New Primal expands Target distribution with refreshed Snack Mates packaging
New Primal took Snack Mates into Target nationwide, pairing poultry stick expansion with packaging meant to make the line easier to shop.
New Primal expanded its Snack Mates line into Target stores nationwide and paired the rollout with a packaging refresh built for a bigger, less niche audience. The company added Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Sticks and Buffalo Style Chicken Sticks to Target shelves, while Chicken & Maple and Classic Turkey Snack Mates gained wider distribution.
The packaging work is aimed at making the brand easier to read in a crowded set. New Primal added a more prominent logo, a two-tone color system and a product-viewing window, and it said it was updating packaging across its entire Snack Mates lineup. Some packs may also carry an updated Nutrition Facts panel, a detail that matters when a brand is trying to make kid-friendly and adult offerings feel like one family of products instead of a scatter of separate SKUs.
The pitch behind the expansion is backed by aggressive growth claims. New Primal says its chicken sticks have grown 585%, and it puts the meat stick category at $3 billion. Catalina data cited in packaging-industry coverage showed that more than 60% of Snack Mates purchases came from new category buyers, which points to a brand still pulling in shoppers who had not been regular meat-stick buyers before. Target already sells The New Primal Snack Mates Chicken & Maple Mini Meat Sticks online in a 2.5-ounce, five-count pack, giving the company an existing base to build from as it broadens the assortment.
That combination of wider distribution and sharper packaging is the real test here. New Primal has been pushing Snack Mates as a family snack, not just a protein snack, and Target gives it a mainstream retail stage where shelf clarity matters as much as ingredient claims. Separate 2026 coverage said the company was aiming for a $100 million sales milestone and broader retail expansion, including Aldi, which places Target inside a larger scaling plan rather than a standalone placement win. In meat snacks, growth now looks less like a product novelty race and more like a retail execution contest, where the brands that win are the ones shoppers can spot, understand and trust in a single glance.
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