Tap Into the Right Opportunities to Reach SNAP and WIC Shoppers
In April, there were 42 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants in the U.S., accounting for 13% of the total population. This was an increase of 16% from March. So far this year, the USDA has increased overall SNAP benefits by 40%, which adds $2 billion monthly to the program, in addition to its usual $4.5 billion monthly spend. SNAP participation generally follows unemployment trends, so as COVID-19 led to mass unemployment, the numbers of SNAP recipients increased and continues to rise along with unemployment. SNAP households purchase $55 billion, or 10%, of total food and beverage (not including produce, bakery and deli) sales annually, making them an important population to CPG retail.
WIC program participants are smaller in total, around 6.9 million, and this program provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. Due to COVID-19, WIC has also received $500 million in additional funding to cover increases in program participation.
These two supplemental nutrition groups are not only important, but they can also drive local economies if embraced. For example, a 10% jump in SNAP recipients equates to an annual increase of $16.7 billion in SNAP dollar spend. Gaining an understanding of both SNAP and WIC participants will present opportunities for brands and retailers as they look to attract and retain buyers through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Join IRI for this webinar to find out:
- Who the SNAP and WIC consumers are today, how and where they shop, and what they are buying
- How private label and national brands are currently performing with SNAP shoppers
- How the SNAP online pilot is impacting e-commerce, including categories purchased online
- What brands and retailers can do to attract and retain shoppers who use SNAP and WIC
- The similar and different opportunities for both SNAP and WIC shoppers
Speaker:
Sally Lyons Wyatt, Executive Vice President and Practice Leader, IRI
Note: Slide 25 refers to brands, not items.