MINTEL CATEGORY INSIGHTS
Global New Products Database
Fruit What Consumers Want, and Why
Market Overview
Boosted by the pandemic, sales of fruit surpassed $48 billion in 2020, but have begun to return to their pre-COVID trajectory in 2021. The fruit category should see steady, if slight, growth through 2026, amid consumer interest in healthier eating and overall wellness.
Key Issues
Fruit brands’ ethical and sustainable practices will resonate strongly with young adults, particularly options that help address consumer concerns about fruit that goes to waste. Only 38% of respondents age 45-plus are interested in fruit grown using regenerative farming practices.
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progressivegrocer.com
Of consumers ages 18-44 and 45-plus say that they struggle to fit enough fruit into their diet.
Online ordering — and reordering — of groceries surged during the pandemic, and, while consumers have returned to the physical stores, they haven’t abandoned their online grocery behavior, with four in 10 produce buyers purchasing at least a portion of their produce online. The opportunity spans fruit segments, pointing to the potential for brands and retailers to establish a more direct relationship with their consumers, making that online produce purchase even more personal through order histories, easing the reorder process, and potentially even broadening usage with cooking/baking tutorials and recipes for nutritious fruit-based snacks, desserts and more.
