Is It All About the Taste?

By: Steve Markenson, Vice President, Research & Insights, FMI

Shoppers are redefining value in the grocery aisle, and FMI's U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends research identifies four key elements driving their choices — quality, relevance, convenience and experience. I'd like to focus specifically on the value of experience which captures the importance of pleasure, novelty, variety and discovery.

The desire to tap into experience was very much on display at the World Plant Based Expo in New York City this month. A key dimension to this notion of experience is taste. As our recently Power of Plant-Based Alternative Foods and Beverages research found, taste still rules when it comes to these plant-based alternative products.

What Drives Shopper Trial?

For many plant-based food and beverage alternatives, the drivers of trial are taste, nutrition and curiosity, with taste growing in importance in the past year. Affordability, sustainability, and friends and family also play a role, but it is far smaller, in prompting some shoppers to try these alternative products. A majority (88%) of shoppers have tried at least one plant-based alternative food or beverage, and three-fourths (77%) of consumers eat them at least occasionally.

Why Don't Shoppers Continue?

Among those shoppers who have tried the various plant-based alternative foods and beverages, taste, followed by cost and not meeting expectations (texture, look, nutrition) are the most frequently mentioned reasons for not continuing to eat these products. A growing share of these shoppers also mentioned items being more processed than they would like.

Why Have You Not Tried?

Among those who have not tried the various plant-based alternative foods and beverages, taste is the most frequently mentioned reason for not trying these products. The product being more processed than they would like and cost are also a barrier for some to not try these alternatives.

Why Do You Choose To Eat?

For those who continue to consume plant-based alternatives, taste is one of the leading reasons for ongoing consumption of plant-based food and beverage alternatives. As one shopper said, "I don't need it to bleed like meat. I don't need it to taste like meat. I just need it to taste good." Similarly, shoppers shared, "it has to have a good profile" and "if it does not taste good, I will go without." Overall health and nutrition benefits are also important considerations, as shoppers often closely read the labels looking for the number and type of ingredients along with the processing involved with producing the product.

To be successful, plant-based alternatives must master taste. Consumers are looking for products that taste good, be that  as an alternative to the "real" version or simply taste good in their own right. The Power of Plant-Based Alternative Foods and Beverages 2024 dives into consumers' attitudes about these products and explores perspectives and motivations for trial.

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