2019 EXPO WEST COVERAGE IS SPONSORED BY

Expo West Gallery: Bar Category Continues to Grow

Despite the already wide array of choices in the set, the bar category continues to see new entrants thanks to growing sales. The products’ e-commerce friendly format, as well as brands’ ability to hyper target specific consumer needs or dietary trends, makes it appealing for companies to enter.

According to research firm IRI’s 2018 report The State of the Snack Food Industry, nutritional or “intrinsic health value bars” grew 1.8 percent, breakfast/cereal/snack bars grew .9 percent and all other snack or granola bars grew 22.6 percent. The rise of e-commerce helped bars grow 19 percent, IRI reported.

To learn more about some of the bar launches, redesigns and new flavors seen on the Expo West show floor, view the gallery below.

EPIC Rise & Grind

EPIC Rise & Grind

Last year Epic launched its line of performance bars, which utilized egg whites, and now the brand is moving onto the yolk. The Rise and Grind bars are inspired by classic breakfast dishes and use Pete and Gerry's Organic eggs.

Bearded Brothers

Bearded Brothers

Bearded Brothers has removed the caricatures of its bearded founders from the front of pack. The redesign reflects the brand’s new owners’ desire to appeal to a wider pool of shoppers.

Bright Bar

Bright Bar

This line offers consumers an HPP chilled bar that is positioned as an alternative to sugar-heavy juices and an easy way to consume fruits and vegetables. At Expo the brand highlighted revised packaging with bigger attribute callouts.

TIG

TIG

The first brand under RXBAR’s parent company, Insurgent Brands, TIG aims to capture a less performance-focused consumer then RXBAR. It also offers a crunchier texture and more savory, adventurous flavors.

R.E.D.D.

R.E.D.D.

At Expo West R.E.D.D. launched new colorful packaging designed to appeal to a wider millennial pool of consumers and position the company as a lifestyle brand. R.E.D.D. also removed the caffeine from its bars.

Dang Bar

Dang Bar

After successfully launching into the bar category with a line of ketogenic bars last year, Dang added three new flavors that speak to the company’s Asian roots.

No Cow

No Cow

No Cow (Formerly D’s) launched a line of energy bars that retain the brand’s trademark high protein levels but added caffeine. The brand believes its lack of sugar separates it from other energy bars, which it says can have up to 20 g of sugar per bar.

Organic RealBar

Organic RealBar

One argument leveraged against bars is that they often have long lists of ingredients. RealBar offers consumers a limited ingredient list with ingredients that are easy to understand.

RXBAR

RXBAR

Although RX launched multi-serve nut butters and RX Oats at Expo West, the company isn’t ignoring its flagship product, launching several new flavors at the show.

Thistle

Thistle

Meal solution provider Thistle is launching a line of bars. The gluten-free, prebiotic bars contain both functional ingredients, such as maca and reishi, as well as globally inspired ingredients, such as macha and tahini.

Woke Bar

Woke Bar

Ghee brand 4th and Heart is offering consumers a new way to enjoy the healthy fat with its ghee-enhanced Woke protein bars. The company’s goal is to eventually have a suite of products that feature ghee as an ingredient.

B.O.S.S.

B.O.S.S.

B.O.S.S. rebranded three of its superfood bars to highlight their functional benefits. The bars, which were recently reformulated as well, are expected to roll out in the second quarter of the year.

Mighty Sesame

Mighty Sesame

Tahini company Mighty Sesame had previously copacked a tahini bar, but at Expo West the Israeli company launched a tahini bar under its flagship brand.

VERB Energy

VERB Energy

Verb promises consumers as much caffeine as a shot of espresso. Although the brand has since added an ecommerce platform in addition to their original text-to-order model, the company still offers consumers the ability to reach out via text anytime.