Global Food and Beverage Trends 2022, three trends see long-term growth opportunities

The popular "convenience store bartending" last summer is also a creative way for consumers to unlock different drinks.

5. The future: Take chances to make everyday life more interesting

We also saw a very interesting case where the pasta brand Barilla combined music and pasta into the consumer's life scene to add fun experience. It has a playlist on music App Spotify that plays at the same time as the pasta is cooked. Consumers can enjoy music while cooking pasta.

6, the future: Multi-sensory products and gamification elements can make food more interesting

Mintel also predicts that in the next five years, consumers will need to balance their online and offline lives, so some consumers will slow down their pace of life in pursuit of spiritual enjoyment and pleasure. Consumers will also seek sensory experiences that are not available in the digital realm, such as taste, smell and touch. Already, 26% of Chinese adults say aroma is an important factor when buying freshly brewed coffee. Multi-sensory immersive eating experiences will be difficult to provide online digital experiences.

Trend 3: Flexible space

Mintel said the inspiration for the "flexible space" came from a change during the pandemic - a living room turned into a gym, a bar turned into a vaccination site, and an e-commerce platform built a VR panoramic showroom. People have developed more functions in their home space, and food and beverage products adapted to the new lifestyle of consumers have emerged.

According to Mintel's Global Consumer Trends 2022 "Flexible Spaces", brands can create multi-functional, meaningful Spaces offline or online, providing consumers with places to communicate, shop, eat and drink, and can help consumers build platforms where they can spend time, express themselves and meet new people.

1, the present: food and beverage products are reused for household consumption

The family scene is becoming a more versatile space, and the consumer demand in the family scene has become more abundant. Convenience foods for the lazy are popular, such as Japanese food brand Myojo's instant food products, which can be heated and eaten directly by consumers, eliminating the need for kitchenware and reducing the hassle of washing dishes.

And foods that can be eaten in a variety of ways, such as FritoLay salt and pepper flakes, which can be eaten as a dip or added to salads or mixed with corn.

Asahi All-Open beer is a product that restores the bar experience, its bottle cap can be completely open, once the cap is opened, there will be a wealth of small bubbles, at home can also have a similar experience in the bar.

2. Near term: Get creative in physical and digital Spaces and build multifunctional Spaces for consumers

Mintel believes that the main function of a retail space can be more than just selling products. For example, cafes can be used to discuss business cooperation, while supermarkets can host birthday parties. Businesses can also expand their offerings by offering delivery services. The offline physical store will become a place for consumers to feel the brand culture and experience products, and promote a deeper connection between consumers and brands.

Melanie ZanozaBartelme, associate director of Food and drink at Mintel, said: "We know that consumers are seeking deeper connections with others based on their hobbies - from sports to gaming to a shared love of a particular food or drink brand. Brands are starting to provide platforms online and in real life for these like-minded people to come together and make these interests core to their identity."

In 2020, coffee brand TimHortons and Tencent esports cooperation to open the first esports theme store landed in Shanghai, the store space set up a black area, interactive table, team photo screen, esports 5v5 private room, etc., restore the real esports competition scene.

3. The future: Food that brings digital life into the real world

Mintel predicts that in the future, food and beverage products can take advantage of the booming video game business to drive product innovation and marketing activities. According to statistics, 43 percent of Chinese consumers are interested in buying food and drinks co-branded with video games.

There have been a few similar attempts around the world, such as Slime Kamaboko, which was inspired by a game called Dragon Quest.