Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Commentary

Research shows consumers want it all from food and beverages

Convenient nutrition and indulgence products perform well in 2016

By Jessica Jacobsen
Jessica Jacobsen
April 14, 2017

After three days and more than 46,000 steps logged on my pedometer, it’s safe to say that I saw my fair share of natural and organic products at Natural Products Expo West (page 14), which took place last month. With so much information to digest, one might think that I would want a break from consumer trend information, but that is far from the case.

While reviewing the emails that populated my inbox during my travels, I stumbled across a release from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) highlighting research released by the market research firm and The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

In the release, the firms noted that although 2016 was a sluggish year for U.S. sales of consumer packaged goods (CPG), the growth that has taken place came from two separate (and somewhat contradictory) consumer desires: convenient nutrition and indulgence.

“Our research shows that the growing popularity of convenient nutrition and wellness remains one of the most powerful trends in the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry,” said Jim Brennan, a BCG partner and coauthor of the study, in a statement. “But this does not mean that American consumers’ craving for indulgences has diminished.”

In the non-alcohol space, the release noted that functional beverages were one of the hottest categories in 2016, with brands promoting health improvement, energy boosts or weight management as product attributes. The plant-based food and beverage market also performed well in the various company-size categories that the firms tracked. The firms did note that sluggish growth in 2016 for overall CPG sales was due to price deflation rather than lower unit sales.

As entrepreneurs look to enter the CPG market, information like this can be confusing. Consumers want food and beverages that support overall health and wellness, but they still have to indulge perhaps when they unwind from work or are dining out. For those that don’t perfectly fit into either spectrum, it begs the question: where is the middle ground?

KEYWORDS: functional beverages health and wellness indulgent flavors market research

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jess 200

Jessica Jacobsen, editor of Beverage Industry, visits a range of beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, represents the magazine at trade shows and industry events, and works with the Beverage Industry team to determine the content and direction of the magazine and its online components. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Marquette University.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

Alani Nu

Alani Nu surpasses $1 billion in retail sales

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 5, 2025

Heat-Resistant Molds 101: Fundamentals and Prevention Strategies for Better Beverage Quality

Learn about the spoilage challenges and operational bottlenecks that ascospores can pose to your quality program if detection is delayed, or worse – not detected at all. Subject matter experts will cover the basics of these bugs and real-world impacts of insufficient quality methods to help you beat the heat … resistant mold.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Jessica Jacobsen

    Research shows consumers concerned about clear, understandable labels

    See More
  • Jessica Jacobsen

    Research shows sugar reduction important to consumers

    See More
  • Waves

    Survey shows consumers want to know when AI’s used on products

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • ency brew.jpg

    Encyclopaedia of Brewing

See More Products

Events

View AllSubmit An Event
  • June 13, 2024

    Sipping on Innovation: Discover New Functional Ingredients for the Future of Beverages

    On Demand Functional beverages are one of the hottest trends in health & wellness. Now, consumers are demanding more function from their functional beverages. To do this effectively, we’ll need highly innovative beverage friendly ingredients that are backed by solid clinical science.
View AllSubmit An Event
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing