Six ways food is influencing consumer trends

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Six ways food is influencing consumer trends

24 Jul 2024

Joanie Spencer

Since 2008, Joanie Spencer has covered the retail and wholesale sides of the baking industry.
Serving associations such as the American Society of Baking (ASB) and BEMA, Joanie is also in demand as an industry presenter on bakery operations and trends. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Rockhurst University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

When she’s not running or playing soccer, Joanie spends her time with her husband and 11-year-old son.

HOUSTON — Trends are constantly influencing food consumption. Then again, it’s important to look at how food is impacting certain consumer trends as well.

It’s all circular, and during the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA)’s IDDBA 2024 conference, held last month in Houston, Heather Prach, VP of education and industry relations for IDDBA, outlined the association’s annual guiding trends. This time, though, the guiding trends were identified as ways food — namely dairy, deli and bakery food — is acting as an influencer.

“We are influenced by food,” Prach said. “Every one of us, every day.”

Guiding Trend No. 1: Food influences mind, body and spirit. In the past few years, the idea of wellness has transcended traditional views of what it means to be healthy. Consumers today think of health and wellness as a lifestyle, and food plays a huge role in that.

“This is a reflection on the broader cultural shift holistic wellbeing, access to health information and the desire for more intentional, meaningful living,” Prach said.

Guiding Trend No. 2: Food influences sourcing, sustainability and salary. In an era where inflation and the environment take up equal real estate in consumers’ minds, food is threaded — and often intertwined — through both issues.

“Consumers are balancing an emphasis on sustainability with affordable ingredients,” Prach said, “to allow them to make environmentally friendly choices without breaking the bank.”

Guiding Trend No. 3: Food influences the technology of today and for tomorrow. From food science to AI-enabled machines, the relationship between food and technology is not only growing, but it’s also coming to the forefront of commercial food production.

Guiding Trend No. 4: Food influences the young, young-ish and young at heart. With four different generations contributing to the global economy, bakery producers must understand the drivers — whether physical, financial or emotional — behind each generation’s purchasing decisions and specific food choices.

“Each generation tends to have distinct preferences,” Prach said. “They have their own preferences, values and behaviors that shape their food choices and shopping habits.”

Guiding Trend No. 5: Food influences community, convenience and cash flow. As consumers look at the idea of wellness more holistically, they also see that food sustains them socially as well as physiologically more than ever. While many consumers are making food choices to impact their overall health — oftentimes, in lieu of expensive or unaffordable medicines — they also translate those needs into their family and community gatherings as well.

“Food is a central element in our lives,” Prach said. “It influences not only our physical wellbeing but also our social interactions and financial considerations.”

Guiding Trend No. 6: Food influences culture, cuisine and culinary explosions. People today have more access to global experiences than at any other time in history. Not only is travel more accessible, but consumers can also experience a range of cultures and global foods without leaving their hometowns.

“Consumers today have more adventurous and diverse palates,” Prach said. “They’re traveling more and becoming more globalized.”

When considering the impact of consumer trends on product development, bakery brands need to think circularly, rather than in one direction or another. And always remember the consumer at the center of the circle.

That’s just the advice Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, offered IDDBA attendees when she moderated a panel based on these six guiding influences.

“At the end of the day, whether you are a retailer, a manufacturer of the items that go into dairy, deli and bakery, or a wholesaler, we all have the same boss,” Roerink said. “That’s the consumer, who decides what to buy, where to buy it and how often to buy it.”

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