May 17, 2024 – Many different factors affect consumer trends in the US. US consumer food trends include food and beverage consumption habits, as well as the various drivers of consumer trends in demand in the food and beverage market. Innova Market Insights analyzes 39 different food and beverage categories when it looks at consumer food trends in the US. The drivers of consumer food trends can be seen in global factors, global lifestyle themes, and drivers that are specific to consumer trends in decision-making.
Global Macro Trends Affect US Consumer Trends in Behavior
The world presents consumers globally with large-scale forces that affect US consumer behavior trends. For example, societies around the world are focused on health. This puts pressure on consumers to maintain a healthy lifestyle and drives them to look for easy ways to access good nutrition. The increased cost of living around the world means that consumers have to balance their enjoyment, including choices in the food and beverage market, with the cost of necessities. The world is filled with potential political and global threats. This drives consumers globally and in the US to take action to feel safe and motivates them to manage their resources. Concerns about the health of the planet lead consumers in the US to do what they can to manage environmental impact. Technology is another global macro trend that affects US consumer trends. Changes and advances in technology affect the way that consumers in the US shop and live and forces them to take advantage of new opportunities so that they don’t get left behind.
The Impact of Global Lifestyle Themes on US Consumer Trends
Several lifestyle themes that are global issues of concern lead consumers in the US to make lifestyle changes. The first is healthier lives. Consumers say that they want to invest in their health and wellbeing and that this is their top spending priority for consumers after basic living expenses. Next is conscious living. US consumers and consumers globally are doing what they can to help the environment and social welfare. They are motivated by several reasons, including finances, the environment, and health. A third lifestyle theme is changing occasions. This captures today’s more flexible lifestyles and the ways that US consumers are socializing and entertaining, especially at home. A fourth lifestyle theme captures changes in the way that consumers treat and reward themselves. Global consumers and those in the US often choose everyday treats and rewards instead of pricier items, events or experiences.
Natural and Clean are Important Drivers in the US
US consumers are drawn to products that are natural and have clean labels. They want to see ingredients on the ingredient list that they recognize and consider to be wholesome. US consumers participating in consumer food trends research say that naturalness and clean labels influence them most or nearly most often when they are buying foods from various categories in the food and beverage marketplace. Clean claims resonate among US buyers of juice and other products. US consumer value products that are made without artificial ingredients. In the US in particular, consumers say that non-GMO claims are highly important.
Traditional Meets Premium for the US Consumer
US consumer food trends show that US consumers value two different features of foods and beverages – traditional and premium. High quality products stand out to US consumers. They seek foods and beverages that have an artisan provenance. Related to this, US consumers look for novelty and variety. On the other hand, US consumers also want to eat and drink well-loved products. This puts pressure on innovators to broaden product appeal by adding new twists to long-time favorite foods and drinks.
US Consumers Look for Protein
In their focus on health, US consumers are in pursuit of protein. They are concerned about their health, and that drives their interest in protein and food and beverage product labels with protein claims. Desire for protein is a strong US consumer food trend when shopping for dairy and meat products. US consumers also are motivated by more traditional claims such as those related to lower fat content and reducing sugar. These interests apply to most food and beverage product categories.
Consumer Food Trends: Taste Tops All
Food and beverage, taste, and flavor are the most desirable attributes for US consumers, especially for alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, breakfast cereals, cheese, yogurt, meal ingredients, and snacks and treats. Products have to taste good!
This article is based on our report, “Category Growth Drivers in the US.” If you are interested in reading this report, feel free to request a demo.
You can do this by either booking a demo or using our Contact Form.
