From the Greek yogurt craze to the most consumer-friendly buzzwords, food companies are constantly trying to keep up with the latest consumer trends. Food Dive pulled together the most important statistics to give our readers a look at the hottest trends that are moving food products off shelves. Here's what you need to know:
1. HOT SAUCE POPULAR AMONG YOUTH
A survey of hot sauce consumption by age demographic revealed hot sauce is more popular among younger consumers and less popular with older ones. While 23.7% of 18-34 year-olds said they use hot sauce, only 10.3% of consumers over the age of 70 said the same thing.
2. HEINZ STILL RULES KETCHUP MARKET
In the wake of 3G and Berkshire's acquisition of Heinz, some wondered whether the iconic ketchup was still the leading brand in the U.S. market. A study of household consumption of ketchup brands confirmed Heinz still rules the roost, with usage reaching 57.5% of households last year.
3. HEALTHY, CASHLESS OPTIONS BOOST VENDING MACHINE SPENDING
A survey of consumer motivations for vending machine purchases revealed five factors 49% of respondents said they would be more likely to buy if there are healthy food options available. 37% of vending machine users and 27% of non-users claimed they would buy from vending machines more often if given the option to swipe a debit or credit card.
4. GREEK CRAZE INFILTRATES YOGURT MARKET
Greek yogurt's intrusion into the U.S. yogurt market should come as no surprise. Despite the Greek yogurt craze, U.S. yogurt consumption statistics reveal that Yoplait and Dannon remain on top of the market, with each controlling 26.5% and 16.2%, respectively. Chobani and Fage, two of the biggest Greek yogurt makers in the U.S., each control 7.5% and 2.6% of the market, respectively.
5. FAMILIES LOVE SUPERCENTERS
A breakdown of consumers' household structures and whether they preferred to shop at supercenters or grocery stores showed that families typically shop at supercenter. The data similarly revealed single person and single adult households do the opposite and bring the bulk of their business to grocery and non-Walmart stores.
6. CONSUMERS DON'T JUST DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT
A study of consumer perspectives on dieting revealed that consumers don't just diet to lose weight. 38.3% of those surveyed said they diet to lose or maintain their weight, down from 40% in 2008. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people cited blood sugar levels as a reason to diet, from 10.8% in 2006 up to 12.2% in 2012.
7. EAST COAST, WEST COAST CARE MOST ABOUT NUTRITION
A breakdown of U.S. consumers' nutrition-seeking habits by geographic region revealed consumers in the Northeast and Pacific regions cared the most about nutrition. On the other end of the spectrum, consumers in the Southwest and Central regions cared considerably less, with only 18.2% and 17.8% of those surveyed saying "nutritional value is the most important factor in the food I eat," respectively.
8. CONSUMERS SHOP WITH SMARTPHONES
This should come as no surprise, but food consumers use smartphones to help them with their purchases. Consumers can now create shopping lists, get recipes, clip coupons and check out nutritional information -- all from their smartphones.
9. "GRAIN" IS THE MOST CONSUMER-FRIENDLY BUZZWORD
A study on which packaging buzzwords consumers seek out when grocery shopping revealed that shoppers love grain-y food products. Overall, 45% of shoppers look for whole grain products while 34% seek out multi-grain foods. High fiber was another big buzzword, with 40% of those looking to eat healthfully keeping an eye out for it.
10. SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE A FICKLE MISTRESS
The advent of social media begs the question: do food companies need to be on social networks and is it worth the risk? As Food Dive has seen, some companies suffered embarrassing setbacks while others' used social media to their advantage. Oreo's quick-thinking during the Super Bowl blackout won widespread praise for the brand but, on the other end of spectrum, Poland Springs' failure to capitalize on Marco Rubio's awkward water bottle moment caused them to lose an estimated $3 million in sales, according to one expert.
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