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 Adjustments, Consolation Endures; Age Reframed; and Consuming, Optimized. In every class, CPG corporations have responded to the problem with new product improvements to satisfy the rising pattern.
Whereas value and worth are high of customers’ minds as we speak, Mintel left them off the 2024 pattern record 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 customers 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 among these tendencies, and fairly truthfully for many individuals, particularly within the US and Canada the place we’re coping with excessive charges of inflation [and] excessive foods 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, customers are asking extra questions on processed meals and their well being, which is the highest pattern Mintel is watching, Zegler stated.
Solely 34% of US adults say extremely processed is the highest concern, excluding value and style, when buying meals and drinks, in keeping with a July 2022 survey of two,000 US customers, she shared. More and more, customers are asking questions on processed meals, and CPG corporations have a chance to coach customers on the function of processed meals and innovate round much less processed merchandise, she added.
“There is a want for clear communication to assist customers make knowledgeable choices about how processed and ultra-processed foods and drinks match into their diets. Processed meals is not essentially one thing we will keep away from. Nearly each single factor within the grocery retailer is processed in some way. You decide an apple off of a tree that may technically be thought-about processing, so it isn’t essentially one thing that is all unhealthy or completely avoidable. It is actually simply giving customers 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 referred to as okara, Zegler stated.
“If customers are actually targeted on pure diet from recognizable components, then upcycled components 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 apprehensive concerning the local weather change disaster, however given the magnitude of that problem, they may retreat into acquainted product classes, Zegler stated.
“In 2024, and greater than possible within the years forward, customers are most likely going to be overwhelmed by the worsening local weather disaster. And they will count on that foods and drinks corporations are sustaining their sustainability efforts. However with regards to what they’re shopping for, this is perhaps such a giant downside, so overwhelming, that they might nonetheless be on the lookout for the consolation and pleasure and pleasure. Very similar to we noticed them on the lookout for merchandise in 2020 and 2021.”
Whereas customers are nonetheless extra motivated by style and value, sustainability could be “a tiebreaker,” which makes these meals extra permissible from an environmental standpoint, she defined. Examples of how that is taking part in out embody Kettle Model decreasing the fabric in its packaging, and Oreo speaking on its packaging that its cocoa is sustainably sourced.
“There’s numerous completely different claims we might be serving to customers perceive, however that is actually about giving them the price and the style, whereas additionally getting the advantages of that sustainability with out essentially having to make a distinct alternative,” Zegler stated. “We’re actually going to assist customers make these decisions that give them that little little bit of reassurance at such a troublesome time about such a giant challenge that we’re not fairly positive if our particular person actions would possibly actually have an effect.”
3. Age reframed: Client open up about their well being, together with menopause
Shoppers are on the lookout for merchandise to help wholesome growing old, which is the third pattern on Mintel’s record, Zegler shared. Gen Xers are main this pattern, with 70% of them acknowledging that their physique does not work in addition to it used to, in keeping with a March 2023 Mintel survey of 700 US customers between the ages of 44-58.
High of these well being issues for girls is menopause, which was “a type of taboo subjects or stigmatized subjects,” however now has been an space of product innovation, Zegler stated. 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 on the lookout for options,” Zegler stated. “It is the truth that folks do not need to endure in silence about these typical issues that occur at center age. They’re wanting to speak about it. They’re on the lookout for options, and so they simply do not actually need to be quiet about it anymore.”
4. Consuming optimized with the assistance of AI
Final on the record of tendencies, Mintel targeted 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 avoid wasting time by means of customized meal suggestions or discovering merchandise extra shortly.
Almost half of US customers (48%) stated that AI will make it simpler to buy merchandise on-line by means of chatbots and AI-optimized web sites, and equally, 47% stated AI will present time-saving ideas for cooking and cleansing, in keeping with a survey of 971 US customers, Zegler shared.
“There might be pleasure for merchandise which might be made with AI, however we additionally most likely will cherish when perhaps mother makes a meal for us, perhaps our favourite meal, or perhaps now we have used AI to create the buying record for the dinner we’ll make tonight. However that basically signifies that now we have the time to eat a homecooked meal and actually take pleasure in one another’s time.”
