Within the webinar, Zegler broke down the developments to look at 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 fulfill the rising development.
Whereas worth and worth are prime of shoppers’ minds right now, Mintel left them off the 2024 development checklist as a result of they’re much less a development to look at and extra of a priority embedded within the buying expertise now, she added.
“We all know that worth is extremely vital to shoppers proper now. And a lot in order that we felt that it wasn’t essentially a development all its personal for 2024. It truly is one thing that’s constructed into each one in all these developments, and fairly actually 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, shoppers are asking extra questions on processed meals and their well being, which is the highest development Mintel is watching, Zegler mentioned.
Solely 34% of US adults say extremely processed is the highest concern, excluding worth and style, when buying meals and drinks, in response to 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 chance 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 foods and drinks match into their diets. Processed meals is not essentially one thing we will keep away from. Virtually each single factor within the grocery retailer is processed one way or the other. You choose an apple off of a tree that may technically be thought of processing, so it isn’t essentially one thing that is all unhealthy or fully avoidable. It is actually simply giving shoppers that readability and serving to them make the selections for what suits 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 development by highlighting its protein and vegetable content material.
Moreover, corporations are tapping into the upcycled meals and beverage developments 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 may very well 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 nervous concerning the local weather change disaster, however given the magnitude of that problem, they could retreat into acquainted product classes, Zegler mentioned.
“In 2024, and greater than doubtless within the years forward, shoppers are most likely going to be overwhelmed by the worsening local weather disaster. And they are going to count on that foods and drinks corporations are sustaining their sustainability efforts. However on the subject of what they’re shopping for, this could be such an enormous downside, so overwhelming, that they might nonetheless be in search of the consolation and pleasure and pleasure. Very like we noticed them in search of merchandise in 2020 and 2021.”
Whereas shoppers are nonetheless extra motivated by style and worth, sustainability may be “a tiebreaker,” which makes these meals extra permissible from an environmental standpoint, she defined. Examples of how that is enjoying out embody Kettle Model decreasing the fabric in its packaging, and Oreo speaking on its packaging that its cocoa is sustainably sourced.
“There’s a number of completely different claims we may very well be serving to shoppers perceive, however that is actually about giving them the fee and the style, whereas additionally getting the advantages of that sustainability with out essentially having to make a unique alternative,” 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 certain 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 in search of merchandise to assist wholesome getting older, which is the third development on Mintel’s checklist, Zegler shared. Gen Xers are main this development, with 70% of them acknowledging that their physique would not work in addition to it used to, in response to a March 2023 Mintel survey of 700 US shoppers between the ages of 44-58.
Prime of these well being issues for girls is menopause, which was “a kind of taboo subjects or stigmatized subjects,” however now has been an space of product innovation, Zegler mentioned. Leao Menopause Blackberry and Orange tea is a product that’s designed to assist 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 in search of options,” Zegler mentioned. “It is the truth that folks do not wish to undergo in silence about these typical issues that occur at center age. They’re wanting to speak about it. They’re in search of 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 developments, 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 customized meal suggestions or discovering merchandise extra rapidly.
Practically half of US shoppers (48%) mentioned that AI will make it simpler to buy merchandise on-line by chatbots and AI-optimized web sites, and equally, 47% mentioned AI will present time-saving ideas for cooking and cleansing, in response to a survey of 971 US shoppers, Zegler shared.
“There may very well be pleasure for merchandise which are made with AI, however we additionally most likely will cherish when possibly mother makes a meal for us, possibly our favourite meal, or possibly we have now used AI to create the buying checklist for the dinner we will make tonight. However that actually implies that we have now the time to eat a homecooked meal and actually take pleasure in one another’s time.”
