2018 Food and Beverage Trends

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The most popular flavors right now are associated with better-for-you ingredients, provide an enhanced sensory experience, and/or have added function.

Impossible Foods plans to expand distribution to thousands of restaurants in the United States and overseas.

Hormel has combined consumer insights, acquisitions and organic innovation and branched into on-trending categories such as better-for-you organic spreads and dips (Justin’s nut butters, Wholly Guacamole) and even sports nutrition (Muscle Milk). 

In recent years, marketer positioning of cheese as a natural and protein-packed alternative to processed snacks in the shelf-stable aisles have made cheese a growing contender for the snacking dollar. Brands have been capitalizing on this opportunity by packaging their cheese in more convenient forms for on-the-go snacking for adults and children. 

In early 2017 NPD reported that 6% of US consumers shopped online for groceries and now up to 16%, or over 52 million people, shop online, using either delivery or click-and-collect. The convenience of online grocery shopping has trumped some of the concerns consumers previously had about shopping online for groceries, such as higher costs, fees, or waiting for delivery.  And, like shopping online for other consumer goods, online grocery shoppers take an omnichannel approach and still shop at brick-and-mortar grocers.    

The heaviest users of plant-based foods are those who are more likely to be on a diet or to have a medical condition, and consumers who tend to think of food as fuel, are more convenience-oriented than others and less confident in their cooking skills. One of the fastest growing consumer segments who eat plant-based foods are those who are all about the taste of foods.    

Chicago is home to a number of food and beverage incubators and accelerators, which provide invaluable support to young companies struggling to navigate early growth stages.

Chilled coffee is thriving in the US, growing at least 10% annually between 2013-17. In fact, more than half (56%) of new RTD coffee launches in the US were cold brew in 2017, up from 38% the year prior. What is more, in the US, cold brew sales at retail* reached an estimated $38 million in 2017, representing a single-year growth of 137%. Meanwhile, RTD coffee is also building momentum in China. Mintel forecasts annual growth of around 20% in the next five years as RTD steals more share from instant coffee.

Despite the fact that consumers are spending more time and money online, trust remains a hurdle for online retailers to clear, particularly for younger consumers. Some 14% of all online food and drink consumers cite trust as an issue that has prevented them from adding a product to an online shopping cart, with this number rising to almost one in five (17%) 18-34-year-olds. What’s more, many Americans are deterred by the lack of ability to test the value of the product for themselves as 69% of consumers overall are hesitant to buy something that they can’t see/touch in advance and three quarters (75%) prefer to sample products before purchasing.

Over the course of the next 16 weeks, the selected startups will participate in a dynamic program composed of learning, funding, infrastructure access, and mentorship in Chicago.