Mindful living and sustainability tipped to dominate FMCG trends for 2022

Mindfulness and sustainability have been tipped as major retail trends for 2022.

The latest NielsenIQ BASES Breakthrough Innovation Report saw a focus on sustainability, with ‘greener’ products gaining a number of accolades, including Birds Eye green cuisine and the ’This Isn’t’ range of plant-based products. 

Products that tapped into the ‘better for you’ trend also saw success, with Innocent Plus offering functional health benefits, and other manufacturers catering to the demand for ‘healthier indulgence’, such as Magnum Vegan ice cream.

This trend has also been mirrored in pet food and has driven interest in products such as Butcher’s Tripe Loaf and Whiskas Pure Delight.

The report advises that stocking such products presents an opportunity for retailers to drive ‘premiumisation’ in store, with 67% of this year’s winners offering premium benefits – whether it was from the product itself or the packaging.

European BASES leader Celine Grena said: “It is worth noting that when you go back to the first report launched 10 years ago, trends such as ‘shopping locally’, sustainability and convenience were the ‘ones to watch’. While these trends still exist, a number of these are gradually crystallising into the standout theme of mindful living. In fact, over half of the winners this year have at least one mindful living claim, versus only about one quarter in 2019.”

The report also highlighted some “incredibly well-executed beverage” product launches within the winners, such as Starbucks for Nespresso, as well as Costa Coffee’s RTD range.

Grena added: “One of the key things we are seeing in this year’s report is that consumers today are more aware and informed than ever. As a result, they expect much more from their products - whether that’s health benefits, sustainability, locality or convenience – and consumers are willing to pay a premium to get it. Looking at this year’s winners, they’ve built their success through syncing their innovation strategy with their in-market activation.

“The most successful activation strategies leverage multiple trade and media touchpoints to address the full breadth of their potential consumers. As sustainability and health trends continue to drive buying habits, the retailers that can tap into these opportunities by stocking quality innovations in store will be set for success.”