FEATURED CATEGORY: Cookies

January 2021 – Cookies will always be an indulgence and a treat for shoppers, but as consumers continue down the path of wanting healthier and cleaner options, the category is evolving with innovative changes as well.

Plant-based and Vegan friendly sweets, as well as lower sugar and keto-friendly items are hitting the shelves. Gluten-free is one of the largest growing attributes right now in cookies, supporting consumers with their health goals.

Take a look at some of the top brands in Natural & Specialty below. Those highlighted in green are featured Davidson offerings.

North East Market

TREND WATCH

FEATURED CATEGORY: Soups & Broths

September 2020

The soup category has seen growth of over $90 million (Source: SPINs Data, Northeast US Region, week ending 3.22.20).

Ready to Eat Soups (canned and single serve) and Broths account for 75% of the demand in the entire category.  Areas where there has been growth have been in the ethnic soups like Miso and Ramen, as well as On-the-go type instant soups and cups of soup.  Both of these areas are on trend with what we are seeing in some other categories.  Consumers are looking to other regions across the world for new tastes and meals, as well as convenience with on-the-go options.

In addition to the flavor and convenience trend, Broths have also taken a front seat in the soup category due to their ability to provide additional health benefits. Vegetable broths have also witnessed and increase in demand as the plant-based trend continues to grow.

Below we’ve highlighted some additional trends, as well as the top Natural & Specialty Brands in both the Northeast and also the Western Region. The brands highlighted in green are available at Davidson.

North East Market

West Coast Market

Davidson supports the C&S West Coast Market Natural, Organic & Specialty department.  Here are the trending soups in the Western Region.

 

 

 

TREND WATCH

FEATURED CATEGORY: Baking & Pancake Mixes

July 2020

The baking category as a whole has seen growth of $122 million (16.5%) in the past 52 weeks (Source: SPINs Data, Northeast US Region, week ending 5.17.20).

Baking & Pancake Mixes account for $33 million of that growth, with most of it coming from Baking Ingredients and Flour.  There are some definite trends in  Natural & Specialty within mixes, especially with the recent surge in quarantine baking, that we can see from the data. Below you can see the top 10 mixes and their growth year over year.

Natural & Specialty

Diet and health focused brands are emerging with gluten-free mixes (Glutino), keto and paleo friendly options – as well as recognizable ingredient lists.  Specific brands like Kodiak Cakes are continuing to grow and expand their flavors here as consumers dive into “protein pancakes”.  Other emerging and growing brands in the baking category like Lakanto – have developed mixes that include their notorious ingredient – monk fruit. Monk Fruit and other sugar and low calorie sweetener alternatives like Stevia are growing in demand.

North East Markets

Check out the trends and featured Davidson assortment here: CLICK HERE