IRI’s annual State of the Nation was held in Auckland last week, revealing interesting insights into the Grocery and Convenience channel and some of the top trends to watch.
Sales of packaged grocery products are growing and now worth more than $14 billion in New Zealand. Café at home experiences such as premium coffee and waffles are trending, along with new ‘Limited Edition’ products and those promising indulgence – but with a ‘better for you’ aspect (think low carb, low alcohol, or low sugar, for example).
New Zealand’s population is nearing 5 million with increasing ethnic diversity, resulting in 65% of shoppers now looking for exotic food choices. IRI’s presenter Vicky Herring predicts Arab and African cuisine will be one of the new trends to watch in 2020.
Convenient meal solutions, such as meal kits and fresh or frozen pizzas, are also on the rise.
The top 10 ‘Food Growth’ categories in New Zealand include cheese, snacks and confectionery. Private label growth is accelerating.
Health & Wellness is still increasing in popularity. Some of the key segments in Health & Wellness include:
- Self-Care
- Energy
- Anti-aging
- Anti-stress
- Gut Health
- Collagen (beauty from within)
- Protein; fibre; iron; probiotics
‘Free From’ products are now mainstream, but shoppers are also looking for ‘food to go’ and healthy food choices in general.
Ethical and plastic-free options are increasing in popularity, with a trends towards recyclable or compostable packaging.
The presentation also included updates and learnings from supermarkets in the UK and Australia.
