Blog Posts
While convenience and value are still the top factors when consumers make food decisions, there is now an increasing desire for a healthy lifestyle and more mindful of food and beverage options. Mindfulness is a quality shared by both foodservice professionals and consumer foodies. Here we’ve provided you with the latest consumer trends to help you with your restaurant decisions.
1. Deliciousness and smart choices. Food should be delicious to appeal to consumers who are both value and gourmet conscious. Many foods that consumers feel to be the most delicious are processed foods that contain very little nutritional value. However, when presented with menu descriptions that focus on taste, flavors and ingredients, consumers tend to find these items more desirable.
2. Minimalism. When observing labels, consumers want to see real ingredients rather than a science formula. Many consumers describe a high quality experience with the word “homemade”, preferring meals that are less processed and more like they were freshly made in the kitchen.
3. Disguise. Healthy foods become more desirable when designed to look like a less healthy option. Creative packaging and marketing add new appeal to healthy snacks like blueberries and carrots. The salty, crunchy snack satisfaction of packaged snacks is now available in a variety of sizes and includes many different types of vegetables like kale and sweet potatoes.
4. Be mindful of brand language. Consumers are more likely to seek out the source and understand their food philosophy rather than simply pick up products that claim to be natural or artisan. Many leading food manufacturers and retailers allow consumers to connect with their food philosophy in statements on their website and practices in their businesses.
5. Provide trust. Consumers want food from companies they trust to provide nourishing, delicious food while being respectful to those who produce it. Millennial consumers in particular are evaluating companies not only on their products and their brands, but also on their corporate conscience. Today’s consumer is active and in charge of the foods they like and the places they like to eat. When surveyed about sources they trust, friends, family and social networks outrank marketing messages. Savvy marketers have learned how to join the conversation.
Source1 Purchasing is your source for the latest consumer trends in the restaurant industry to keep your establishment running at it’s fullest potential. Visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com to learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your business.
