What Are Retail Produce’s Biggest Trends? Here Are Answers
Of all the factors driving growth and innovation in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) today, one stands out above all the rest: retail trends. Without consumers on your side at retail — backing up their preferences and demands with purchases — CEA growth and innovation become less impactful. Chris Veillon, Chief Marketing Officer for Pure Flavor, highlights the consumer demands and preferences in play: “Consumers not only want variety, but they want consistency of supply. CEA or greenhouse-grown can answer the call, regardless of the season.” But Veillon calls out two retail produce trends as the biggest of all: snacking vegetables and greenhouse-grown organics.
“We closely monitor retail trends so that we can respond quickly and help our retail partners to stay ahead of the curve,” Veillon says. “There are two big trends that have continued to develop well beyond the pandemic … and we expect these two areas to grow considerably well into next year, and quite honestly, beyond.”
Retail produce trend #1: Snacking Vegetables Photo courtesy of Pure Flavor
This Rise of Snacking Vegetables
Snacking vegetables have been on consumer and industry radars for years now, but the category continues to explode. “The word of the day, week, month, and likely the year, is SNACKING,” Veillon says. “Now long past COVID, lives have gotten busier with kids fully immersed in all activities which means a greater need for healthy snack alternatives.”
Not surprisingly, Pure Flavor has seen significant growth in its snacking category, driven in part by the demand for greater variety and consistency that greenhouse-grown provides. While Pure Flavor’s non-snacking staples continue experiencing year-over-year growth, Veillon says snacking remains the fastest-growing segment, sometimes outpacing other categories 2 to 1 or more.
With busy lives the norm, Veillon notes that convenient veggie snacks provide the solution health-minded consumers need. Research conducted during Pure Flavor’s 2023 “LoveForFresh” campaign reinforced consumers’ needs. More than 10,000 people across North America were surveyed about fresh produce consumption, with these insights among the many gleaned from the data:
70% of the people who completed the survey said they would be very likely to purchase a veggie snack pack.
More than 85% said convenience in a healthy snacking option was important to them, but less than half said it was easy to find those options at retail.
Veillon shares that the Pure Flavor team expects retailers to bridge that gap and increase their convenience-oriented vegetable snack offerings moving forward.
Retail produce trend #2: Greenhouse-grown organics Photo courtesy of Pure Flavor
Demand for Greenhouse-Grown Organics
As snacking continues to accelerate, interest in greenhouse-grown organics follows suit. Veillon shares that FMI, The Food Industry Association’s Power of Produce Report, the increasingly influential Gen Z demographic seems organic-bound.
“According to FMI, 33% of Gen Z shoppers want their produce department to carry more organic and greenhouse-grown produce,” Veillon shares. He believes that demand for greenhouse-grown organics will grow as consumers learn more about CEA’s environmental benefits. “Pure Flavor is supporting retailers and encouraging them to get ahead of this trend early,” he adds.
While the report shows that nearly two-thirds of consumers overall say they buy organics “because they believe it’s healthier for them,” Veillon says that flavor — as in the Pure Flavor name — is the biggest buying factor, hands down: “Flavor drives repeat sales; greenhouse-grown consistency is core to our value proposition.”
Making the Consumer Connection
To capitalize on his two top retail trends — and much more — Veillon has Pure Flavor’s marketing communications focused on digital content. The team works to strengthen the company’s digital presence across all channels, with the same marketing strategy for all products, regardless of type. Through engaging, educational content and storytelling, the company connects with consumers where they are.
In a reframed Pure Flavor perspective that speaks volumes, Veillon says, “We are no longer a greenhouse vegetable company. We are now a lifestyle company that grows greenhouse fruits and vegetables to fuel healthy lives. We’re committed to bringing “A Life of Pure Flavor” to communities everywhere.”
And it all circles back to the consumer and their influence on the growth of CEA.
“The greenhouse vegetable industry is booming in every sense of the word: significant capital investments to build acreage, more regional programs, greater R&D to grow better products. Who stands to win from all of this? The consumer,” Veillon says. “Working with our food service partners, we can ensure their customers have exceptional eating experiences with the fresh greenhouse fruits and vegetables that we grow.” That’s exactly what snack-loving, organic-minded consumers seek.