“Consumers have found new behaviors,” said Corbion’s Jennifer Halliburton, speaking at the IBIE session “2022 Consumer Trends presented by Corbion.”
And it takes an average of 66 days for these behaviors to become permanent, she noted. The rise of online ordering – when bakery is such a high impulse purchase – may hurt if those bakery items are not already in their basket.
“We have seen a lot of behaviors change, and how people shop varies,” Halliburton continued. “What types of packaging we offer matters, so the product arrives as expected and the consumers have a positive eating experience.”
There was a time, years ago, when consumers relied more on brand names and familiar categories. Those days are slipping away.
“People are now shopping for key words and shifting to new claims – like ‘made with real…’ or ‘made from…’ The question is are we messaging the way consumers are searching based on these key words,” she noted.
The biggest trend that the baking – and food – industry is witnessing now is the fact that consumers want to know your story. “That’s where they want to put their money,” Halliburton said.
Of note, 78% of Americans are still making meals at home, according to Corbion research, and quick shopping trips – less than five items and a total ring of $25 or less – are on an upswing.
“People are cherry-picking and deal shopping,” she noted. “How are you going to make sure bakery is top of mind?”
Add to that the inflation factor, and you see that 28% to 41% of shoppers are buying lower cost items. Club store formats are seeing a slight upswing in traffic.
What is important to consider, though, is that 43% of consumers eat bread daily and another 44% weekly, according to Corbion.
Add to that the important trend that more than one in two consumers want to be “more adventurous” in their eating experience. Artificial ingredient free remains the No. 1 appeal that reaches the broadest base of consumers.
Clean label remains front and center as a key consumer demand, “That’s not going away,” Halliburton said, “but they want experiences.”
Vegan, GMO free and high source of protein are the top…