As the festive season draws near, consumer trends and innovations in Christmas food and drink are shifting, influenced by global dynamics and evolving preferences. Mintel’s “The Future of Christmas Food and Drink: 2024” reflects on 2023 activities to uncover insights into consumer expectations for the 2024 festive season.
Mindful Christmas: A growing trend
For a party season like Christmas, consumers want to look and feel their best, which can be challenging during a festive period full of decadent food and drink and not enough sleep. In India for example, 49% of consumers are interested in buying healthy gifts during the festive season (e.g. Diwali, Christmas, Eid). Additionally, the rise of “beautifying foods”, such as functional foods that support skin health, is gaining traction, with 34% of German consumers expressing interest in it.
Spotlight on sustainability
In line with broader food and drink trends, Christmas launches around the world are increasingly featuring ethical or environmental claims. Seasonal launches are, in fact, more likely than the average global food and drink product to feature an ethical or environmental claim. For example, 18% of global food and drink launches from 2023 featured a recycling claim compared to 28% of Christmas/winter seasonal launches from October 2023 to January 2024 according to Mintel GNPD.
Innovation in seasonal launches
Globally, sweet goods are leading the charge in product innovation, with chocolate confectionery and bakery products together accounting for over 50% of all new Christmas products in 2023. Specifically, chocolate confectionery maintains a consistent share of 29% of launches, while bakery products have seen a slight increase from 28% to 29% between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 periods.
Consumers look forward to celebrating
Over a third of UK consumers anticipated a more enjoyable Christmas in 2023 compared to the previous year. However, the global economic climate, marked by inflation and geopolitical conflicts, continues to impact consumer spending behaviour. In France, for example, Christmas 2023 saw a 20% drop in Champagne sales, reflecting a notable decline in spending on premium products. This trend may resonate in the Asia Pacific region, where similar economic pressures could affect consumer choices and spending habits during the festive season.
For more information visit The Future of Christmas Food and Drink: 2024“
