Millennial Trends
Otto Cuyler
Millennials now constitute the majority of adults and, unlike previous generations where women did all of the shopping, men now make up nearly half of primary shoppers. Additionally, Millennials are the most diverse generation in U.S. history, with a particular rise in the Hispanic population.
Current or up-and-coming trends:
Simple/sugar free
We’ve shifted dramatically toward preferring food that contains real, wholesome ingredients and is low in sugar
Convenience
Convenience has become one of the defining features in how we evaluate food products. We want food that is portable, snackable, and not going to leave sticky residue on our fingers or powder on our clothes. This means more bite-size snacks in smaller bags that slip easily into our purses or gym bags.
Plant Based Meat
Some consumers are cutting back on meat and animal products and looking for replacement, plant-based foods as they better understand environmental impact or are looking for healthier alternatives to meat.
As the new year dawned, there were few options for consumers looking for other alternatives, like products imitating chicken or fish.
In early 2020, Impossible Foods announced its newest product, Impossible Pork.
Nuggs, a plant-based chicken nugget company, started last year with a $7 million investment led by McCain Foods.
Beyond Meat says it is working on plant-based chicken. A trial last summer of the reformulated Beyond Fried Chicken at KFC sold out in five hours.
"Plant-based protein, plant-based meats are going to be the future of meat, more and more," says Ryan Riddle, R&D specialist of vegetarian meal solutions at Nestlé USA. "I fully expect that this is just the beginning of incorporating plant-based meats into our prepared meals."
Plant based milk
Innova Market Insights report that the plant-based dairy category is expected to diversify as consumer interest grows.
A survey conducted by the group finds that about 32% of consumers said they bought dairy alternatives simply “because they’re healthier” and 27% said they bring variety to their diet