Most Popular Super Bowl Snacks: What’s Trending on Amazon?

Super Bowl LVI is just a few weeks away with kickoff set for Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. And just like last year,/ you can expect at-home viewership to be at an all-time high.

Like the majority of our shopping habits, consumers will be browsing for the perfect Super Bowl snacks online.

To help you determine the winning food item for your Super Bowl party this year, we used Shopper Intelligence to analyze Amazon’s top trending snacks of 2021, honing in on football season (September – December 2021).

Ready to plan a game day menu to compete with other top snack brands? Get a summary of all the stats you need in the infographic below, or keep reading for a more in-depth analysis of the most popular super bowl snacks and what’s fueling their popularity.

Consumer behavior: What keywords are trending in Amazon’s snack category?

The results are in! Chips, beef jerky, and popcorn are the most searched snack food items on Amazon. Let’s look at the top-performing products and brands to determine the most popular Super Bowl snacks and dig into the strategies. With these insider tips, you can set up your brand to crush growth this game day and can munch happily as the final game of the NFL season unfolds.

#1. Snackers take a big bite out of the potato chips category

For big-game snacking, chips were the go-to choice for shoppers. This popular super bowl snack won the number one keyword on Amazon’s snack foods category with 1.6 million clicks in 2021. In September at the start of the football season, its conversion rate (CVR) exceeded 60% for the first time – a touchdown for Super Bowl snacking.

What are the top chip brands on Amazon?

Shopper behavior indicates that Frito-Lay, owned by PepsiCo, is the number one chips brand with a growing fanbase. Between September – December 2021 the brand scored 1.8 million units sold, $29.4 million in revenue, and 2 million product views on Amazon. Pringles and Doritos are our runner-ups for the most popular super bowl snack in Amazon’s Chips & Crisps category.

Although Pringles sold more units than Doritos during the NFL season (1.29 million vs. 1.08 million), it generated less revenue ($11.7 million vs. $13.8 million), which could be attributed to the small size and lower price points of its most popular products:

• Frito-Lay’s number one seller, Frito-Lay Variety Pack, Party Mix (40-count), priced at $19.20
• Pringles’ number one seller, Pringles Potato Crisps Chips Variety Pack (27 cups, 19.5oz), is priced at $10.80
• Doritos number one seller Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips (40-count), is priced at $18.20

Cross-shopping habits reveal that consumers are more likely to browse Frito-Lay snacks in addition to other competitors. 19.3% of Pringles and 16.7% of Dorito viewers also viewed Frito-Lay’s product page – the highest in the competitive set.

Bottom line: To increase revenue, consider offering products in larger sizes and quantities to keep both price and value to the consumer high.

#2. Jack Links is chewing away its beef jerky competitors

Beef jerky is in a close second for the most popular Super Bowl snack this year with 1.5 million clicks on Amazon in 2021.

Consumers can’t get enough of Jack Links, the reigning brand in this category. With over 2 million more product views than its closest competitors and a 64% conversion, in this year’s Snack Bowl, there is little room for others to gain the audience that Jack Links commands.

Jerky subscribers

Compared to the other beef jerky brands, Jack Link buyers are more likely to shop the “Subscribe and Save” option on Amazon. In the last year, 20% of consumers chose to subscribe for constant deliveries rather than a one-off purchase of their favorite beef jerky, suggesting higher customer loyalty.

Bottom line: Subscribe and Save options can give your brand a big advantage if you optimize your strategy. Learn more in our blog covering Subscribe and Save.

#3. Popcorn sales are popping

Popcorn rounded out the top three Amazon trending snack food keyword searches in 2021. The category has seen impressive growth in units sold and revenue on Amazon since the summer, highlighting growing consumer demand for this salty snack.

Orville Redenbacher, SkinnyPop, and Smartfood are the top three Amazon popcorn brands with a grand total of 1.3 million units sold, $16.5 million in revenue, and 2.5 million product views during the 2021 football season.

Each earned $5.5 million in revenue and achieved similar units sold between September – December 2021; however, Orville Redenbacher had twice as many product views as its competitors.

Take a look at some of the top popcorn snacks this year:

• Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn Kernels, Original Yellow, 8 Lb
• Smartfood Popcorn Variety Pack, 0.5 Ounce (Pack of 40)
• SkinnyPop Orignal Popcorn, 4.4oz Grocery Size Bags
• Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Popcorn Tub, 3.9 Ounce

What else are popcorn eaters buying?

Have a guest coming over who likes popcorn? Our basket analysis data shows that they are more likely to choose healthier options over another type of snack food.

44% of SkinnyPop consumers also make a fruit or vegetable transaction from Amazon’s produce category – this is much less for the other snack products. Some of the other favorite brands from popcorn fanatics include Chobani, Organic Valley, and Annie’s Homegrown.

Bottom line: If you’re targeting popcorn shoppers, keep in mind that this group is more likely than others to stock up on fruits, veggies, and other organic bites, and adjust your messaging accordingly.

Prepping your Amazon strategy for Super Bowl Sunday

Check out Similarweb Shopper Intelligence for other popular Super Bowl snack and beverage strategies, along with actionable business insights on Amazon purchases and consumer behavior to help you outplay the competition. Click here to try it yourself for free. 

Cheers to a happy and delicious game day!