PAGE HEADER IDDBA GUIDING TRENDS (CONT.)
Trend 1: Lighten the Load - How Versatility Is Redefining Convenience
In an age of information overload and constant decision-making, consumers are redefining what “convenient” means. Speed alone is no longer enough to satisfy. Shoppers want versatility, relief from mental fatigue, and food experiences that simplify daily life without compromise—without sacrificing taste, quality, or emotional satisfaction. “The modern world is complex and frequently feels out of control. The baseline consumer is dealing with a lot and is frequently under a lot of stress. The food industry should be striving to make sure that the shopping, cooking, and eating experiences are not adding to that. That does not necessarily mean the simplest option will always be best, but if complexity is being added, it better be worth it.” — Matthew Barry, Insight Manager, Euromonitor.
The new convenience is flexibility—items that stretch across meals and occasions and reduce planning friction. “Today’s shoppers don’t see convenience as just speed. They want food that quiets mental clutter and decision fatigue—making life feel lighter without losing the joy of taste or quality. They buy products that offer control and flexibility. For example, over half of meal kit buyers value them to ease the stress of planning, shopping, and cleaning. It’s about honoring the comfort and nostalgia of a good meal—just with modern touches to make the everyday ritual feel effortless” — Sarah Weise, CEO, Bixa.
Consumers say the stakes are high: “Researchers say that we are fed more information in a single day now than we would have been fed in our entire lifetime 500 years ago. How do you cut through all that clutter? Brands need to do a better job of showcasing how their products and services truly help the consumer, not just their own bottom line. Today’s consumers feel like every brand is raising prices, swapping in cheaper ingredients, cutting corners, making packaging smaller, introducing needless subscription services, the list goes on and on. This is a great opportunity for prepared foods, where you can offer consumers a Monday meal deal that takes that burden off of their plate for one day a week.” — Mike Kostyo, Vice President, Menu Matters.
Data reinforces the shift from speed to ease. “48% of Americans say that convenience is an important factor in choosing dinner foods, although taste is notably more important at 82%.” — Rachel Bonsignore, Vice President at NIQ Consumer Life, NielsenIQ. Time really matters at dinner: “From Circana’s National Eating Trends study- most dinners take 29 minutes or less with an up-tick in heat and eat at all occasions. Dinners are shifting to low-prep, with over 65% of dinners being on the shorter time involvement, and the growth being “Simple, Everyday Dinner” and “No Prep” Dinners, showcasing the growing trend and importance of opportunities for retailers to have options catering to these consumer trends.” — Bailey Furtado, Fresh Foods Industry Senior Analyst, Circana.
Prepared foods help shoppers “do better” for their families while preserving the ritual of shared meals. “Deli Prepared & Entertaining continues to be strong growth drivers for the deli department. 59% of Gen Z deli spend is allocated towards deli prepared foods & meals—showcasing an incredible demand and purchases towards enticing, unique, exciting prepared foods that make life more convenient.” — Bailey Furtado, Senior Analyst, Circana.
Assortment freshness also matters. “Menu fatigue isn’t a sign of failure — it’s feedback that it’s time to evolve. For deli and prepared foods departments, this means creating rotating seasonal offerings every three to six months. Even beloved signature items eventually lose their appeal, so operators need to balance their core hits with unexpected additions that signal freshness.” — Samantha Des Jardins, Content Marketing Manager, Datassential. “Operators who frequently update their menus, even by swapping out just a few items, are better positioned to maintain customer engagement. For prepared foods, this could mean changing sauces, herbs, or seasonings — small tweaks that breathe new life into familiar offerings without wholesale operational change. The key to preventing flavor fatigue in bakery departments isn’t complexity — it’s smart rotation. We’re seeing that fatigued flavors can regain consumer interest by being paired with trendier items or aligned with current counter-trends. A tired flavor doesn’t need to be retired; it needs reinvention.”
Five Takeaways for Retailers & Manufacturers
• Ease = emotional relief: design experiences that lower cognitive load, not just cook time.
• Build for flexibility: create products that cross meals and moments to fight decision fatigue.
• Elevate prepared: treat deli-prepared and heat-and-eat as the new “home-cooked.”
• Refresh on a cadence: rotate seasonally to prevent fatigue and signal freshness.
• Prove value: communicate authentic benefits amid skepticism about trade-offs.
WHAT’S IN STORE | 2026 © 2026 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association
Industry Landscape
5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86
