Health and Wellness

Now in its seventh edition, this report explores the top digital shopper trends that will redefine commerce the most in the year ahead. Some of the trends included in this edition touch on topics such as second-hand shopping, community group buying,…

The growing popularity of subscription boxes has led to a rise in M&A activity and funding for subscription box start-ups. Available across industries, they target specific consumer needs through different subscription models: pure convenience,…

In Western Europe, the preventative health trend was accelerated by consumers’ rising health concerns due to the 2020 global pandemic. This resulted in several product launches positioned under the immune boost and/or wellbeing umbrellas. This report…

Private label – retailers’ alternatives to brands – tend to benefit from inflation. However, despite record inflation in France, Germany and the UK, the market share of private label in the three countries remained broadly stable across FMCGs in…

One of the major issues of the pandemic was that people had fewer opportunities to do physical activities, as they stayed at home most of the time. Accordingly, many people gained weight, with the number of people diagnosed with overweight and…

Alongside rising consumer awareness in the UK on the importance of healthy nutrition, the HFSS regulation (High in Fat, Salt, and Sugar) has become a catalyst for even greater innovation in the health space. In October 2022, restrictions on product…

At the beginning of the review period, gluten free staple foods was an underdeveloped category. Specialised channels such as health food stores and organic supermarkets were the main distribution channels and consumers who struggled with issues…

The high overall consumption of processed meat and processed seafood in Switzerland presents significant opportunities for companies and brands that offer health and wellness organic versions of such products and, in particular, plant-based…

Plant-based meat and seafood substitutes enjoyed strong growth in current value terms in 2022 with the category continuing to benefit from the rising number of vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers in Sweden. Consumers are looking to eat…

In 2022, demand for staples foods was polarised between consumers searching for lower prices due to high inflation in the country and those who opted to adopt healthier diets and were willing and able to pay more for higher quality or specific value,…

Towards the end of the review period, Norway’s health and wellness staple foods industry continued to record rising sales as a result of the development of the overall health and wellness trend. The largest category across the industry is natural…

In packaged cakes, there is a growing demand for products that both satisfy the need for indulgence while still being considered a healthy eating option. In this context, Italian consumers are looking for low fat and low sugar cakes and that are rich…

According to the Health Service Executive (HSE), only 13% of Irish children fulfil the national physical activity recommendations, with at least one in five children being overweight or obese. Due to increasing concerns surrounding the topic, the…

Pasta has seen demand rise as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. As a staple product that can be stored and cooked easily, even by novice cooks, pasta saw great sales growth during the lockdown period and continued to benefit even after the easing of…

With local consumers becoming increasingly health-conscious and looking for healthier breakfast options, the demand for low or no added sugar breakfast cereals in Germany has increased in recent years. These alternative options contain reduced levels…

The number of people adopting vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets is growing in France. While still somewhat underdeveloped as compared to neighbouring markets such as the UK and Germany, this trend has gained momentum in recent years, primarily…

The oat boom continues expanding in Finland. Not only are oats a traditional Nordic superfood, but there is also considerable new product development allowing brands to deliver value-added benefits. The health benefits of oats are widely known in…

Consumers are becoming more concerned about sustainability, climate impact and animal welfare, as well as health issues, which is leading to a decline in meat consumption on a regular basis and promoting a choice of meat free alternatives. Thanks to…

With the health trend gathering momentum on an annual basis in Belgium, the importance of product Nutri-Scores has been strengthening. In general, local consumers are seeking out staple products that are good for their health and which feature…

Animal welfare continues to play an increasingly important role in the grocery shopping decisions of Austrian consumers and this strong focus on animal welfare continues to have a positive impact on demand for health and wellness processed meat.…

The consumer base in Turkey increased in 2022, as the country saw substantial immigration, and also a strong influx of tourists. Despite inflationary pressures and higher prices, the consumption of soft drinks increased, and the focus on health and…

Local consumers are increasingly prioritising perceived healthier soft drinks, not only due to greater concerns over their health or to a more expanded knowledge of their own needs, but also because of the more expensive retail prices of soft drinks…

The transition to low sugar and no sugar products began a few years ago, although the pandemic accelerated the trend. The pandemic brought significant changes in the way consumers approached their health and wellness which led to a sudden and…

2022 saw health and wellness soft drinks outperform the overall soft drinks industry in Switzerland as consumer awareness of the health benefits of consuming health and wellness products generally continued to increase. Numerous categories of health…

The shift from traditional or sugary alternatives, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, to low/no sugar variants, like Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Light, and Pepsi Max, is not a new trend, but it is the longest standing health trend in soft drinks. This…

