Frito-Lay launches snacks.com, upstart PeaTos responds with BetterSnacks.com

PeaTos challenges industry giant with the launch of BetterSnacks.com

As at-home food consumption grows and consumer reliance on e-commerce remains high, recently Pepsico subsidiary Frito-Lay launched their new direct-to-consumer (D2C) website Snacks.com where consumers can shop over 100 of Frito-Lay’s snack foods which will be sent straight to their homes. With nearly 92,000 Cheetos consumed per second, Frito-Lay is looking to expand their multi-billion-dollar snack business by leveraging online growth.

However, young upstart PeaTos has another idea in mind. PeaTos, the snack food brand hungry to shake up the traditional food and beverage industry, is responding by launching BetterSnacks.com. On the heels of the Frito-Lay D2C launch, PeaTos saw a clear opportunity to launch the aptly named website in a record one weeks’ time. “Now, as the world battles an unprecedented pandemic that is keeping people at home, the fight for snack share just headed online,” says Desai. With the launch of BetterSnacks.com, we wanted to make sure consumers can get their favorite ‘junk style snacks made from Pea’ directly to their homes. We have seen massive growth online in a very short amount of time. Our PeaTos Variety Pack is one of the fastest growing snack multi-packs on the market.”

Since its launch in 2018, PeaTos came out of the gates swinging, making a name for itself with its irreverent brand of humor and the no holds barred approach to embarking on a David vs Goliath battle with Frito-Lay. Yes, that even included a cease and desist order from a certain cheetah named Chester in 2018, although that was later dropped in 2019. “Look, if you want to be the best, you have to take on the best, and there is no one that does snacking like Frito Lay, I mean I grew up on their brands,” says Desai.

Looking to disrupt the massive $20 billion salty snack market which has been dominated by industry goliath Frito-Lay for years, CEO Nick Desai saw a large opportunity in a small ingredient: the mighty pea. And Nick wasn’t alone in thinking peas are the future. In 2018, over 700 pea-based products hit the market, and according to Allied Market Research, pea protein is subject to grow to over $175 million industry by 2025. It’s also the star ingredient behind innovative heavyweights like Beyond Meat and Ripple.

Desai assembled a team of some of the brightest minds to develop a snack that tastes, crunches and satisfies like traditional corn-based junk food snacks, but with nutrient dense peas. In 2018, PeaTos launched as a “junk food” snack made from peas that put taste first while containing no artificial ingredients, double the protein and triple the fiber as its competitors. “PeaTos is delivering those feelings of comfort food nostalgia that snacks like Cheetos and Funyuns provide and that are in great demand during times like these, but without all the artificial ingredients and frankly the junk that comes with eating those snacks,” says Desai, “Honestly If customers don’t feel 100 percent satisfied, I’ll personally send them a bag of Cheetos.”

In less than two years, PeaTos has become a force in the industry and experienced massive growth in both the e-commerce space and traditional retailers like Kroger, Safeway, Albertsons, and 7-11. From 2019 to 2020, the brand experienced 50% growth making it a leader in the sector. And with the launch of their e-commerce platform in January, sales have grown exponentially and tripled within the month of April alone.

BetterSnacks.com launches today and will feature PeaTos entire product range including bestsellers like Classic and Fiery Hot Curls, Vegan Masala Curls and new products on the block like Classic Onion and Fiery Onion Rings. BetterSnacks.com will continue to expand with different assortments, exclusive collaborations, and brand partners.