According to Hunter Thurman, CEO of Alpha Diver, a consumer psychology market research firm, consumers are consistently becoming more impulsive with their snacking purchases, a trend that began in 2020 with the pandemic.
Speaking during a session at the National Confectioners Association’s 2025 Sweets & Snacks Expo, held this week in Indianapolis, Thurman noted that impulse is all about “what makes you feel good.” In times of stress and uncertainty, people are more apt to make impulsive decisions. “When we are under pressure, we don’t go home and make spreadsheets to evaluate prices.”
New and exciting products that help consumers feel like they’re breaking away from routine are enticing to impulsive shoppers, said Thurman.
Additionally, Thurman said that sweets and snacks “are one of the world’s best emotional mood self-regulators,” explaining that food and beverage is one of the simplest ways that people use to make themselves feel better. And tying into the emotional aspects of a snack can be helpful in guiding purchases. “They’re shopping with their stomachs and their emotion much more than their rational mind,” Thurman said.
For example, he pointed to better-for-you snacking, asking the audience “What’s the true benefit of better-for-you?” Low sugar and low calorie, he said, are rational benefits. “There are tons of emotional ways to convey that,” he said, highlighting candy brands that use less sugar as an example.
Thurman said consumers are also looking for what he called dynamic contrast from their snacks. Crunchy and chewy, sweet and sour, and sweet and spicy are all types of dynamic contrast that can satisfy this craving.
Lots of snacking companies are leaning into the desire for a multisensorial experience: Ferrara’s Nerds released Nerd’s Gummy Clusters Strawberry Punch, which adds a liquid filling to its popular candy. Mount Franklin Foods launched Stuffed Puff Gummy Fuzions, a marshmallow with a gummy inside and flavor or candy coating on the outside. Kellanova also announced its Rice Krispies Bliss treats, a rice marshmallow treat topped with pretzels and coated with either caramel or chocolate on the bottom.