Innovation is the key for further growth of the group. To feed this engine, we invest continually in market, shopper and consumer research. Our aim is to detect trends at an early stage and to gain a better understanding of consumer insights. This enables us to continually offer our customers relevant solutions which meet consumer expectations in terms of taste, quality and products.
These are the current consumer trends that drive our innovative actions:
Increasingly, our modern world revolves round digitalisation, and the rules of communication and behaviour are changing permanently based on this trend. Online shopping continues to grow rapidly and is influencing the retail landscape. Social media are creating global communities and forming opinions with just one mouse click
Shoppers are becoming increasingly concerned with the ‘behind the scenes’ activities and integrity of brands and companies. The desire to get some transparency and traceability of the ingredients is a growing consumer demand. Local sourcing, heritage, animal welfare and respect for the environment are examples of the ways in which we can act more responsibly.
Consumers are constantly looking for convenient solutions to save time, so we see consumption on-the-go continually growing. The traditional (family) eating moments are declining, except at weekends where there is time for more adventurous cooking and fun, promoted by TV chefs. Even men are increasingly active in the kitchen and often responsible for the shopping.
Your well-being is a factor of your consumption of the goodness of nature. It gives you the energy you need to function and also emotional balance. So eating less sugar, salt and fat forms the basis, along with more natural products and a return to the basics of food. Becoming a ‘flexitarian’ is a result of this trend.
The ageing population with traditional shopping habits is a group that is growing significantly worldwide. The number of smaller households is also increasing (singles and couples without children). These people are always pressed for time and have busy professional and social lives. We also can’t ignore the multicultural influence entwining itself with local habits.
Polarization is increasing due to the ’Hybrid consumer’. Shoppers are down-trading on basic groceries to save money so they can trade-up to premium, high-end products. Besides that, wasting food is a hot topic: we want to avoid having left-overs.
