New Year’s is the hardest season for selling chips.
The spicier chips do their business especially for young people. Adobe Stock/AOP
During the New Year, a bag of chips slips into the shopping cart, if the other one slips.
– The New Year’s celebration is the biggest season for chips, and then consumption also clearly increases. An estimated 30–40 percent more chips are bought in the New Year than on a regular weekend, says Taffel’s marketing manager Petra Väkäva.
Close cooperation with stores helps to prepare for unusually heavy sales, but even so, empty shelf spaces may occur.
– Many stores give extra space for chips around the New Year, so that everyone has enough of their favorite chips, but sometimes the most popular chips may run out, says Väkevä.
On New Year’s, chips are eaten with dips, which is revealed by the sales figures for dip powders.
– You can easily buy several dip flavors for the party. According to our estimate, the consumption of dips will almost double in the new year.
Taffel’s most popular dips are Ranch, American and Sweet chili.
The choice is made according to the mood
According to a recent chip survey conducted by Orkla, consumers do not plan their choice of chips in advance, but as many as 63 percent of the respondents say that they only choose a bag on the store shelf spontaneously based on their mood. Variation is also needed, because only a good eight percent always choose the same bag of chips.
Traditional flavors such as cheese nuggets or potato chips seasoned only with salt are especially preferred by those aged 40 and over, while those under 25 are more daring in trying new, seasoned crisps.
According to Väkeva, the willingness to experiment also affects product development when new flavors are developed.