Side Delights® fresh potato products respond to the 2019 top trends of convenience, organic, plant-based, regional flavors, and foods for sensitive stomachs in their portfolio of products.
These trends are driving retail grocers into competition with the foodservice sector as well as with each other. Grocery stores benefit by providing shoppers with creative assortment options addressing the leading food trends.
Let’s see how this plays out:
1. Convenience
Convenience continues to be a driving trend in the grocery channel, and in some store types, THE leading trend. The trend Including convenience foods (quick to cook or ready to eat), meal kits, and meal solutions. Consumers continue to embrace food choices with minimal prep time, cook time and clean up.
Side Delights® offers a full line of convenience potato products including Steamables, Bakeables, Flavorables, Grillables and Roastables to satisfy consumers who want to feel satisfied…quickly! These items delight the consumer with their ease of preparation and satisfy their desire for a tasty, quick side dish – what could be better?
2. Organic
Organic food sales in the U.S. rose 5.9% in 2018 to $47.9 billion, according to the 2019 Organic Industry Survey Sales of organic fruits and vegetables accounting for $17.4 billion.
Adding Side Delights Farmer’s Table® potatoes including the first of its kind single-serve microwavable organic Russet, to the organic selection in the Produce Department, will drive consumers in-store organic purchases AND satisfy their need for convenience – two trends for the price of one!
3. Plant-based
The globally-respected Chopra Center includes plant-based foods in its list of 2019 food trends. As the article states, “the plant-based lifestyle isn’t a new trend, but the availability of plant-based options and the number of people consuming them are rising.”
Grocery stores that offer a variety of plant-based foods will benefit from this increase. Shoppers can embrace a plant-based lifestyle with any Side Delights® potato products, but especially with Gourmet Petite potatoes. These thin-skinned petite potatoes require no peeling and cook up quickly.
A shortcoming of a plant-based eating regimens is hunger between meals. Side Delights fresh potatoes provide the satiety factor not often experienced with leafy greens or other fruits and vegetables. Adding fresh potatoes to the menu keeps stomachs full throughout the day, resulting in enough energy for clear thinking and stamina throughout the day.
4. Regional Flavors
Regional flavors topped Kroger’s Top Food Trends for 2019 at number one. Consumers continue to embrace products influenced by local, regional and global tastes. Flavorables, Roastables and Salt house lines of seasoned potatoes provide grocery stores with the bold, global yet regionally influenced flavors consumers are craving.
5. Foods for Sensitive Stomachs
According to the Consumer Reports 2019 trend report, foods that are low in “FODMAP” (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) are increasingly in demand in grocery stores. These carbohydrates can cause gas, bloating, and other digestive issues and can be especially problematic for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Potatoes are naturally low in FODMAP. All of the Side Delights® brand of fresh potatoes offers a number of options for shoppers seeking low-FODMAP foods.
“Consumers love potatoes, and the potato category continues to drive Produce volume and dollar sales at retail,“ said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network.
“Grocery stores who offer shoppers the products that they want, while embracing the trends they follow, will win.”
For more information on Side Delights® products, programs and recipes, visit www.sidedelights.com.
Source: Fresh Solutions Network, LLC
