ONE Brands Puffs Up Product Portfolio With Debut of Salty Snacks
Although ONE Brands may be known for its low-sugar, high-protein bars, the company is seeking to expand to new occasions with the launch of its newest innovation, ONE Puffs. The product release marks the company’s first foray into the salty snack space.
Available in two flavors – Shreddin’ Cheddar and Spicy Nacho – the puffs pack 14 grams of protein and have just 3 and 4 grams of net carbs per serving, respectively. The salty snacks are available at Walmart and on Walmart.com for $2.49 per 1.05 oz. bag and $30.99 per case of 10.
“When comparing the generally sweet protein bars that make up the core of the category, salty snacking occasions often fill entirely different roles for the consumer during their day, making them highly incremental to the brand and category,” director of marketing Michael Reese told NOSH in an email.
ONE Brands was acquired by Hershey in 2019 for nearly $400 million as part of the company’s shift from confectionery to a broader snacking platform, which has been its primary focus for the past seven years.
The confectionery and snacking giant currently owns over 50 brands including leading snack businesses SkinnyPop, Pirate’s Booty and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels.
In Q2 2023, Hershey’s North America Salty Snacks segment raked in $272.4 million in net sales, an increase of 6.3% versus the same period last year driven by price realization.
With the addition of ONE Puffs, the ONE Bar brand is seeking to further accelerate Hershey’s growth in the salty snacks segment.
“ONE Puffs expands the relevance of ONE Brands to snacking occasions that our existing bars just don’t fit, meaning that now ONE Brands fits a protein shoppers’ needs across the day,” Reese said.
Competitors in the protein puff arena include Iwon, G Fuel and a plethora of nacho-flavored Cheetos alternatives. Gamer-centric energy drink brand G Fuel joined the space earlier this month with its first food product, G Fuel Protein Puffs. Available in a single White Cheddar flavor, the puffs pack 17 grams of protein and have 3 grams of carbohydrates per 1 oz. bag.
According to market researcher Future Market Insights, the global protein snacks market was valued at $4.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to cross $10 billion by 2032, driven by increasing health awareness among everyday consumers in addition to fitness and gym enthusiasts.
