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Catering to the tastes of tomorrow's food shopper
Explore how food consumers are turning to mobile devices for instant satisfaction, while relying on social platforms to guide them through the consumer journey.
The creation of new business models and rise in disruptor brands are challenging food companies to appeal to new audiences and maintain relevance amongst their existing customers. With new technologies disrupting the landscape – from one-click ordering to at-home delivery – and an abundance of new players entering the market, people are faced with more choice than ever before.
To satisfy their ever-evolving tastes, people are turning to mobile devices for instant satisfaction, while relying on social platforms to guide their decision-making. In fact, 36% of 18-34-year-olds1 say that they engage with food-related posts on Facebook every week, and more than a quarter of young consumers2 use social channels to find culinary inspiration.3
To help marketers understand the new consumer journey, Facebook IQ commissioned Accenture to survey 2,280 people in the US aged 18 and over, who had purchased food products in the three months leading up to November 2018. The study revealed people's changing relationships with food, uncovering three trends affecting the industry today:
People are using mobile devices to shortcut their food shopping
Between busy lifestyles and long working hours, people are feeling squeezed. With 68% of 18-34-year-olds agreeing that time can be more valuable than money, time has become a highly prized commodity. As a result, people are looking for shortcuts to help them streamline their supermarket experience without compromising on affordability.
At the heart of this convenience culture are mobile devices, which are transforming how people shop – one in four 18-34-year-olds surveyed are now using mobile4 to make food purchases. A lot of the time these devices are being used in store: 40% of food shoppers use their phone to check their digital shopping lists when in store and 34% of 18-34-year-olds say they use their phone to look for promotions and discounts when shopping in store. An example of a brand successfully tapping into this desire for mobile savings is Grocery Pal, a US-based app that directs users to weekly in-store discounts and sales promotions at over 100 supermarkets and food retailers.
How are food shoppers using mobile?
1 in 418-34-year-olds are now using mobile to make food purchases
40%of food shoppers use their phone to check their digital shopping lists when in store
34%of 18-34-year-olds say they use their phone to look for promotions and discounts when shopping in store
The desire for a more seamless shopping experience isn't just affecting how people buy groceries; it's having an impact on how they buy food in general. It's partly why ultra-convenient food services such as meal kit subscriptions and on-demand deliveries are proving so popular, particularly amongst younger generations5 – with 18-34-year-olds twice as likely as people aged 35 and over to have used or currently use such services.6
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"Convenience has always been a factor, but that used to just mean somebody putting your shopping bags in your car or ordering groceries online. We're now seeing Amazon, as well as many other retailers trying to compete with Amazon, offering delivery on a huge variety of different food products."
– Kara Nielsen, internationally recognised food and beverage trendologist with over a decade of experience analysing trends and the consumer values that drive trend growth and adoption.
Mobile devices are enabling people to quickly check their shopping lists, research recipes or seek out a fresh dose of inspiration wherever and whenever they can. Social platforms are proving particularly important for these connected consumers. The Facebook Family of Apps and Services7 is the most visited site or app among 18-34-year-old food shoppers using their mobile devices in store while shopping for food.8
People want social content that helps them explore new tastes
With nearly half of 18-34-year-olds* surveyed now identifying as "foodies" – compared to under a third* of people aged 35 and over – food is playing an increasingly important part in many people's lives. For younger audiences,9 it's more than just an enjoyable experience; it's become an important part of their identity, and they're using social to help boost their expertise and understanding.
Need a visual?
Download our infographic to see these food shopping trends come to life in the United States.
It's well known that people like to share food-related content with their friends and followers on social media – 44% of 18-34-year-old food shoppers post or share food-related content on social media. Whether they're posting a meticulously crafted acai bowl or mouth-watering smoothie, 37% of 18-34-year-old food shoppers who post food-related content on social media say they do so to showcase their experiences to others, while 28% of 18-34-year-olds say they post food-related content to help build up their expertise on the topic amongst their connections.
