The New SKUs
Jack Link's, the Minong, Wis.-based meat snack brand owned by Link Snacks, Inc., is rolling out two new multipack formats this fall: a Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Stick Multipack in a 10-count configuration and LiL' Links Mini Stick Multipacks in 3-count and 6-count sizes. Both lines are positioned to undercut competing better-for-you meat stick brands on price while matching them on protein density.
The Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Sticks come in Original, Teriyaki and Jalapeño. Each 0.92-ounce stick delivers 8 grams of protein — the same protein-to-ounce ratio the brand claims competitors offer — at a retail price the company says runs roughly 20% lower than many well-known rivals, citing NielsenIQ total U.S. XAOC data through September 12, 2026. For c-store operators, that price gap matters: the better-for-you meat stick set has grown crowded with premium-priced SKUs that can suppress trial among price-sensitive forecourt shoppers.
LiL' Links and the Channel Opportunity
LiL' Links Mini Stick Multipacks arrive in Grass-Fed Beef and Antibiotic-Free Turkey varieties, each stick delivering 5 to 6 grams of protein with zero sugar, no added MSG, and no nitrates or nitrites. The smaller-count 3-pack and 6-pack formats are engineered for grab-and-go placement — exactly the impulse zone c-store operators rely on near the register or in the cooler vestibule.
The lunchbox and road-trip positioning is deliberate. Convenience stores capture a disproportionate share of family snacking purchases during travel, and a clean-label mini stick multipack at an accessible price point has legitimate peg placement alongside existing roller-grill adjacencies and dispensed-beverage combos. Lori David, VP of Integrated Marketing at Link Snacks, framed the launch around a value argument: "Too many brands have convinced people that 'premium' means paying more. With our new Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Stick Multipacks, families get 100% grass-fed and finished beef, high-quality ingredients and real protein at a price that's roughly 20% lower than many well-known competitors."
Protein Demand Drives the Timing
The launch lands against a measurable tailwind in the protein snacking category. Link Snacks' own Protein Paradox consumer survey, conducted via Talker Research, found that 61% of respondents would choose meat as their sole protein source if forced to pick one, and 58% said they trust meat snacks more than protein shakes or protein bars for health benefits. That consumer orientation has been reshaping the snack and packaged-food sets at convenience stores, pushing operators to allocate more linear feet to high-protein grab-and-go SKUs.
For single-store operators and regional chains alike, the practical question is whether a 10-count grass-fed beef stick multipack — historically a club or grocery format — can turn at c-store velocity. Jack Link's is betting the accessible price point breaks that barrier. The brand's scale across 11 countries gives it procurement leverage that smaller better-for-you meat stick startups cannot easily match, which is what makes the 20% price claim credible rather than promotional noise.
Operators evaluating shelf placement should weigh the multipack formats against their existing meat snack planogram strategies — particularly whether a 10-count stick pack generates enough basket ring to justify the peg space versus single-serve or 2-count options that typically drive higher turns per facing in a convenience environment.
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.
