PepsiCo Brand Enhances Direct-to-Consumer Shopping Experience

PepsiCo brand Frito-Lay has announced a new way for shoppers to customize their own Frito-Lay Variety Pack (FLVP) to fit the snacking needs of their household via a new feature on its direct-to-consumer website, Snacks.com.

This new offering marries the convenience of online shopping, as shopping for snacks online has grown over 100% year-over-year, with the customizable variety consumers are seeking. The latest Frito-Lay U.S. Snack Index¹ found that two out of three Americans would be more likely to purchase a variety pack of snacks if they had the ability to customize it.

"Since we launched Snacks.com earlier this year, we've seen it resonate with consumers, and our team has uncovered insights to continue giving our consumers more of what they want," said Michael Lindsey, chief transformation and strategy officer, Frito-Lay North America. "Our ability to own the end-to-end value chain enables us to deliver customized offerings like 'Make Your Own Variety Pack' to create a more personalized snacking experience."

This option is now available in 24 states located in the Eastern U.S., in addition to Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, which is the first step of a multi-phase rollout to bring this level of customization to consumers nationwide by early 2021.

Recent data from the U.S. Snack Index survey, paired with Frito-Lay e-commerce data and market trends, revealed consumers have an increased demand for convenience, including online options to purchase their favorite snacks.

Shopping online is around for the long haul: While we know shopping at retail stores will never go away, more than four in five (85%) say they plan to shop online going forward.

• The convenience of e-commerce is proven: Once consumers try an online option, approximately half enjoyed the convenience of buying snacks online.
• Variety leads the pack: With approximately 42% of adults working from home full time and millions of children attending school virtually, variety is a key purchase driver when it comes to choosing what snacks to stock up on. Frito-Lay Variety Pack has seen significant growth in 2020 with a 12% sales increase since March.
• More consumers consider ordering direct from manufacturers for holiday shopping: While just 5% of Americans reported ordering holiday groceries directly from a manufacturer in 2019, 31% said they would likely do so in 2020.

"Our fans have asked for a way to make their own Frito-Lay Variety Pack for years, and we are thrilled to be able to provide them with this option on Snacks.com," said Rachel Ferdinando, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Frito-Lay North America. "During such a time when the world needs joy now more than ever, we are continuing to listen to our consumers and find new ways to create more smiles."

Consumers can purchase more than 100 Frito-Lay products, including brands such as Lay's, Tostitos, Cheetos, Ruffles, Stacy's, and SunChips, as well as dips, crackers, nuts and more from Snacks.com. Additionally, for this holiday season, Frito-Lay launched a Holiday Shop, where fans can purchase an assortment of snack-themed gifts, product bundles and apparel.

Since its launch, Snacks.com has served as a testing ground offering new insights into what consumers are looking for in snacks. The site features updated search functionality, improved navigation and design, enabling a more intuitive and user-friendly shopping experience.

¹Survey Methodology: This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between October 16-18 among a national sample of 2,200 Adults nationally, 500 adults in Chicago, Dallas, New York City, and Miami, as well as 400 adults in San Francisco. The interviews were conducted online, and the national data were weighted to approximate a target sample of Adults based on age, educational attainment, gender, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.