Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S.

Many of the more than 43 million kids have become quite food savvy as a result of watching TV cooking shows with their foodie parents and being exposed to new foods while traveling and eating out. This has created both opportunities and challenges for developers and marketers, as kids have become more willing to explore new foods, but at the same time more discriminating when it comes to food selection. Marketers’ greatest concern used to was the gatekeeper, who ultimately made the decision to purchase a product. But today, the little foodies of the world expect more from what they are being served … more in terms of presentation, taste, and quality.

Fact is, the kids’ food market is a broad and complex one, spanning numerous categories and product segments. In Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S., Packaged Facts qualifies a food as being a kids’ food when it has a taste kids love; nutrition kids need; or entertainment kids crave. Ideally the product possesses all three of these characteristics. This is accomplished through formulation, packaging, and marketing.

There are a number of reasons why food marketers are developing products specifically for the 2- to 12-year-old age group. For starters, this demographic represents about one-seventh of the population. It is also the most influential demographic for marketers. Life-long dietary habits are established during this 10-year age span, and brand loyalty begins. These factors and more are influencing the $10 billion market for children’s food and beverages.

Scope of Report

This report focuses on retail-packaged food and beverage products, or simply foods, targeted to children in the 2- to 12-year-old age group. Packaged Facts divides the kids market into three segments:

• 2- to 5-year-olds, or preschoolers;
• 6- to 9-year-olds, or younger kids; and
• 10- to 12-year-olds, or tweens.

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Executive Summary

Introduction

Scope of Report

Report Methodology

What Makes a Food a Kids’ Food?

Retail Channels Covered

Why Target Kids?

The Regulatory Environment

The Market

A Conservative Assessment: 2010 Sales Hit $10 Billion

Table 1-1: Total U.S. Sales of Kids’ Foods and Beverages, 2005-2015 (in millions of dollars)

Kids’ Market Broken Down Into 7 Categories, Plus “Other”

Figure 1-1: U.S. Kids’ Foods and Beverages, Dollar Sales and Percent Share by Category, 2010

Traditional vs. Better-for-You Shares

The Marketers

General Mills Is a Market Powerhouse

Campbell Soup Shakes the Salt

ConAgra Encourages Kids to Play with Their Food

Nestlé Focuses on Nutrition

Sara Lee Gets to the Meat of the Matter

Fresh & Easy Is a Committed “Green” Grocer

Stonyfie

Tweet

Related research categories

By sector: Children's (in Soft drinks), General drinks

By market: United States (in North America)