Expo West 2024 saw surging turnout even as retailers find themselves pinched between surging supply chain costs and tightening consumer budgets. Although the economy has avoided a recession, many consumers are feeling the pain at the grocery checkout and are curtailing nonessential spending as a result. Outlooks are optimistic and exhibitors were eager to share their innovations with attendees. Here are three trends from Expo West that made waves.
Health-Conscious Alternatives
Healthy alternatives have come a long way from the aspartame sweeteners and low-fat snack cakes of the 20th century. This year at Expo West there were more sugar alternatives that rely on natural sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, dates, and fruit in addition to sugar substitutes like stevia and monkfruit. Additionally, there were a variety of functional beverages including probiotics, electrolyte supplements, and non-alcoholic spirits. Many of these health-focused substitutions first found their foothold in the natural channel, so it’s no surprise that they are showing off just how far they’ve come at Natural Products Expo West. These products have plenty of appeal to affluent health-conscious consumers, and further growth is expected.
Natural Fuel Options
While caffeine remains the world’s drug of choice for getting through the workday, there are always people looking to quit for their health or peace of mind. Expo West 2024 showed that non-caffeinated energy alternatives are on the ascendant. Options proliferate, from protein supplements, to metabolism moderators, to specialized concoctions of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. While there’s no widespread consensus on what will best keep folks wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, there is no shortage of methods to try in between bouts of coffee, tea, or soda consumption. Coffee remains America’s energy drink of choice, but challengers are always welcome.
Sustainable Packaging Styles
As Gen Z enters the marketplace in earnest and the Millennial market matures, sustainability is front of mind, and packaging is following suit. Plastic bottles on the market are becoming more sustainable, with an emphasis on post-consumer recycled plastic and thinner walls to reduce plastic use. And, increasingly, brands are turning to glass, cartons, or cans wherever possible as an alternative to plastic packaging. Keep an eye on these options, especially as it pertains to store brands, because the anti-plastic wave is building strength and has not crested yet. A good private label provider will help you shift to stay on top of these trends to keep your own brands relevant in the shifting packaging mix.
Of course, health-conscious alternatives, natural energy options, and sustainable packaging were not the only trends that played out at Expo West 2024, but they did make a big splash. These trends are still developing, and it would be wise to follow their development as they grow and change.
