Crisp or crispy, thin, bites, rice cakes are the leading cracker type. However, there are over 20 other product attributes that describe a smaller percentages of new crackers products. Manufacturers can leverage this information for ideas about types of products to add to existing product lines to gain consumer attention.
There has been a significant rise in canola, vegetable, extra virgin olive, and high oleic sunflower oil ingredients in crackers launches. Meanwhile, wheat flour is the top grain ingredient, with a 6% growth in launches over the past year.
Crackers Purchasing Penetration
24% of consumers have purchased savory biscuits and crackers in the past year. This purchasing penetration is lower than other snack categories like sweet biscuits, potato-based snacks, and popcorn. The category has lost some penetration momentum, with growth mostly come from the user base and frequency. One-quarter of households consider crackers a pantry staple, displaying the need for new occasions and applications. Brands can help consumers explore the full spectrum of snack motivators, such as health, indulgence, fuel, and nutrition, through toppings and builds.
Crackers Innovation
Cracker brands are delivering attributes like portability and ingredient-specific nutrition, yet they still fall short of adjacent options. Consumers seek flavor, texture, and packaging innovation, in addition to basic attributes. The combination of flavors and textures presents opportunities for brands to develop products align with these preferences.
Flavored Crackers Trends
Cracker trends reveal that dairy is the leading flavor category, followed by herbs and spices, and seeds. Garlic, rosemary, and generic herbs are common individual flavors in the herbs category, whereas salt and pepper lead within the spices and seeds flavor category. Many new cracker brands are launching more unique flavors like rosemary and pistachio, pizza, and applewood barbecue to appeal to consumers seeking adventurous experiences.
GMO-free claim leads with 34% product launches in the past year. The significant growth of no/low/reduced cholesterol claims in launches shows that brands have an opportunity to improve health perceptions by promoting wholegrain and fiber claims.
Consumers Preferences
Cracker trends show that 17% of consumers in the US have increased their uptake of salty snacks, driven by lifestyle changes, budget, and taste preferences. They prefer salty snacks due to their taste, convenience, and indulgence. Watching TV, during breaks, and afternoon and evening snacks are top occasions for eating salty snacks. Cracker brands should consider how their flavors and packaging support these usage occasions. They can also embrace fluid meal and snack lines to move beyond snacks.
Taste and cost are driving the purchase of salty snacks. Brands can focus on including packaging claims that provide convenience or freshness.
Top Outlets in the Biscuits and Crackers Market
75% of consumers purchase salty snacks from supermarkets, whereas 31% prefer buying from convenience stores. The wide gap between cracker purchases in traditional supermarkets and other convenience-centric channels highlights that crackers are staples on the grocery list yet are not meeting impulsive needs. To fill this gap, the perceptions of cracker convenience need a boost to meet impulsive needs.
What’s Next in Savory Biscuits and Crackers Trends?
In the US, crackers compete with different types of salty snacks and other snack products such as cereal bars. The catalysts for snacking are emotional and physical. Brands can target both social and solo occasions and connect all of the emotions derived from a snack to create new habits as a go-to response when the need for snacking strikes. They can leverage product formulation, pairings, and simple messaging to cater to these needs.
Flavors are a strong driver of savory biscuits and cracker choices, with 36% looking for more savory snacks with familiar flavors in the past year. Brands can focus on more variety in products, such as DIY inspiration, to create their own taste experience through pairings. Guacamole, avocado, and Japanese flavors are popular among US savory snackers. As the market continues to evolve and adapt to these latest trends, it is significant for manufacturers, brands, and companies to stay informed and capitalize on these new opportunities to stay relevant and appealing to consumers.
This article is based on Innova’s Savory Biscuits and Crackers in the US report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
