The Aussie Summer is not just about the Christmas, New Year and Australia Day period. It is also the biggest time of year for in and out-of-home entertaining as many people take advantage of the sunny weather.

Justin Nel, Lead Consultant at IRI recaps the 3 hottest grocery and summer entertaining trends from 2019 that manufacturers should consider in the New Year.

Good for me, good for the Planet

Products that are good for the customer and good for the planet are quickly becoming mainstream. Healthy eating is no longer about wanting to look after yourself and your family, it is also about choosing what is good for the planet.

IRI’s Shopper Panel has revealed that 31% of Australians are willing to cut down on their red meat intake not only to benefit their personal health, but because of their concern of emissions and land-clearing effects of cattle farming.

Highlighted by the rapid growth of products such as the “Beyond Burger”, with net revenue increasing by 250% YOY to $92 Million (Q3 2019 Financial Results), we are expecting to see many more plant-based burgers and proteins on the grill this summer.

Proteins aren’t the only plant-based and vegan products on the rise. Non-Dairy Ice Cream has delivered a strong 27% value increase (MAT ending 09/07/2019) versus a year ago and is expected to continue to grow in popularity throughout the summer months.

The keynote launch of “Dairy Free Magnum Classic” has evidenced this mainstream appeal contributing $5 million for the same period.

Functional benefits

As shoppers demand more from their food and beverages, Australians are looking to products with functional benefits beyond merely satiating a hunger. Good for your gut drinks, sleep aiding teas, and functional foods are set to continue their growth in popularity in the New Year.

Protein has been the most notable functional ingredient of 2019 with the proliferation of this ingredient across categories, breakfast, beverages and most recently yoghurts.

The shift away from a specialty gym food to aid muscle growth has seen more consumers looking to the functional ingredient for its satiety and ‘fuller for longer’ messaging.

Health conscious consumers are also looking to the ingredient as aging generations are aware of the importance of protein intake to support and maintain healthy muscle mass.

Capitalising on the already positive health perception of yoghurt, high-protein yoghurt has delivered $57M (MAT ending 09/07/2019), with many consumers looking to the product for a ‘no added sugar’ and convenient format for Summer Snacking.

Clean and green

With only 51% of Australians currently meeting the recommended fruit intake and just 8% hitting the mark on vegetables, many health conscious Australians will continue to seek ‘Clean and Green’ options. 43% of Australian’s claimed to be consuming more fruit and vegetables in 2019 and we are likely to see this number grow. This aspirational requirement has been reflected in major retailers putting fresh front and centre of their respective retail strategies.

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