As consumer attitudes and lifestyles change, product portfolios follow suit.
Growing concern about health and food ingredients has been behind much recent new product development in the UK.
At the same time, rising levels of personal disposable income (PDI) have helped premium lines.
These have generally fared well in the marketplace, as price is often secondary to taste and quality for many consumers.The leading categories for recent NPD in the UK reflect demands for convenience and indulgence, namely ready prepared meals, chocolate confectionery and cakes and pastries.
In both cases, much effort has been made by manufacturers to develop products that are perceived by consumers as being in some way ‘healthier’, such as vegetarian and low-fat/sugar varieties.
Other products marketed on a convenience platform are also much in demand; witness the many new microwaveable products.
Demand for snack products, however, may be nearing its peak.
New products in the future will target ever-more specific consumer groups (such as those suffering from allergies) with increasingly individualised products.This report clearly outlines UK consumers’ attitudes towards:new product development (NPD) buying new food products brand loyalty.
It offers expert analysis of NPD levels across a number of food markets, as well as studying trends in product positioning claims and highlighting examples of the most innovative products.
By examining the core consumer base for new products, the report also provides a vital forecast of their relative growth potential to 2010.This research is essential reading for NPD, R&D and FMCG marketing professionals looking to gain a full understanding of the UK’s appetite for innovative new products and to identify the markets offering the most opportunity for development.
In addition, This research has been designed to enable you to:Track market drivers, including PDI trends, impulse purchasing and the increasing awareness of healthy eating issues Track changes in UK eating patterns Segment consumers into key target audiences by their openness to adopting new products Discover which are the top 30 product sectors for new product introductions in UK Monitor general trends in food expenditure and product penetration.