Last updated : Monday, December 21, 2009

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Supermarket Trends You'll See in 2010

Laughing woman with assortment of vegetables

The high cost of groceries in 2009 had a large impact in the way America ate this year. We started to see more and more people make their meals at home, bring their lunch to work, and switch to generic brands based on their lower price tag. But will 2010 continue to follow this trend? iMag went to The Supermarket Guru, Phil Lempert to get the inside scoop on what's going to happen in the food industry in 2010.

Phil's Predictions and Tips:

Trend # 1: You Will See Fewer Ingredients in Your Food Products

The food industry has woken up and discovered that by using "real foods" as ingredients and a shorter ingredients list – not only are their foods healthier but also consumers are buying them up Brands that are proving the trend include: Haagen-Dazs 5, Healthy Choice All Naturals, Peter Pan Peanut Butter (the only major peanut butter brand with no high fructose corn syrup) and Campbell’s select Harvest and Healthy Request soup lines.

Trend # 2: You Will See More Private Food Labels

Consumers' acceptance and purchasing of store brands are at an all time high, which has made some brands sit up and take notice as they've seen their market share decline. Retailers are threatening to drop established brands from their shelves and add SKUs in private labels. And while many shoppers have been satisfied with the quality and price of their store brands, look for a radical shift in strategy.

Trend # 3: You Will See More Country of Origin Labels

People want to know where their foods come from, and with country of origin labeling shoppers are learning more than they ever expected; especially in the meat case where labels that list more than one country are prompting more consumer questions than ever.

Trend # 4: You Will See Old-Fashioned Foods Come Back in Style

Welcome back to the 1960s! It started with Mad Men, and Brooks Brothers was the first brand to capitalize on the yearnings of the 76 million Baby Boomers as they introduced their "Mad Men" line of men’s suits. Now iTunes has a special Mad Men mix. Look for the 60s food brands to do the same … brands like Jell-O, Banquet and even Funny Face drink mix have huge opportunities, but with a new health profile and more flavor; to meet the nutrition desires and needs of the aging boomer as well as catering to their age-diminished taste buds. Look for fewer carbonated soft drinks and more vitamin enriched everything. In 2010 25 percent of the U.S. population will be aged 55 and older – need any more proof?

Trend # 5: You Will See Technology Play a Big Role in How People Grocery Shop

It's a new world of "word-of-mouth" recommendations using the latest technologies: mobile devices, mommy bloggers, twitter and house parties. The shopper is depending less on advertising and more on social networking and killer apps to help them make their decisions on where to eat and what foods to buy. Walmart has announced its intension to become a triple-threat in electronic communications, delivering targeted "savings" messages through social networks on the Internet, cell phones and its growing in-store media network. According to Apple, there are currently more than 85,000 apps available to over 50 million iPhone and iPod touch users worldwide. 

Trend # 6: You Will See a Demise in Gourmet Food

With the success of Julie & Julia and the closing of Gourmet magazine we are now seeing a move back to substance over glitz. The signal is clear, death to the foodie - and the rise of the “anti-foodie”; as we see less of the self-absorbed discussions on the perfect truffle or over-priced wine. By contrast, food programming today includes competitions, dramatic conflict, intimidating personalities, lots of glitz, sexy camera angles, and high energy. The food is part of the presentation, but it doesn’t always come across as the star element - which today's shoppers believe it should be.

Trend # 7: You Will See Less Comfort Food and More Relaxation Food

Instead of relying on the "psychology" of comfort foods, brands are coming out with "relaxation" beverages with herbs and other ingredients designed to actually relax or put you to sleep. Brands like Drank, iChill and RelaxZen may well be the replacements for Vitamin Water and Gatorade. Look for this trend to quickly move to other categories including “anti-energy” bars, snack foods and even spawn a resurgence of calming after-dinner drinks that you can enjoy at home.

Looking to save at the grocery store in 2010? Click here to get Phil's money saving tips. For secrets to cutting costs at the grocery store check out iMag's Food Page. 

Phil Lempert is "The Supermarket Guru." For more than 25 years, Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies worldwide. Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions. For more information check out his Web site.

 

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