Mars Snacking is rolling out resealable canisters for Cheez-It and Club crackers at a suggested retail price of $2.69, marking the first time either brand has appeared in the portable canister format. The launch covers three SKUs and is available at select retailers nationwide as of September 2026.
The SKUs
The debut canister lineup includes Cheez-It Original crackers, Cheez-It Grooves Minis Sharp White Cheddar, and Club Minis Original crackers. The Grooves Minis Sharp White Cheddar is described as a new mini-format extension of the existing Grooves line, adding a smaller-portion, on-the-go option to a sub-brand previously sold only in standard bag formats. All three products feature a resealable lid designed to preserve crunch between servings.
Packaging as a Growth Lever
The move reflects a broader snack-industry push to capture incremental volume through format innovation rather than new flavors alone. Canister packaging — long dominant in the potato chip and nuts segments — commands higher shelf presence and can support premium price positioning relative to equivalent-weight flexible bags. At $2.69, the new canisters are designed to compete in the impulse and single-serve snacking occasion, a channel that food and beverage operators have flagged as a key growth driver as consumers increasingly snack outside traditional mealtimes.
Mars, Incorporated, the parent company, reported combined net sales of more than $65 billion following its integration of Kellanova — the former owner of Cheez-It and Club — and now operates the cracker brands under its Mars Snacking division. The Kellanova acquisition, completed in 2024, gave Mars a significant presence in the salty snacks aisle alongside its legacy confectionery portfolio, which includes M&M's, Snickers, and Pringles.
Market Context
The salty snack category remains one of the more resilient segments of the packaged food landscape, with crackers in particular benefiting from at-home and on-the-go consumption crossover. Portable, resealable formats have gained traction with retailers looking to drive basket size in convenience and club channels, where canister geometry translates into efficient shelf stacking and stronger secondary placement opportunities. Competitors including Mondelēz International have similarly invested in portion-controlled and portable packaging across their cracker portfolios.
"Easy, on-the-go snacking is a top need for our fans," said Nicole Sorensen, Vice President of Marketing, Crackers at Mars Snacking. "By bringing these popular Cheez-It and Club crackers to this grab-and-go format, we're giving people a simple way to enjoy their favorites anywhere, anytime."
The launch aligns with trends tracked by Food & Beverage Magazine around consumer demand for portable, mess-free snack formats. For retailers, the $2.69 price point positions the canisters as an accessible impulse purchase while potentially supporting margin improvement over promotional bag SKUs. Broader distribution details beyond "select retailers" were not disclosed. Additional SKUs or retail expansions have not been announced. For operators and retailers seeking to assess shelf space decisions, the initial rollout period will be a key signal of consumer trial rates for the new format. Coverage of adjacent snack packaging trends can be found in our consumer-trends section.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
