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12 Consumer Trends Affecting Food/Beverages in 2012
INFORMATIVE 
Tags: food, trends, consumers, beverages
Here are 12 consumer trends that food/beverage makers should be attuned to in 2012, according to Bellevue, Wash.-based research and consulting firm The Hartman Group.
| | 1. Meal fragmentation: Today's households are run as "loose democracies" in which children have an equal say in what, where and when the family should eat. |
| | 2. Eating alone: Forty-four percent of adult eating happens alone. Most CPG marketing ignores this reality. |
| | 3. The snack culture: Nearly half (48%) of all adult eating occurs between meals, a combined result of the increase in eating alone and the decline in family dining. However, a return to commitment to family dining will continue to gain momentum, says Hartman. |
| | 4. Immediate consumption: More than 11% of all adult eating today includes foods or beverages consumed within one hour of purchase. Immediate consumption reflects a long-term shift toward impulsive, unplanned eating. |
| | 5. The new American family: Marketers need to focus on today's nontraditional, intergenerational, unmarried, single-parent, multi-ethnic families. |
| | 6. Wellness is driven by quality-of-life issues: People strive for health/wellness in order to enjoy a better life. That’s why, for example, people are increasingly using dance for exercise, rather than treadmills. |
| | 7. Food culture is more complex than ever: Food makers need to understand all of food culture – meaning all food niches, trends and preferences, not just their own categories and specialties. |
| | 8. Education only goes so far: Hartman notes that research, including its own, is so far inconclusive as to whether calorie counts on menus change purchase behaviors. But what is clear is that consumers want help that supports their interests in food and cooking. |
| | 9. Eating occasions proliferate: Hartman has identified more than 150 distinct eating occasions beyond the traditional daily meals or day parts. CPG brands and retailers should better leverage these opportunities. |
| | 10. You can’t buy loyalty: Engendering loyalty among Millennials takes transparency and integrity, as well as fun. |
| | 11. Niche brands represent opportunities: As CPG categories become overcrowded, smaller brands that appeal to niche needs or subcultures have become good investments. |
| | 12. Retail needs a makeover: The retail experience has lost significance with today's shoppers, who want culturally relevant retail and brand experiences, maintains Hartman. |
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