January 13, 2015
Bold predictions for grocery products in 2015
Through a special arrangement, presented here for discussion is a summary of a current article from the monthly e-zine, CPGmatters.
Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, working closely with ConAgra Foods, predicted the most significant changes in 2015 in the food world will stem from a desire for bold-flavored foods that also offer health benefits.
"The top food trends for 2015 indicate people’s palates are continuing to evolve and they are gravitating toward streamlined grocery shopping experiences that are convenient for their lifestyles," said Mr. Lempert. "In 2015, look for brands and merchants to advance their product offerings and shopping amenities to meet these demands."
Mr. Lempert’s top food trends for 2015 include:
- Grazing Golden-Agers: While snacking is on the rise among all ages and genders, new studies show that snacking among consumers over the age of 65 could contribute to additional years with a higher quality of life. When boomers snack, they’ll focus on foods rich in nutrients like protein, fiber and Omega3s that can help promote bone health.
- Same-Day Delivery Not Just for City Clickers: Peapod, Fresh Direct, Amazon Fresh and Instacart make it possible to have perishables like Healthy Choice Café Steamers delivered to your door in less than two hours. More brands will bundle multiple SKUs to create meal kits or offer pre-packaged sets of multiple products.
- Everything Smoked: With smokers gaining in popularity in backyards across America, at-home cooks are also experimenting with smoking non-traditional foods.
- The Rise of Fermented Foods: Increased knowledge about the impact foods have on our digestive health will lead to significant changes in the way consumers prepare food in 2015.
- Gen Z Chefs Everyday: Exposed at a young age to more flavors and variety than previous generations, Gen Z’s collective attitude toward food is simplicity and health.
- Craft Foods Make Their Way into Kitchens Everywhere: Look for the craft beer trend to extend to other beverages and food, as Millennials in particular continue to seek unique tastes and foods with authentic origin stories.
- Nutrition Labels – No Longer Just on Packaged Foods: As consumers want more information about their foods, innovative devices like Prep Pad will soon offer nutritional information instantaneously.
- Supermarkets Convert into Socializing Spaces: Expect supermarkets to further specialize in order to present their customers with a unique experience that showcases their personality and philosophy toward foods – instead of presenting themselves solely as vendors of goods.
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Discussion Questions
Which of the food trends mentioned in the article will likely have the biggest impact on grocery retailing? Are there any you would add to the list?
Poll
Labeling and delivery will have the greatest impact on traditional grocers as consumers look for more information about what they are eating and greater convenience/time savings.
Smaller households will negatively impact club stores. As Boomers age and their children leave home the need for gigantic packages of toilet paper and large packages of meat and produce will shift their spending from club stores to other food outlets.
Great article with many strong insights.
The craft trend may have a lot of legs, particularly among Millennials. When everything they do is posted online, finding new or unique products gives one bonus points. If true, retailers are going to need to make space for more unique products: Spices and condiments are two sections of the store that come to mind. This may mean optimizing mainstay categories or segments to make room for the new stuff.
The accelerating evolution of food shopping as a social experience tops the list for me. Many of the other trends hit on familiar themes, mainly convenience, health and wellness and bold flavors—but all this comes together when consumers decide how to get their food for the day. To attract shoppers to a physical outlet will require more than price and selection. It will require an experience.
Sidebar: As one who has been running smokers of some description for over 30 years, it pains me to not choose “Everything Smoked” as the top trend, but I actually feel like passing popular interest in smoking is on the wane. It’s just us old pit masters at the cookoffs again. Guess that TV contract isn’t in my future after all …
Phil always does a good job of capturing consumer trends. I think the key trend will be streamlining the food/meals shopping process. Retailers as well as manufacturers need to move from the talk to action stage on this process. To be successful, food manufacturers, food retailers and foodservice providers need to work more collaboratively.
While I agree with the trends relative to Baby Boomers and Generation Z, the jury is still out on the ability of the key food marketers noted above to successfully market to Millennials. This population, 75 million strong, with the oldest almost 35, will continue to shape the food distribution system for decades to come.
Socializing spaces for sure. Supermarkets are becoming a place to have a beer and watch a ball game. Craft beer being brewed right inside the store. There is always going to be room for the boring low-price store. But the middle-of-the-road, sterile, publicly-held or private equity chain store will continue to consolidate and disappear. Just as bars and restaurants have moved into movie theaters, there will also be more of them opening in supermarkets.
I’d humbly add one more food trend to a list compiled by one of the smartest people in the industry: Learning to Cook, or something like that. Younger generations appear to be curious about how things work in the kitchen and retailers who offer classes are leading and feeding the trend.
Not interested in the investment of the actual classes? Why not affiliate with a local partner doing this? Mariano’s has done this in Chicago with Sur La Table by supplying the food for their classes, with appropriate signage all around. At a recent Saturday night class, I saw several young couples very serious about learning how to prepare a great dinner. It was date night, too!
