Within the webinar, Zegler broke down the tendencies to observe for in 2024 into 4 distinct classes, together with Belief the Course of; Local weather Modifications, Consolation Endures; Age Reframed; and Consuming, Optimized. In every class, CPG corporations have responded to the problem with new product improvements to fulfill the rising pattern.
Whereas value and worth are high of shoppers’ minds at this time, Mintel left them off the 2024 pattern checklist as a result of they’re much less a pattern to observe and extra of a priority embedded within the buying expertise now, she added.
“We all know that worth is extremely essential to shoppers proper now. And a lot in order that we felt that it wasn’t essentially a pattern all its personal for 2024. It truly is one thing that’s constructed into each one in every of these tendencies, and fairly actually for many individuals, particularly within the US and Canada the place we’re coping with excessive charges of inflation [and] excessive food and drinks costs. That is one thing that’s an on a regular basis necessity.”
1. Belief the method means boosting processed meals transparency
As the talk round processed and ultra-processed meals continues, shoppers are asking extra questions on processed meals and their well being, which is the highest pattern Mintel is watching, Zegler mentioned.
Solely 34% of US adults say extremely processed is the highest concern, excluding value and style, when buying meals and drinks, in accordance with a July 2022 survey of two,000 US shoppers, she shared. More and more, shoppers are asking questions on processed meals, and CPG corporations have a possibility to teach shoppers on the position of processed meals and innovate round much less processed merchandise, she added.
“There is a want for clear communication to assist shoppers make knowledgeable choices about how processed and ultra-processed food and drinks match into their diets. Processed meals is not essentially one thing we are able to keep away from. Virtually each single factor within the grocery retailer is processed by some means. You choose an apple off of a tree that may technically be thought of processing, so it is not essentially one thing that is all unhealthy or fully avoidable. It is actually simply giving shoppers that readability and serving to them make the choices for what matches into their diets.”
CPG manufacturers are responding to client concern about processed meals by specializing in the well being attributes of their merchandise. Lean + Delicacies rebranded its balanced bowls to faucet into the better-for-you pattern by highlighting its protein and vegetable content material.
Moreover, corporations are tapping into the upcycled meals and beverage tendencies and releasing merchandise like Correctly Tofu Scramble, created with a byproduct from the tofu-making course of known as okara, Zegler mentioned.
“If shoppers are actually centered on pure vitamin from recognizable elements, then upcycled elements have an enormous alternative within the subsequent two to 5 years. We might be utilizing extra bruised fruit, which is one thing that Dole is doing with their Good Crunch line of fruit snacks.”
2. Local weather change turns into a serious client concern, however can consolation be the answer?
Shoppers additionally more and more are anxious concerning the local weather change disaster, however given the magnitude of that problem, they may retreat into acquainted product classes, Zegler mentioned.
“In 2024, and greater than possible within the years forward, shoppers are in all probability going to be overwhelmed by the worsening local weather disaster. And they are going to anticipate that food and drinks corporations are sustaining their sustainability efforts. However in the case of what they’re shopping for, this is perhaps such an enormous downside, so overwhelming, that they might nonetheless be searching for the consolation and pleasure and pleasure. Very similar to we noticed them searching for merchandise in 2020 and 2021.”
Whereas shoppers are nonetheless extra motivated by style and value, sustainability will be “a tiebreaker,” which makes these meals extra permissible from an environmental standpoint, she defined. Examples of how that is enjoying out embrace Kettle Model lowering the fabric in its packaging, and Oreo speaking on its packaging that its cocoa is sustainably sourced.
“There’s a number of totally different claims we might be serving to shoppers perceive, however that is actually about giving them the associated fee and the style, whereas additionally getting the advantages of that sustainability with out essentially having to make a unique selection,” Zegler mentioned. “We’re actually going to assist shoppers make these selections that give them that little little bit of reassurance at such a troublesome time about such an enormous concern that we’re not fairly positive if our particular person actions may actually have an effect.”
3. Age reframed: Client open up about their well being, together with menopause
Shoppers are searching for merchandise to help wholesome growing older, which is the third pattern on Mintel’s checklist, Zegler shared. Gen Xers are main this pattern, with 70% of them acknowledging that their physique would not work in addition to it used to, in accordance with a March 2023 Mintel survey of 700 US shoppers between the ages of 44-58.
Prime of these well being considerations for girls is menopause, which was “a kind of taboo matters or stigmatized matters,” however now has been an space of product innovation, Zegler mentioned. Leao Menopause Blackberry and Orange tea is a product that’s designed to help ladies with menopause.
[Editor’s note: If you are interested in learning more about the market potential of products targeting menopause and women’s health, watch on demand FoodNavigator-USA’s Futureproofing the Food System’s panel discussion, ‘Innovating for Women’s Health: An unmet need with opportunities across categories and life stages.’ Registration is free and easy.]
“Proper now, menopause is having a second. [There are] much more ladies who’re speaking brazenly about their experiences, and so they’re searching for options,” Zegler mentioned. “It is the truth that folks do not wish to endure in silence about these typical issues that occur at center age. They’re wanting to speak about it. They’re searching for options, and so they simply do not actually wish to be quiet about it anymore.”
4. Consuming optimized with the assistance of AI
Final on the checklist of tendencies, Mintel centered on AI and the way it’s getting used to create new merchandise, like within the case of Coca-Cola’s Y300 product, and the way it may be used to save lots of time by means of personalised meal suggestions or discovering merchandise extra shortly.
Almost half of US shoppers (48%) mentioned that AI will make it simpler to buy merchandise on-line by means of chatbots and AI-optimized web sites, and equally, 47% mentioned AI will present time-saving ideas for cooking and cleansing, in accordance with a survey of 971 US shoppers, Zegler shared.
“There might be pleasure for merchandise which are made with AI, however we additionally in all probability will cherish when perhaps mother makes a meal for us, perhaps our favourite meal, or perhaps we’ve used AI to create the buying checklist for the dinner we will make tonight. However that basically implies that we’ve the time to eat a homecooked meal and actually get pleasure from one another’s time.”
