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Frito-Lay Inc. has a very profitable dip product line. This is not only a great deal now, but also has shown tremendous sales growth over the past few years. In 1981 their sales reached 30 million dollars, with the sales figures almost tripling by 1985, reaching 87 million dollars. However, this success brings the corporation into a very unique situation as well as bringing up a very good question of “how to develop this further?� Their options boil down to two different viewpoints. The first is the “chip dip� category or secondly, the newer and edgier “vegetable dip� category. The company in 1986 has also introduced sour cream-based French onion dip, which has an annual sales forecast of 10 million dollars and it is a bridge between the chip and the vegetable dip markets.

Nationally, 80 percent ($620 million) of the total dip sales, which is about 775 million dollars, are accounted for in supermarket sales. About 55% of the total sales by supermarkets require refrigeration, and their retail prices were typically in the $0.07 to $0.15/oz. range. In this market the major competitors are Kraft, Borden, regional dairies and store brands. The other 45% of the sales by supermarkets is considered to be shelf stable goods and these are typically sold for an average price of $0.09 to $0.20/oz. The major producers of these products are Frito-Lay and also some regional chip manufacturers.

Sour cream-based dips are the most popular flavor, and it accounts for about half of all total dip sales in the US. But the wholesale price of these products is only $0.09/oz. The second most popular segment of the market, the cheese-based dips, are taking up about 25 percent of the total market. While cream cheese-based dips are the third most popular and they take up about 15 percent of the total sales. Dips are most frequently used with salty snacks, in fact, 67 percent of all dip sales are linked to salty snack usage. On the...