Drive Customer Engagement with These 2025 Consumer Food Trends

 

One thing is very clear to start the New Year according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, Restaurants, convenience stores, and service delis can unlock consumer engagement by tapping into the trends highlighted in Grubhub's annual "2024 Delivered Report."

This report offers a treasure trove of insights into consumer ordering behaviors and preferences that are reshaping the foodservice landscape. The Grocerant Guru®, renowned for exploring consumer behavior in Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food spaces, underscores the value of these findings to amplify customer loyalty through mix-and-match meal bundling.

Key Trends from Grubhub's 2024 Report:

Made-to-Order Favorites Hotdogs, bananas, and sodas were the top convenience store orders in 2024, with Dr Pepper emerging as the most-ordered soda. This signals strong demand for affordable, easy-to-grab comfort items.

Protein Preferences Chicken reigned supreme, featuring in nearly 40% of restaurant orders and dominating grocery store orders nearly three times more than beef. Innovations like protein-dense dishes, including double-protein orders at Chipotle, and trendy cottage cheese creations further underscored protein's role in meal decisions.

Espresso and Caffeine Trends Espresso orders spiked with the popularity of Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song "Espresso." Grubhub delivered nearly 15,000 unique latte variations, and energy drink orders soared during the midterm season at college campuses.

Swicy Movement The sweet and spicy combination reached new heights with hot honey purchases up 30%, affirming America’s love for bold flavor pairings.

At-Home Entertaining 2024 saw 1.6 million family meal orders from restaurants, highlighting consumer reliance on meal solutions for social gatherings.

Grocerant Guru’s Insights: Five Ways to Leverage These Trends into Mix-and-Match Meal Bundling

1.       Customized Protein Pairings

o    Insight: With chicken leading consumer preferences, mix-and-match options featuring grilled chicken, marinated chicken wings, and chicken salads can appeal to diverse palates.

o    Actionable Strategy: Offer bundled family meals with interchangeable protein options such as chicken, beef, and plant-based alternatives to align with dietary needs and preferences.

2.       Flavored Beverages and Creative Pairings

o    Insight: The rise of Dr Pepper and hot honey trends points to flavor experimentation.

o    Actionable Strategy: Bundle unique drink offerings like craft sodas and energy drinks alongside popular items such as birria tacos or espresso-infused desserts.

3.       Elevating At-Home Entertaining

o    Insight: With over 1.6 million family meals ordered, convenience is king for social gatherings.

o    Actionable Strategy: Introduce themed mix-and-match meal kits, such as Mexican fiesta bundles with birria, elote, and churros, allowing customers to curate meals that fit their occasions.

4.       Promoting ‘Swicy’ Bundles

o    Insight: The swicy trend is here to stay with hot honey’s growing appeal.

o    Actionable Strategy: Include swicy elements such as hot honey chicken, sweet-and-spicy pickle sandwiches, or hot honey-drizzled cheese boards in bundled meals to create memorable flavor experiences.

5.       Office and Hotel Delivery Solutions

o    Insight: Corporate lunch orders and hotel meal deliveries saw a resurgence in 2024.

o    Actionable Strategy: Offer mix-and-match meal deals tailored for group orders, including breakfast-to-dinner kits with add-ons like espresso beverages and champagne for elevated convenience and luxury.

Capturing Consumer Loyalty

Convenience stores, restaurants, and delis can thrive by embracing Grubhub’s data-driven insights. The rise of mix-and-match options not only deepens consumer engagement but also fosters a seamless integration of branded meal solutions into consumers’ lives. Whether curating ready-to-eat protein-packed combos or meeting swicy cravings, retailers stand to build stronger customer connections and grow incremental sales.

Grubhub’s platform spans 375,000 merchants across 4,000 U.S. cities, exemplifying the potential reach for innovative bundling strategies. By aligning with these consumer-driven trends, businesses can elevate their offerings and reinforce relationships with today’s dynamic food enthusiasts.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday than tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.