Two women sit at a coffee shop as commuters walk past in a coffee town in Makati, Metro Manila in the Philippines April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
(Reuters) - In a year of heightened anxiety over inequality and a potential trade war, the food industry needs to “learn to listen” and adapt to consumers’ changing needs, according to Edelman’s Global Food & Beverage Industry 2020 report.
Edelman found that rising incomes in developing markets will combine with improvements in disease-prevention to keep consumers healthy, while the trend toward increased awareness of eating disorders and positive body image will drive the health and wellness arena.
Others trends include:
* Pairing beverages with food (pizza, wine with fruit, cheeseburgers with beetroot)
* The growing popularity of ethnic foods
* Fostering “healthy cities”
* Retailers embracing the single-serve technology
In the baking and bread category, domestic competition from India’s Dosa Bakeries (DHKF) and Australia’s Indiabake is stoking demand for better products, while U.S. companies prepare for a slowdown at home, as they do not see much demand for plain white bread domestically.