I think Phil is always great at pinpointing the next food trends, and I think this covers a lot of territory. I am big proponent of the craft food movement, and the ability to test new foods that I can get with a click of the mouse, makes it an easy proposition.
The socializing in supermarkets has been tried before, however, I believe social media will definitely drive this trend. Mariano’s and Whole Foods have done a very good job at this.
Like many before me, I think the list compiled by Phil is great. I expect bolder flavors to continue to grow because as people age, some of their taste buds don’t’ work. This creates a need for bolder flavors. The trend is reinforced by younger people seeking a new food experience.
My vote is grazing golden agers. As people age, many find they have a diminished appetite so grazing rather the sitting down for a meal becomes the meal occasion. That being said, they want to eat healthy, giving rise to healthier snacks.
I feel the list is myopic—and I hope it only partially reflects ConAgra’s perspective on food trends.
The biggest impact on grocery retailing will be the plurality of the American consumer. Latin American (particularly Mexican), Asian and Middle Eastern flavor profiles permeate “mainstream” cuisine and will only gain a stronger foothold in the consumers’ palate.
Add to it the fusion of different cuisines (chipotle hummus or kimchi tacos anyone?), the Millennials tendency to explore, and the plethora of cooking shows on Television and food designers have source materials for years to come.
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Labeling and delivery will have the greatest impact on traditional grocers as consumers look for more information about what they are eating and greater convenience/time savings.
Smaller households will negatively impact club stores. As Boomers age and their children leave home the need for gigantic packages of toilet paper and large packages of meat and produce will shift their spending from club stores to other food outlets.
Great article with many strong insights.
The craft trend may have a lot of legs, particularly among Millennials. When everything they do is posted online, finding new or unique products gives one bonus points. If true, retailers are going to need to make space for more unique products: Spices and condiments are two sections of the store that come to mind. This may mean optimizing mainstay categories or segments to make room for the new stuff.
The accelerating evolution of food shopping as a social experience tops the list for me. Many of the other trends hit on familiar themes, mainly convenience, health and wellness and bold flavors—but all this comes together when consumers decide how to get their food for the day. To attract shoppers to a physical outlet will require more than price and selection. It will require an experience.
Sidebar: As one who has been running smokers of some description for over 30 years, it pains me to not choose “Everything Smoked” as the top trend, but I actually feel like passing popular interest in smoking is on the wane. It’s just us old pit masters at the cookoffs again. Guess that TV contract isn’t in my future after all …
Phil always does a good job of capturing consumer trends. I think the key trend will be streamlining the food/meals shopping process. Retailers as well as manufacturers need to move from the talk to action stage on this process. To be successful, food manufacturers, food retailers and foodservice providers need to work more collaboratively.
While I agree with the trends relative to Baby Boomers and Generation Z, the jury is still out on the ability of the key food marketers noted above to successfully market to Millennials. This population, 75 million strong, with the oldest almost 35, will continue to shape the food distribution system for decades to come.
Socializing spaces for sure. Supermarkets are becoming a place to have a beer and watch a ball game. Craft beer being brewed right inside the store. There is always going to be room for the boring low-price store. But the middle-of-the-road, sterile, publicly-held or private equity chain store will continue to consolidate and disappear. Just as bars and restaurants have moved into movie theaters, there will also be more of them opening in supermarkets.
I’d humbly add one more food trend to a list compiled by one of the smartest people in the industry: Learning to Cook, or something like that. Younger generations appear to be curious about how things work in the kitchen and retailers who offer classes are leading and feeding the trend.
Not interested in the investment of the actual classes? Why not affiliate with a local partner doing this? Mariano’s has done this in Chicago with Sur La Table by supplying the food for their classes, with appropriate signage all around. At a recent Saturday night class, I saw several young couples very serious about learning how to prepare a great dinner. It was date night, too!
I think Phil is always great at pinpointing the next food trends, and I think this covers a lot of territory. I am big proponent of the craft food movement, and the ability to test new foods that I can get with a click of the mouse, makes it an easy proposition.
The socializing in supermarkets has been tried before, however, I believe social media will definitely drive this trend. Mariano’s and Whole Foods have done a very good job at this.
Like many before me, I think the list compiled by Phil is great. I expect bolder flavors to continue to grow because as people age, some of their taste buds don’t’ work. This creates a need for bolder flavors. The trend is reinforced by younger people seeking a new food experience.
My vote is grazing golden agers. As people age, many find they have a diminished appetite so grazing rather the sitting down for a meal becomes the meal occasion. That being said, they want to eat healthy, giving rise to healthier snacks.
I feel the list is myopic—and I hope it only partially reflects ConAgra’s perspective on food trends.
The biggest impact on grocery retailing will be the plurality of the American consumer. Latin American (particularly Mexican), Asian and Middle Eastern flavor profiles permeate “mainstream” cuisine and will only gain a stronger foothold in the consumers’ palate.
Add to it the fusion of different cuisines (chipotle hummus or kimchi tacos anyone?), the Millennials tendency to explore, and the plethora of cooking shows on Television and food designers have source materials for years to come.