That combination has proved appealing to consumers. In mid-2004, Kraft kicked off the trend with reformulated, waferlike versions of popular Nabisco treats, such as Oreos and Chips Ahoy cookies, in 100-calorie snack packs. They took in more than $100 million in revenue the first year, a milestone that fewer than 1 percent of new packaged-good products in the past decade have achieved, says Sheila McCusker, editor of Information Resources Inc.’s Times & Trends publication.
Since then, a growing number of food giants have been scrambling to emulate Kraft’s success–from Coke’s minicans to Frito-Lay’s Mini Bites to Hershey’s upcoming 100-calorie candy bars. In the first six months of 2006, 42 new 100-calorie products hit the market–as many as in all of last year, says Tom Vierhile, director of Datamonitor’s ProductScan. “People really prefer to eat less of what they like than more of what they don’t like,” he says. That may be good news for consumers’ waistlines and for snack companies’ bottom lines.