How does social play a role in the food shopping journey?
of 18-34-year-old food shoppers post or share food-related content on social media
of 18-34-year-old food shoppers say they discover new food or recipe ideas on social platforms
of food shoppers say that upon discovering a new product online, they'll consider using it in a recipe
But these platforms are about much more than just boosting social capital, they're becoming important hubs to discover and learn more about dishes, techniques, products and brands: 87% of 18-34-year-old food shoppers surveyed say they discover new food or recipe ideas on social platforms, with the Facebook family of apps10 as the number one way for this younger group11 to discover new food. In fact, nearly half* of 18-34-year-olds say that mobile12 content plays a role in helping them decide which new food product to buy. With social platforms such as Facebook and Instagram facilitating the discovery of new food products, people are becoming more adventurous in the kitchen – 31% of food shoppers say that upon discovering a new product online, they'll consider using it in a recipe.
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"People are learning about new foods or new recipe ideas through their phones. Whereas they used to get a magazine and tear out a recipe, now they just look online – it's like a giant library."
– Kara Nielsen, internationally recognised food and beverage trendologist with over a decade of experience analysing trends and the consumer values that drive trend growth and adoption.
Driven in part by its ability to deliver personalisation at scale, the Facebook family of apps13 is the number one way for 18-34-year-old food shoppers to discover new food. Content that entertains and educates is a recipe for success – these are the two most popular reasons why Americans follow food influencers or celebrities on social media, over and above content that demonstrates brand values.
People are choosing to buy based on their digital hunger
It's long been established that when people see an image of food, it stimulates the same brain activity as if they were seeing that food on a plate in front of them.14 The more vivid and realistic the image, the more effective the simulation will be – which is why people often find their stomach grumbling after looking at one of the 191 million+ imaged tagged #foodporn on Instagram.
People are, quite literally, hungry for visual food content on social media – 46% of weekly Instagram users in the US15 who explore an interest on Instagram say they like to see and share content about food and drink, making it the most popular interest on the platform. Eye-catching imagery is making food products instantly craveable, which, in turn, is having a direct impact on purchasing behaviour – 31% of 18-34-year-olds surveyed who use social media to decide what new product to buy say that ads in their Instagram or Facebook feed help them make a decision. Recognising the powerful effects that imagery can have, Buzzfeed's cooking channel, "Tasty," has attracted over 29 million followers on Instagram by offering mouth-watering, bite-sized video content of new cooking tips, tricks and recipe ideas.
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"Young people are used to consuming things more visually. They have shorter attention spans, they want to burn through it, and look and see and understand what it is at a glance instead of perhaps reading something a little more thoroughly. If you look at a lot of the traditional older cookbooks, there aren't that many pictures – you have to read the recipe. And now everything is so visual."
– Kara Nielsen, internationally recognised food and beverage trendologist with over a decade of experience analysing trends and the consumer values that drive trend growth and adoption.
People are eating with their eyes, and that's having a direct impact on their purchasing behaviour. Between carousel ads, vertical video, stories and more, social media is a particularly effective channel to satisfy this digital hunger. It's partially why 46% of 18-34-year-olds say they have purchased a food product after seeing a post on social media.
Download our infographic to see these food shopping trends come to life in the United States.
Source unless otherwise specified: "CPG Consumer Study" by Accenture (Facebook-commissioned survey of 2,280 people in the US), November 2018. This article refers to people who have purchased a food product in the past three months.
What it means for marketers
Anticipate the distinct needs of your audience.
With time becoming an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity, people are turning to new services that help them cut corners in the kitchen, speed up the traditional shopping experience and save a few pennies. Mobile devices are at the heart of this trend, and social platforms are particularly important.
Create content that inspires consumers to discover new foods.
Driven in part by its ability to deliver personalisation at scale, the Facebook family of apps is a key destination for food shoppers aged 18-34 to discover new food. Content that entertains, inspires and educates is a recipe for success – these are some of the most popular reasons why food shoppers follow food influencers or celebrities on social media.
Engage your audience through visual storytelling.
People are eating with their eyes, and that's having a direct impact on their purchasing behaviour. Between carousel ads, vertical video, stories and more, social media is a particularly effective channel for brands to satisfy this digital hunger where you can engage these consumers in new ways.
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