Mintel, a consumer research company specializing in global food, drink, and foodservice industries, announced three key trends that will begin to define the way consumers experience food in this year, and how these trends will form over this year and into the future.
 
The three trends announced this year are: Feeding the Mind; Quality Redefined; and United by Food.
 
Feed the Mind
In 2021 and beyond, expect to see food, drink, and foodservice brands offer moments of respite through product rituals and formulations that enhance stress relief activities, the company said. As the focus of COVID-19 and social distancing fades, people will continue to make more serious commitments to reduce the health risks associated with unhealthy eating, become more interested in mindful and intuitive eating, and seek proof and incentives through the use of technology.
 
“The COVID-19 global pandemic has made consumers recognize that wellbeing is a vital concern. In the coming years, consumers will be looking for more products and services that offer mental and emotional health benefits,” Jenny Zegler, associate director of Mintel Food and Drink, said. “Functional formulations and emotionally engaging multisensory products will help food, drink, and foodservice brands command a larger share among a myriad of mental and emotional health options. We predict that innovative food and drink formulations will help people learn how diet can impact mental and emotional health, which will lead to new interest in psychology-based approaches to healthy eating.”
 
Quality Redefined
Consumers will likely look for approachable upscale meals for special home entertainment occasions, Mintel said. Consumers will expect greater quality in at-home food purchases, with ethical or environmental claims and clear value which matches pricing. Over the next five years, Mintel suggests that brands and operators invest in seamless retail and equitable access to healthy food.
 
“When it comes to value, pandemic-shocked consumers are seeking a return to what is essential,” Zegler said. “Consumers are now focused on minimal consumption and getting the best returns from their purchases. As markets reopen, the pace of life will get busier and consumers will expect time-saving, hygienic, and adventurous convenience food, drink, and foodservice. In the next few years, brands will also be challenged to respond to new definitions of quality and ensure e-commerce is accessible to shoppers of all socioeconomic levels. The focus on getting the best value for one’s money will motivate brands to be more transparent about product price by providing details about the ingredients, processes, and people that are reflected in a product’s price.”
 
United by Food
In the next 12 months, food, drink, and foodservice companies will encourage people to use their brands as a form of self-expression and a way to reconnect with their pre-pandemic identities, Mintel projected. The company said that “social commerce” will be a new way for brands to capitalize on building communities that will, in turn, give brands actionable ways to give back and use their resources, reputation, and reach to help consumers take action on important causes.
 
“Consumers’ understanding of the community has been strengthened by COVID-19,” Zegler said. “Recognizing the importance of connection and support, consumers will organize in like-minded communities for socialization and camaraderie. Food, drink, and foodservice brands can take advantage of their positions as common interests and passions to which consumers can tie their identities and actively bring individual fans together. Bound by the brand(s) they have in common, communities will expand people’s social circles and introduce collective ways to make a difference.”