Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- COVID-19: market context
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
- Impact of COVID-19 on food and drink
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on food and drink, December 2020
- Opportunities and challenges
- Reemergence
- Online sources and traditional grocery stores are flavor exposure tools
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- Figure 2: Flavor discovery, October 2020
- Price is a significant hurdle while familiarity is not
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- Figure 3: Flavor trial barriers, October 2020
- Recovery
- Foodservice influences in-store purchases
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- Figure 4: Flavor attitudes, October 2020
- Emerging flavors made accessible through value brands
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- Figure 5: Experience with emerging flavors, by location, October 2020
Target Audience – Key Takeaways
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- Foodservice disruptions are shifting discovery
- Economic impact will place priority on value
- Flavor discovery channels are broadening
Target Audience by the Numbers
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- Adventurous consumers are finding new flavors through a plethora of channels
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- Figure 6: Flavor trial locations, by interest in new flavors, October 2020
- Evolving shopping habits indicate path to flavor seekers is rerouted
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- Figure 7: COVID-19 impact on consumer behavior, October 29-November 9, 2020
- Limited service operators can fill innovation gap
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- Figure 8: Restaurant ordering in past three months, April-August 2020
- Niche brands can influence trial through social placement
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- Figure 9: Flavor trial locations, by new flavor introduction, October 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on food and drink
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- Figure 10: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on food and drink, December 2020
- Lockdown
- Reemergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: US context
- Learnings from the last recession
Market Factors
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- Foodservice closures scramble traditional flavor lifecycles
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- Figure 11: COVID-19 Foodservice Tracker, September 2020
- The lines are blurring between private label, specialty and national brands in flavor innovation
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- Figure 12: Brand purchase habits, by generation, November 2019
Market Opportunities
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- Social connections will play an ever-bigger role in flavor discovery
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- Figure 13: Flavor attitudes regarding socialization, by generation, October 2020
- Emphasize experience through flavor innovation
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- Figure 14: Flavor attitudes, by generation, October 2020
- Support evolving consumer wellness goals within future innovation
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- Figure 15: Flavor trial barriers, by gender and generation, October 2020
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Mainstream flavors find new categories
- Foodservice growth points to CPG potential
Emerging Flavor Innovation in CPG
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- Mainstream flavors shift into new categories
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- Figure 16: Growth of emerging flavors within new product development, 2015-20
- Figure 17: Evolution of buffalo as a flavor within CPG innovation 2017-20
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- Figure 18: Hibiscus as a flavor within CPG innovation, 2015-20
- Figure 19: Ginger as a flavor within CPG innovation, 2015-20
- Emerging flavors proliferate through specialty and store brands
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- Figure 20: Black sesame flavor within CPG innovation, 2015-20
- Figure 21: Ghost pepper in CPG innovation, 2015-20
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- Figure 22: Miso in CPG innovation, 2015-20
Emerging Flavor Innovation in Foodservice
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- Foodservice innovation is an indicator for adoption
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- Figure 23: Percentage change of emerging flavors on US menus, 2015-20
- Figure 24: Buffalo as a flavor within menu innovation, 2018-20
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- Figure 25: Miso on US menus, December 2020
- Figure 26: Ghost pepper within menu innovation, 2015-20
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Flavors are social for Millennial, Gen Z consumers
- Lower the investment of trying new flavors
- Flavor lifecycles are blurring due to innovation in retail
New Flavor Attitudes
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- Consumers are hungry for more new, yet familiar, experiences
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- Figure 27: Flavor attitudes, October 2020
- Flavor discovery fosters social connections
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- Figure 28: Flavor attitudes, by generation, October 2020
- Find convenient ways for parents to explore
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- Figure 29: Flavor attitudes, by gender and parental status, October 2020
Where Consumers Discover New Flavors
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- New flavor discovery is multichannel
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- Figure 30: Flavor discovery, October 2020
- Flavor meets technology
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- Figure 31: Flavor discovery, by generation, October 2020
- Income level affects new flavor discovery
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- Figure 32: Flavor discovery, by household income, October 2020
Where Consumers Try New Flavors
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- Full service restaurants are a top source for new flavor trial
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- Figure 33: Flavor trial locations, October 2020
- Gen Z, Millennial consumers dabble in niche channels
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- Figure 34: Flavor trial locations, by generation, October 2020
- Parents’ interest in flavors will have lasting impact on innovation
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- Figure 35: Flavor trial locations, by parental status, October 2020
Barriers to New Flavor Trial
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- Make discovery price accessible
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- Figure 36: Flavor trial barriers, October 2020
- Price barriers know no age
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- Figure 37: Flavor trial barriers, by generation, October 2020
- Health and small sample sizes are a priority for female consumers
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- Figure 38: Flavor trial barriers, by gender, October 2020
Consumer Experience with Emerging Flavors
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- Consumers expect mainstream flavors to be everywhere
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- Figure 39: Experience with emerging flavors, by location, October 2020
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- Figure 40: Experience with emerging flavors, by location, October 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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