Sugar intake remains one of the primary concerns for consumers in Spain, which supported demand for low sugar, no sugar and no added sugar claims within soft drinks in 2022. A major contribution comes from no sugar cola carbonates. While lower-income…

2022 was an interesting year for the health and wellness soft drinks industry in Norway as demand patterns continued to be shaped by two countervailing trends. The first of these was the positive impact of domestic tax policy, specifically the…

The strongest trend in health and wellness soft drinks in Italy in 2022 concerned the development of low sugar and no added sugar soft drinks. This was linked to the growing media attention on Italy’s rising obesity rate and the health risks…

Functionality has been the defining trend within soft drinks in 2022, with products being fortified with ingredients such as vitamins and zinc. Post-pandemic trends have led consumers to look for improved nutrition to support their immune system and…

Sugar has become a key focus of consumer health concerns on the back of increasing publicity around the role of excessive sugar consumption in the development of a range of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Sugary…

In 2022, health claims within soft drinks that were a good source of antioxidants, minerals or vitamins grew significantly in Germany. This growth was driven by increasing consumer awareness and interest in nutrition and wellness, as Germans sought…

Overall volume sales of organic soft drinks in France declined for a second consecutive year in 2022, and at a steeper rate than in 2021. This was partly explained by the stabilisation of consumption patterns, as demand for such products surged in…

The selection of functional soft drinks is growing in Finland and consumers are exhibiting great interest in products that offer added protein and an energy boost. Finns lead hectic and active lifestyles in the cold and dark Nordic climate, making…

There are multiple health and wellness claims in soft drinks, including natural and organic; fortified with vitamins and minerals; superfruit and immune system or brain work support; energy boosting and mental health care. These are targeted at a…

As obesity and general health are growing concerns among Belgium’s population, low and no sugar soft drinks are becoming more popular and are taking sales share from regular soft drinks. The leader of the category, Coca-Cola, is a significant example…

A wide range of health and wellness soft drinks categories recorded positive retail volume growth in 2022 as consumers prioritised various health and wellness attributes when purchasing soft drinks. The increased interest in improving one’s diet to…

Consumers in Turkey have become highly price-sensitive, given the steep inflation rate and the decrease in tourism, as the country traditionally benefited from tourist arrivals from both Ukraine and Russia, with this disrupted by the war in Ukraine.…

Retail value sales of low sugar snacks continued to grow in 2022. Since the pandemic, local consumers have been paying greater attention to the impact that food has on their health, especially as media reports highlighted that those who are…

Vegan snacks registered a strong sales performance in 2022 as all vegan categories achieved above average growth, including vegan ice cream, which performed particularly well. Moreover, the range of vegan chocolate confectionery is constantly…

Swiss consumers are generally already acutely aware of the immediate health dangers of excessive sugar consumption, including tooth decay and weight problems. Moreover, it is widely understood among the local population that the long-term health…

Swedes love their snacks with high levels of per capita consumption for most categories but demand for healthier options remains comparatively quite low. Unlike most packaged food categories where consumers are opting for healthier alternatives of…

Spaniards are increasingly reducing their sugar intake when consuming packaged foods, including snacks that contain low sugar content. This trend has become mainstream within sweet biscuits. Local consumers want to treat themselves but with no…

The return to snacking as a common dietary habit among the Norwegian population during the post-pandemic era supported positive growth across many categories of health and wellness snacks during 2022 as local people returned to their active…

The pandemic adversely affected consumption of snack bars with these products having fallen out of favour as consumers spent more time at home, but with the return to normal life in 2022, sales also returned to growth. Convenience and taste were at…

The Irish health agenda, alongside post-pandemic health awareness behaviour, has drastically changed snack purchasing habits among local consumers. In December 2021, the new HFSS (High Fat, Salt and Sugar) rules were unveiled by the Advertising…

The increasing awareness of the link between high sugar consumption and obesity, especially amongst children, has shed light on the importance of reducing the sugar content of highly calorific foods, including snacks. Indeed, growing awareness of the…

Demand for snack bars and fruit snacks in Germany experienced steady growth towards the end of the review period. With increasing interest in health and wellness, many local consumers are looking for convenient and on-the-go options that provide the…

French consumers have long been cognisant of how sugar intake can be a significant contributory factor in the development of conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay, as the effects of this substance have been a focal point in media…

Health claims related to xylitol remain relevant in the Finnish snacks market, and snack products containing xylitol are gaining in popularity. The Jenkki brand and its xylitol health claims have been present since the first xylitol sweetened gum was…

During the COVID-19 pandemic era there was an increase in sales of indulgence and comfort food, such as cookies, and confectionery. However, by 2022, there was a marked return to normality, with people seeking out products that were better for them.…