This report identifies current trends in gourmet food and considers how gourmet products are differentiated from mainstream products, how they evolve and how their premium positioning can be defended. By looking at the latest trends in new product development and evolutions in consumer demand, the report identifies key opportunities for future development strategies.Understand consumer expectations of gourmet food within the mass market for food and drinks and benchmark products against gourmet criteria.Gain an insight into how consumer demand for healthy and ethically produced food can be an opportunity rather than a threat to gourmet food.Evaluate how consumption of gourmet food has changed due to the economic recession and gain an insight into what’s changing in the market.Analyze product launch activity to gain an insight into the innovations landscape and assess the future development of key trends.Identify strategies for the innovation and marketing of gourmet products that will meet coming consumer tastes and demands.Gourmet products typically attract a price premium, but as a result of the economic downturn in developed economies, consumers expect food and drinks manufacturers to justify premiums through specific, transparent, and verifiable product claims.Public awareness of ethical issues surrounding food production and packaging waste is leading to demand for sustainably produced and packaged products. Despite the economic downturn, consumers are more prepared than ever to pay a premium for ethical food and drink; by extension, ethical claims help justify price premium of gourmet products.Although gourmet is often thought of as indulgent, the trend towards products that promote health and wellbeing is proving to be a boon for gourmet products which make claims such as all-natural ingredients, no chemical additives, or even contain health-enhancing ingredients such as exotic super fruits, which appeal to health-conscious consumers.What does it take to create a really successful gourmet product, how can it be differentiated from the competition, and how should it be marketed?How can gourmet food positioning be defended over time from threats such as private label and the commoditization of new flavors and ingredients?Where is gourmet innovation taking place, what are the innovations, and what’s important to consumers in those markets?What are the key developments in eating out and other leisure activities that are having an influence on gourmet food trends?What impact is factors such as the global economic recession, consumer interest in ethical issues, and health concerns having on gourmet foods?
Luxury Goods Industry
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
•Introduction
•Influencers of gourmet trends
•Global overview of major gourmet trends
•New product trends in gourmet foods
•Defensible gourmet positioning
•Conclusions
Introduction
•Summary
•Introduction and methodology
- How this report has been compiled
•Defining gourmet foods
- Indicators of gourmet
- What kind of products are gourmet?
Influencers of gourmet trends
•Summary
•Introduction
•What influences our view of gourmet?
- Rise of the "foodie"
- Social concern and sustainability
- Wellness and healthy eating
- International travel
- The importance of price in gourmet foods
- The importance of exclusivity
- The symbolic significance of food
•The buying motivations of consumers
- (Untitled sub-section)
- Consumer groups
- The importance of social media for engaging consumers
- Consumers in emerging economies
Major gourmet trends: global overview
•Summary
•Introduction
- Gourmet launches in the context of the global food and beverage market
- Gourmet launches by region
- Product launches by category
- Private label products
- Single serving
- Organic
New product trends in gourmet foods
•Summary
•Introduction
•Product trends led by taste and flavor
- The top 20 flavors in gourmet launches
- Flavor trend highlights
- Trends in flavor combination
•Targeting foodie consumers
- Typical foodie products
- Alcohol in foodie products
- Alcohol influence on foodie products
- Novelty foodie ingredients: petals
- Exclusivity
- Specificity and authenticity
- Single estate products
•Harnessing the power of restaurants and celebrity chefs
- Luxury ingredients
•Health
- Claims preceded by a negative such as “low in...”, “no...”
- Positive health claims
- Ethical products
- Convenience
- Artisan, homemade, and family recipes
- Experimental, off beat, novelty, and gifts
Defensible gourmet positioning
•Summary
•Introduction
•Defining the levels of gourmet foods
- The three tiers of gourmet
•How gourmet positioning changes over time
- Case study: salt
- What attacks or erodes gourmet positioning?
- How to protect gourmet positioning
Conclusions
•Summary
•Introduction
•Strategies for creating a gourmet food strategy
- Staying exclusive
- Maximizing the chances of success
•Conclusion: long-term trends
TABLES
•Table: Top ten health claims preceded by a negative in gourmet food launches
FIGURES
•Figure: Major trends in gourmet foods
•Figure: Emotions and self image around gourmet food
•Figure: How products are tailored to consumer groups
•Figure: Global gourmet launches as a % of total food and beverage launches
•Figure: Gourmet launches by region, 1 July 2006 – 30 June 2001
•Figure: Major gourmet categories as a % of all gourmet launches
•Figure: Private label products as a % of all new gourmet launches
•Figure: Single serving products as a % of all gourmet launches
•Figure: Major trends in new product development
•Figure: The top 20 flavors in gourmet food launches July 2006 – June 2011
•Figure: Flavor trends July 2006 - June 2011
•Figure: Product launch examples of salty-sweet flavor trend
•Figure: Chili in combination with other flavors
•Figure: Product launch examples of chili with a contrasting flavor
•Figure: Gourmet products with alcohol flavors
•Figure: Gourmet products with tea flavors
•Figure: Examples of cross-category dessert flavor migration
•Figure: Examples of cross-category savory flavor migration
•Figure: Unusual flavor combinations in gourmet food
•Figure: Examples of typical foodie products
•Figure: Examples of product launches where alcohol is a key flavor or ingredient
•Figure: Wine-inspired products
•Figure: Products with petals
•Figure: Examples of highly exclusive products
•Figure: Product launches with ingredients with highly specific origins
•Figure: Single estate products
•Figure: Celebrity chef-inspired products
•Figure: A caviar lunch pack from Caviar Co marketed at children
•Figure: Product launches with luxury ingredients
•Figure: Gourmet beverages making antioxidant claims
•Figure: Antioxidants in gourmet confectionery
•Figure: Probiotic products containing Ganeden BC30 strain
•Figure: Gourmet products with omega-3
•Figure: Gourmet oils produced from unusual plants
•Figure: Gourmet salt launches
•Figure: Examples of ethically traded gourmet products
•Figure: Gourmet food launches that make environmental claims
•Figure: Gourmet food launches in convenience food formats
•Figure: Convenient gourmet coffee formats
•Figure: Gourmet product launches with artisan and homemade claims
•Figure: Home baking kits
•Figure: The three tiers of gourmet food
•Figure: Adding a modest amount of value to sea salt with grinders and flavors
•Figure: Adding value through specificity of provenance and production methods
•Figure: Adding value to gourmet salt through convenient formats
•Figure: Adding gourmet cachet to premium sea salt with foodie ingredients
•Figure: Innovation and premiumization in sea salt
•Figure: The life cycle of a gourmet product
Companies mentioned
Bourbon SA, Brossard SA, CMS Energy Corporation, Diageo plc, General Mills, Inc., Hutchison 3G UK Limited, IntercontinentalExchange, Inc, J Sainsbury plc, Loblaw Companies Limited, Meiji Holdings Co, Ltd., Metro AG, Navarre Corporation, Nestlé SA, Publicis Groupe SA, Tesco PLC, Unilever, WMG Acquisition Corp.
