VIDEO: What Gen Z Thinks About Snacks

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — In a new installment of his video series with Convenience Store News parent company EnsembleIQ, Phil Lempert discusses the results of a recent survey of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders about their snacking habits and their thoughts on the food industry.

The survey was conducted by Supermarketguru.com Senior Editorial and Communications Director Amy Goldsmith, who met with about 200 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Oliver Wendell Holmes International Middle School in Northridge, Calif.

Results from the survey show nearly one-third of the Generation Z students snack about three times a day. This falls in line with a typical school schedule. Forty-two percent say they buy most of their snacks at grocery stores such as Kroger or Albertson's, 21 percent go to Target or Walmart, and 13 percent would choose a Whole Foods Market or other natural store.

The majority says the most important criteria for choosing a snack is the price, followed by what they’re craving.

Born starting in 1995, Generation Z is the first generation to grow up in the digital age where smartphones and social media were the norm. They are intense multitaskers and expect efficiencies in all aspects of their life, including retail purchases and food, according to Lempert.  

When Goldsmith met with the students, they told her that while snacking is part of their routine, they prefer meals. They sit down to eat lunch and dinner and look forward to family meals. 

Lempert is founder of The Lempert Report, a food trends publication, and SupermarketGuru.com, a leading online resource for food safety, products, trends and shopping tips that attracts more than nine million visitors annually. As CSNews Online previously reported, Lempert and EnsembleIQ forged an exclusive strategic alliance that allows Lempert to provide content and programming to multiple CPG retail media brands within the EnsembleIQ portfolio, including Convenience Store News and Progressive Grocer. 

Click above to watch the video.