Opinion: Some trends are new, some are familiar. Which are here to stay?
However much we might like to, it is still not possible to ignore Covid and the impact it will have in our perceptions, choices, behaviours and constraints. Creating new trends, reviving old ones, reinforcing others:
1. Shopping Lists are back
The times when people were lured into the shop by eye-catching demonstrations and appealing offers to trigger impulse buying are gone. Consumers have been willing to reduce their shopping trips, and moved to different shopping environments, such as on-line or convenience. But also their income has been reduced and they have gone back to basics, armed with shopping lists focusing on fundamentals. That also explains the growth of discounters, shelf assortment rationalization strengthening leading brands and retailer private labels.
2. Less global, more local
Travel bans affected the migration of workers to harvest fresh produce crops, while transport and logistics has become harder to manage with more border controls and restrictions reinforced by Brexit. Environmental concerns due to carbon footprint will penalize goods that travel long distances. And above all the economic considerations to support local / national producers instead of foreigners. All those factors are impacting on global trade in favour of national / local supply chains. Fresh produce and Meat / Dairy are the most influenced by this trend and these products are being flagged by all retailers with a message to support domestic suppliers and therefore the national economy.
3. More and more sustainable
The EU’s engagement with the “Green Deal” towards a carbon neutral society gained renewed strength with the recent political changes in the USA. Retailers’ willingness to show they are ahead of the game is fuelling the process: sustainable energy sources, ISO 14001 environment rules on shops, bans on non-recycable plastic, promoting a circular economy by fighting food waste. And on their own private labgel products from FSC labels on packaging to MSC requirements on aquaculture.
4. Health, more than ever
in general people are now much more concerned about their food consumption habits and strive for a balanced diet. Covid raised health concerns more than ever and in particular trends such as self-immunization have fuelled the consumption of high vitamin C foodstuffs, while hunting out “negative” ingredients such as preservatives, colourings or sweeteners has never been so high. The health issues’ impacts on retailers are very wide. It is not only the shopping environment that needs to be clean and safe, it is the whole supply chain tracking and compliance that deserves the utmost attention. Again, the implications for own label are higher than ever: from the traceability of the key ingredients, to forbidding trans or palm oils or even with the obsession of salt levels.
In the end, this is good news for consumers: they will be buying sustainable, safer, healthier and more local products. But, if they are impoverished…can they afford to pay the price? And if not, who is going to pay?
Luis Garcia
Managing Director
Green Seed Portugal