Afternoon Snacking: A Golden Opportunity for Incremental Sales

7 days ago

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Written by Alex DeBack

Afternoon Snacking: A Golden Opportunity for Incremental Sales

7 days ago

·

Written by Alex DeBack

Snacking All Day – with Afternoon in the Lead

Snacking has become a daily habit for most consumers, and it’s only growing. Roughly 75% of Americans snack at least once per day, with over half snacking two or more times daily. Many even replace traditional meals with snacks. Among all the eating occasions throughout the day, the afternoon stands out as the prime time for snacking. Research shows that the afternoon is the most common snacking period, with nearly three-quarters of consumers reporting they snack during this time.

Why is the afternoon so significant? Many people experience an energy slump a few hours after lunch and look to snacks for a quick pick-me-up. It’s a time when consumers seek something to tide them over until dinner, to refocus at work, or to satisfy a craving. These are not just routine snacks—they’re often spontaneous, indulgent, and most importantly, incremental. Afternoon snacking doesn’t replace a meal; it adds a sale that otherwise wouldn’t have happened.

Understanding the Afternoon Snacker

To effectively serve this snacking occasion, it’s important to understand what motivates consumer behavior. Here are some of the leading reasons people reach for a snack in the afternoon:

Energy and hunger relief: Mid-afternoon is a common time for energy dips. Snacks provide a quick solution to help people power through their day.
A small indulgence: After a long morning or a stressful day, a sweet or comforting treat can lift the mood. Many consumers seek a “reward” snack during this time.
Convenience and portability: Most people aren’t looking for something they have to prepare. Instead, they reach for packaged, ready-to-eat items that are easy to consume at their desk, in their car, or on the go.
Impulse and availability: Many snack decisions are unplanned. Eye-catching displays and convenient placement make a big impact on converting cravings into purchases.

Retailers who understand these motivations can better stock and position products to appeal to this snacking mindset.

The Sales Potential of the Afternoon Daypart

The growing popularity of snacking between meals offers retailers and foodservice operators a valuable opportunity to increase transaction size and drive incremental sales. These snack purchases often come in addition to, not instead of, regular meals. That means they represent new dollars, not shifted ones.

One quick-service restaurant found that adding a small snack item to an order could increase the check size by nearly 40%. The same principle holds true for convenience retail: if a customer stops in for a beverage, a well-placed sweet snack can easily turn a $2 visit into a $5 one.

Bakery snacks in particular, are strong performers in the afternoon daypart. Items like cookies, snack cakes, and pound cake slices are indulgent, satisfying, and often seen as the perfect treat. By offering packaged, single-serve baked goods in high-traffic areas—especially near checkout or coffee service — retailers can turn foot traffic into incremental snack sales.

Why Wrapped Bakery Items Are the Perfect Fit

When it comes to meeting the needs of the afternoon snacker, individually wrapped bakery items check all the boxes. They’re easy to grab and go, require no utensils or prep, and are perfectly portioned for a light indulgence.

In fact, consumer research shows that nearly 70% of shoppers prefer pre-packaged snacks to homemade options. These wrapped snacks offer the freshness and quality people expect, with the added benefit of portability and mess-free consumption. Whether someone is snacking at their desk, in the car, or between errands, these items deliver both satisfaction and convenience.

For retailers, packaged bakery items offer additional benefits: longer shelf life, greater merchandising flexibility, and a stronger opportunity to trigger impulse purchases through placement and packaging appeal.

Prairie City Bakery’s Wrapped Treats: Designed for Afternoon Snacking

Prairie City Bakery’s line of individually wrapped baked goods is crafted with these snacking behaviors in mind. Products like Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes, Super-Sized Down Home Cookies, and Coffee House Pound Cakes are ideal choices for capturing afternoon sales.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are rich, 2 oz snack cakes that are indulgent, satisfying, and easy to enjoy on the go.
Down Home Cookies offer a bakery-style cookie experience in a convenient single-serve wrap, perfect for an afternoon treat.
Coffee House Pound Cakes come in premium flavors like Iced Lemon and Banana Chocolate Chip. These 4 oz slices are moist, flavorful, and pair beautifully with coffee for an afternoon break.

All of these items are sealed for freshness, easy to merchandise, and built for grab-and-go impulse sales. They’re especially well-suited for convenience stores, office break rooms, micro-markets, and anywhere afternoon foot traffic might lead to a snack purchase.

Make the Most of the Midday Moment

The afternoon daypart represents a powerful yet often underutilized sales window. By offering the right products—those that are indulgent, convenient, and impulse-friendly—retailers and distributors can unlock new revenue and create a more satisfying experience for today’s snack-loving consumer.

Prairie City Bakery’s individually wrapped baked goods are ready to help you meet this demand. With options that cater to cravings and fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles, our products help convert casual traffic into loyal snackers, one cookie or cake at a time.

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