Frozen food did well against premium-priced, chilled food options, takeaways for staying in did well against eating out, discount retailers prospered, demand for home cooking ingredients soared, and nostalgia entered the food market with renewed vigour with the likes of Wispa and Artic Roll cashing in, and retro boiled sweets in jars and old-style fizzy drinks popping up everywhere.
The anticipated climb out of recession in 2010 may not be straightforward, and the big question is: will consumers revert back to their pre-credit crunch habits?
Probably not to the same extent, says new research from Leatherhead Food Research, as most will have been left somewhat scarred by the downturn, and the era of the ‘savvy shopper’ will stay with us for some time to come.
The long-running mega-trends of health, convenience, indulgence and ethical consumerism look set to continue. 2010 is a new dawn, though, and it’s expected that innovation will be revitalised, though the ongoing EU health claims saga may certainly dampen functional food developments and push the innovation emphasis to areas other than health.
Sustainability is likely to become one of the more pressing concerns for the food supply chain in 2010. Thus, more sustainable packaging materials, a greater focus on sustainable sourcing of food, and the use of sustainable energy sources will all be evident.
Source: Leatherhead Food Research
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