Dive Brief:
- Close to half of all consumers reported purchasing specialty foods in the past six months, according to "Today's Specialty Food Consumer 2015," annual research conducted by the Specialty Food Association and Mintel.
- "Specialty food consumers report spending one in three food dollars on specialty food, up from one in four in 2014. This comes as specialty food sales topped $100 billion for the first time in 2014 and continue to grow," according to the association.
- Specialty food manufacturers may want to target consumers ages 25 through 44, the group mostly like to buy specialty food products, particularly those with income of $75,000 or more and who live on the East or West Coasts.
Dive Insight:
When it comes to specialty foods, consumers are favoring both treats, such as desserts, and healthy foods, such as tea, yogurt and kefir, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and vegetables, in addition to staple specialty foods like cheese and chocolate.
Younger generations of consumers in particular are looking for convenient food experiences. This includes quick eats like the fast-growing snack industry but also e-commerce, where companies like General Mills and Mondelez International are already planning to have a stronger foothold.