Healthy eating and wellness will continue to be one of the hottest growth areas in grocery in 2019, IGD has predicted.
The grocery analysts have been forecasting the big trends for next year, highlighting five key areas. In addition to healthy eating, they include more personalised shopping, sustainability, more seemless in-store shopping experiences and the rise of ‘anywhere, anytime’ shopping. Many of these trends are driven by technology and better access to data.
IGD says retailers will play a more active role in supporting the health and wellness of consumers, pointing out that 85 per cent of shoppers claim to be actively trying to improve their diets. “We believe shoppers will be more health conscious going forward, so supporting them to both look and feel good will be a major priority for retailers and their suppliers,” said Toby Pickard, head of insight, innovation and futures at IGD.“This means that both consumers and businesses will be thinking more about wellness and the role of retail in promoting cleaner living going forward.”
Technology and data will help retailers’ understanding of their customers and allow them to improve the shopping experience. “In 2019 we’ll see retailers think increasingly about making every moment shoppable,” said Pickard. “A recent innovation was easyJet making it possible for Instagram users to find and book holidays to new destinations, simply by clicking on a photo they have seen.
“Whether through targeted marketing or simple ways to make purchasing more seamless, shopping is becoming not just more convenient but more instant as well.”
And with issues such as food waste and plastic pollution continuing to make national headlines, retailers are increasingly looking not just to reduce waste, but to make a positive contribution beyond just lowering their impact.
