Although we’re starting the year off with the great news of a vaccine rollout, we know that the process to get back to normal is going to be a long road. The habits that shoppers formed last year aren’t going to disappear anytime soon, and many will stick around even after the vaccine has a wider rollout and life returns to some kind of normalcy. Fortunately, last year taught us a lot about shoppers’ priorities and what they’re thinking about when they head to the store. Looking at a 52-week period of data from SPINS Natural Enhanced Channel and SPINS Conventional Channel (powered by IRI), we found trends that emerged in 2020 and are positioned to take center stage throughout 2021.

Functional Ingredients Become More Popular

Products with functional ingredients will continue to gain popularity on shelves and with shoppers thanks to their convenience. Functional ingredients are easy ways to get health and wellness boosts in go-to items. For shoppers, any item that can serve double duty helps them stretch their grocery dollar and stay healthy.

Examples include cheese with probiotics that improve microbiome (gut) health, nutrient-dense items with high doses of proteins, and even tea with CBD to ease stress.

Diets That Fit into Today’s Reality

Consumers adapted to a new daily routine last year as a large portion of the population began working from home, restaurants and gyms closed, and life became more housebound. Many shoppers started to make more meals at home and tried to maintain their overall health and fitness. They tackled these goals while also trying to keep a positive attitude, dieting and replacing favorite treats with smarter eating habits that were easier to maintain. Functional ingredients have made this easier to achieve.

For example, paleo-friendly products, with fewer additives and refined sugars, make foods diet-friendly. Last year sales of paleo-friendly, shelf-stable baking and pancake mixes grew 143%.

Immunity Stays Top of Mind

With COVID-19 still a major presence in everyday life, shoppers turned to food as a way to maintain a strong immune system that would keep them out of the doctor’s office and lower their risk of illnesses. Foods, beverages and supplements containing ingredients known for their immunity-strengthening properties saw impressive growth throughout 2020 and will remain a focus throughout 2021.

Elderberry and vitamin C were top sellers in the 2019-20 winter spike. Vitamin D has had a strong showing so far in the 2020-21 winter, suggesting it’s finding new popularity with shoppers.

Snacking Gets Updated

With shoppers equally concerned with their health and their maintainable diets, snacks are getting a new look. Functional ingredients (such as chip alternatives made from lentils) are finding their way into snacks, while nutritious grab-and-go options continue to grow.

Throughout 2020, the sale of packaged vegetables was up 407%.

What This Means for Retailers

As more shoppers follow these trends, co-ops have the opportunity to help them find the products that meet their health and wellness goals and establish a long-term relationship with them.

• Educate: Show customers the new products available and explain how they bring nutrition together with convenience.
• Reevaluate your lineup: Are you stocking your food and beverage shelves with products that focus on innovative health and wellness items?
• Make these items easier to find: Give prominent placement and sufficient facings to items that are diet-friendly, boost immunity and have functional ingredients.

With the right merchandising and customer service, you can show customers that you’re ready to help them stay healthy in 2021.