Rising Prices and Shrinking Bags: Can Potato Snack Brands Retain Customer Trust Amid Tariff and Cost Pressures?

The U.S. snack food market remains under pricing pressure as economic uncertainty continues to weigh on global supply chains. While the United States and China recently agreed to a 90-day pause on most retaliatory tariffs – offering a temporary, if fragile, de-escalation in the ongoing trade dispute – broader volatility in trade policy persists. And while tariff discussions often focus on high-ticket electronics or industrial goods, everyday snack foods, particularly potato-based products, are no less exposed. In a globally connected food economy, even temporary shifts in trade agreements can quickly ripple through to grocery shelves.

For potato snack manufacturers and suppliers, the bigger challenge isn’t rising costs themselves, but how consumers perceive those changes. In a category where even small price increases, product size adjustments, or subtle quality shifts are instantly noticeable, price-to-value perception becomes a crucial risk factor. If shoppers start to question whether their favorite chips, pretzels, or snack mixes are worth the price, brand loyalty can unravel fast – and winning it back is rarely easy.

That’s why it’s essential for potato-based snack brands to closely monitor how customers perceive value, watch for early warning signs of shifting sentiment, and take practical steps to soften the blow before those perceptions harden into lasting brand damage.

How consumer price perception drives potato snack aisle decisions

In the snack aisle, decisions happen in seconds. Most shoppers grab their go-to brand without much thought – unless something seems different. Maybe the price has crept up, the bag looks smaller, or another brand’s promotion catches their eye. These seemingly minor moments are where price-to-value perception plays out, and in a highly competitive, impulse-driven category like potato snacks, even subtle changes can make shoppers pause and question their choice.

Recent consumer sentiment data bears this out. In a sample of more than 263,000 feedback records for 1,305 food snacking products – including chips, pretzels, and snack mixes – mentions of price and value concerns increased by 11.3 percent in April 2025 compared to the same period last year. This was the highest rate of increase among the three categories analyzed, outpacing both personal care and consumer electronics. The numbers reflect a lingering sensitivity to food prices in the wake of the 2022 inflationary period, now compounded by tariff-driven cost pressures on ingredients, packaging, and transportation.

What makes this particularly relevant for potato snack producers is the structure of their supply chains. A quarter of all U.S. potatoes and potato products come from Canada, with Mexico both supplying snack ingredients and serving as a key export market. New tariffs, particularly those targeting U.S.-Mexico trade, could raise ingredient costs and disrupt product availability. Shoppers might not track every trade headline, but they’ll quickly notice if their favorite chips get smaller, pricier, or harder to find.

In this kind of environment, how shoppers feel about the value they’re getting becomes a make-or-break factor for loyalty. If customers start questioning whether their favorite snacks are worth it, they’re more likely to switch to other brands, cheaper store labels, or cut back on snack purchases entirely. To avoid this, brands need to track price-to-value perception data closely and be prepared to act when sentiment begins to shift.

Spotting trouble early

In most categories, pricing missteps show up gradually in sales figures or quarterly reports. But in the snack aisle where purchases are impulsive and repeat buying is routine, consumer sentiment shifts faster than traditional metrics can track. By the time a dip in sales surfaces, the underlying perception problem may already be widespread.

As such, brands need to move beyond lagging indicators and focus on live, qualitative signals. Consumer conversations – in product reviews, social posts, and direct customer feedback – are often the first places pricing frustration shows up. A single comment about a smaller bag or higher price might not mean much in isolation, but patterns tend to form quickly in high-frequency categories like potato snacks. 

The important thing isn’t the volume of complaints but the context. Are shoppers complaining about price relative to pack size, quality, or promotions? Are certain retailers or regions seeing more criticism? Are loyal, long-time customers beginning to express doubts about value? These are the nuances that matter most because they point to how perception is shifting before sales data can confirm it.

Increasingly, brands are turning to AI-powered sentiment analysis tools to help make sense of this kind of unstructured consumer feedback at scale. Other useful tools include social listening platforms, review aggregators, and direct customer service logs. The key lies in consolidating these signals and spotting consistent patterns early. Brands that can connect these qualitative insights to broader market conditions will be better equipped to respond before perception problems surface in sales reports.

How snack brands can respond

Having data is one thing, putting it to use is another. Once brands spot where price-to-value concerns are surfacing and why, swift, tangible actions should be taken. That could mean adjusting promotional strategies in affected regions, offering limited-time value packs, or working with retailers to manage shelf pricing and placement. Clear, proactive communication is also key – whether it’s updating in-store signage, addressing pricing changes on social channels, or refining product descriptions online.

At the same time, brands should use consumer feedback trends to shape marketing messages that reinforce what makes their snacks worth choosing. Highlight product quality, niche flavors, or brand heritage in ways that feel relevant to current shopper concerns. And because sentiment moves fast in this category, it’s essential to track the effect of these moves continuously, ensuring early interventions are making a visible difference before loyalty and sales slip any further.

Final thoughts

With pricing pressures mounting, potato snack brands will face increasing challenges in protecting consumer loyalty in a category where small changes rarely go unnoticed. While cost increases and supply chain disruptions may be out of a brand’s control, how consumers perceive those shifts – and how quickly brands respond – will define market winners and losers in the months ahead.

The brands best positioned to succeed will be those that regularly monitor consumer sentiment, identify emerging perception risks early, and take clear, meaningful action before sales data confirms there’s a problem.

About the Author

Sogyel Lhungay, Vice President of Insights at Yogi

Sogyel Lhungay leads the Insights team at Yogi, partnering with market leaders across Health & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Software, and Consumer Electronics. A subject matter expert in consumer feedback analysis, brand strategy, and data science, he founded the Insights function at Yogi to deliver high-impact consulting and business intelligence solutions to enterprise clients.

Prior to Yogi, Sogyel worked in M&A advisory focused on the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a BA in Economics from New York University.