With another year coming to an end, Nourish has released the 2019 Nourish Trend Report, their third annual look ahead at what’s in store for the food industry.
While 2018’s report was about “Disruption,” the theme this year is “Shifts” — shifts in consumer attitudes, what consumers are buying and why, and who is buying, how.
The shifts explore everything from technology, specific apps, purpose-driven brands, and tackling food waste, to new trade deals, expanding holistic views on health & wellness, data-driven precision agriculture, and more.
Why analyze trends? Well, for one reason, they point to insight that can help propel businesses forward. In fact, each section in the report ends with “Things to Consider” for manufacturers, retailers, and food service providers.
Among other points, the report highlights how convenience is driving food-purchase decisions, with consumers connected to technology more than ever. (e.g. is your website mobile-friendly?)
“Expect to see more blending of restaurant, take-out, meal-kit, and scratch cooking as convenience continues to be the consumer’s number one need,” the report states.
On another page, “Gen Zers expect customization because that’s how their music and their coffee orders have always been.”
Of course, types of food are also of focus. For instance, gut-healthy products are on the rise, with a growing awareness among consumers of the importance of the microbiome.
“The mainstreaming of probiotics; fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kombucha; as well as sprouted and high fibre ingredients show the rising interest in digestion and gut health. Sales of digestive food products in the U.S. were up 12.4% in 2017 over 2016 and are predicted to have double-digit growth again in 2018,” the report shares.
For much more, be sure to check out the report online here.
The trends are detailed in the following sections in the report:
- Shift From Mindful to Virtuous Consumption
- Shift From the Rise of Plant-based Products to the Rise of the Conscious Carnivore and Ethical Protein
- Shift From Diets to Selective Eating
- Food & Mood – Shift from Physical to Emotional Well-being
- Shift From Heart Health to Gut Health – The Rise of the Human Microbiome
- Shift to Blended Meals and Blended Shopping
- Shift from Millennials to Generation Z
- Shift from Truth to Trust
- Shifts in Canada’s International Agri-food Industry
- Shift to Precision Agriculture
- Shift in Public Trust of Canadian Agriculture
Nourish is a Canadian field-to-fork marketing agency, working solely with clients in the food and beverage sector.