Kellanova – previously Kellogg Company – vice president, omni and eCommerce, Manish Sharma recently discussed omni-commerce and why it is critical to today's shopper and the future of business.

A forward-looking outlook provides insight into the anticipated performance of the food and beverage industry throughout 2024, pointing to a more favorable landscape as several headwinds that weighed down 2023 are expected to recede.

Over the past four years, plant-based product sales have seen strong growth, reaching record sales of $8B in 2022 (SPINS). While 88% of active users have a moderate to high commitment to continue their plant-based purchases, one-third of shoppers say they would like to see more plant-based offerings at stores, according to research. Retailers and brands can drive growth by offering a broader assortment and more online and in-store options.

Gen Z’s dietary preferences are evolving. To appeal to them, diet and nutrition brands will need to embrace international flavors and cuisines. We predict growth in categories that successfully blend Gen Z’s desire for nutritious, plant-forward foods with their craving for authentic, internationally-inspired flavors.

Although plant-based has become a popular term in the dairy- and meat-free categories, it does not accurately describe all developments in this fast-moving field. There are technologies that generate “animal-free,” bioidentical ingredients such as dairy whey and dairy casein. Even so, “plant-based” continues to grow in use, with indexed average annual growth of +42% between 2017 and 2022.

Caffeine with added benefits, going back to basics in the plant-based category, complex heat from global peppers, and water conservation and stewardship are all among the food trends expected to rise in popularity across the industry in the next year.

Keeping up with flavor trends in a globalized era of constant and viral information can be challenging. After all, these days a single online influencer can spur the interest of millions of consumers with a single tweet. Nowhere is this more evident than among the so-called Gen Z demographic, a generation of adults in their late 20s and younger, with some of the highest purchasing power and the strongest trend impact.

"Alcohol marketing is evolving rapidly," said Patrick Egan, director of research & insights, DISQO. "With budget-constrained consumers who are increasingly focused on health, our insights suggest that marketers should be intentional in their messaging. Whether that's educating about differentiated offerings, touting unique production processes, emphasizing functional benefits or justifying higher price points, advertisers need to keep up with consumers in an increasingly crowded category."

Interest in functional nutrition is on the increase in many countries, with growing numbers of consumers globally, including in the US, saying they choose products that positively boost nutrition, immunity and (gut) health.

Healthy aging could be defined as staying active and in good health—both physically and mentally—while getting older. Overall, three-quarters of consumers we survey report that healthy aging is “very” or “extremely important” to them.