By Ivy Carruth.
As broader consumer trends shift toward better-for-you premium products, a huge opportunity exists for convenience retailers to step up their foodservice offers with fresh, quality food and snacks that consumers feel contribute to their health and wellness.
While there will likely always be a market for meat pies under heat lamps, the modern consumer has evolved, and fresh food may just be the key to keeping them coming back.
The demand for artisan and gourmet products, including fresh food
Millennials are also helping drive the grab and go movement, eating out more often and seeking quality fresh food options that they can take with them. As wellness moves to the forefront and becomes a priority for Aussies, the introduction of fresh and healthy options like sushi, salads and wraps is a significant opportunity for convenience retailers.
Australia tends to follow a different path than the rest of APAC in following US and European trends, according to Frost and Sullivan’s Functional and Luxury Foods Market Analysis.
Plant-based products’ skyrocketing upward trend
Ewa Hudson, Head of Health and Wellness at strategic consumer research company Euromonitor International declares, “Australia is one to watch when it comes to the demand for vegan-friendly products.” No longer solely reserved for those that are 100 per cent plant-based, many consumers choose vegan options in a nod to health, transparency in ingredients, weight loss or personal values.
Read more on foodservice in the September issue of Convenience World.
