In this month’s trendspotting special edition, FoodNavigator-USA examines how shifts in consumers attitudes about food and its impact on their health and that of the planet will continue to reshape the CPG industry in 2025.
In a special edition of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts Podcast, Mintel’s Food & Drink Director and wellness brand KOS’s VP of marketing share their predictions for the top trends to watch in the food & beverage space, including many that contradict – including a desire for healthier foods but also indulgence.
In a second podcast, sustainable food rating company HowGood’s general counsel shares how emerging policies and competing priorities will reshape environmental goal-setting in 2025 and why she remains optimistic about ESG advancement despite major CPG players “pumping the breaks” on sustainability initiatives.
Deputy Editor Deniz Ataman also examines how economic pressures and viral social media trends changed consumer shopping behaviors and tastes in 2024 and what this will mean for brands and retailers in 2025 and what they will buy.
Senior Correspondent Ryan Daily took deep dives into how wellness trends and the coffee category will evolve in the new year.
At the end of 2024 we saw several big CPG players either merge or make acquisition overtures – setting the stage for what one industry insider predicts will be a M&A ‘frenzy’ in 2025.
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Special Edition: Biggest trends in 2024 and what to expect in 2025
2025 trendspotting: Exhausted consumers demand lower prices, healthy food & treats -- Most US consumers are exhausted after a year of uncertainty marked by ongoing inflation and political turmoil, and industry insiders predict as they enter the new year many will seek relief – physical, emotional and financial – from the foods and beverages they choose.
2025 sustainability trends: Food players ‘pump breaks’ on environmental goals -- To better understand how the food and beverage sustainability landscape will change in 2025, sustainable food rating company HowGood’s General Counsel Ramya Ravishankar joins this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts podcast. She shares how emerging policies and competing priorities will reshape environmental goal-setting and why she remains optimistic about ESG advancement.
What defined consumers’ plates in 2025, and what’s next for 2025?– From Swedish candy to marry me pasta, consumers’ palettes stretched across the globe in 2024.
Value, private label and premium brands will grow in 2025 – Economic pressures in 2025 will continue to impact consumers’ shopping habits as private label and premium products grow, but all is not lost for mainstream brands that can stand out through strategic partnerships with foodservice and targeted social media.
2025 Wellness trends focus on health span - Consumers interested in staying mentally and physically fit are focusing on healthspan over lifespan, spurring innovation in better-for-you foods and beverages, according to Euromonitor’s end-of-the-year report.
2025 coffee trends: Cold brew, private label heat up – Coffee culture, cold brew and private-label varieties are stirring up the category as consumers experiment with flavors to recreate the café experience at home.
M&A ‘frenzy’ in specialty ingredient could mark 2025 following multi-year lull – The specialty food and beverage ingredient industry is on the precipice of a ‘frenzy of M&A activity’ after a multi-year lull with private equity and smaller companies leading the charge and larger, strategic players taking a backseat, predicts strategic consultancy Roland Berger.