An awareness of Canadian food and beverage trends – and changing consumer preferences – can help food processors and manufacturers better target their marketing and sales in Canada.
According to Restaurants Canada, total food service sales in the country are projected to reach $88.7 billion in 2018, with millennials driving that growth.
The hottest trends that consumers are asking for include:
- Healthy and fresh foods
- Convenience foods like meal kits and portable snacks
- Authentic dips
- Spices, seasonings
- Flat breads
- Grass-fed beef
- Sustainable seafood
- Artisan ice cream
- Mini-desserts
- Craft beer microbrews
- Specialty ice tea.
However, since the rapid rate of growth is expected to level off with consumers becoming more cash-strapped, food service operators are mining for margins and reducing operating costs wherever they can, including sourcing less expensive ingredients.
One of the hottest topics in the industry is mobile ordering, since it accounts for one-third of all orders and is growing. This means that a food business’s online and mobile presence are more important than ever. Although most millennials go online, it’s important to note they are not a homogenous cohort; one-third of millennials are visible minorities and are seeking authentic and diverse tastes, not just ethnic cuisines; 34 per cent of millennials want organic food options; 50 per cent care where food is sourced, and if it is sourced responsibly.
Food consumers are increasingly looking for transparency in product ingredients, so package labelling is very important. Speed and convenience are also driving trends; people have busier lives, and solutions that target time and convenience – such as meal kits – are trending up.
Understanding the market and its preference is an important step to take when bringing a product to a new market. So don’t forget to research!
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