Sustainability, animal welfare top Fresh Thyme Market’s top 10 trends for 2024

Leveraging insights from SPINS, Fresh Thyme compiled a list of trends based on observations in its stores and focused on what Midwest consumers want when they shop at its stores. The list included the following trends:

1. Sustainable solutions see wider adoption​: Shoppers are turning to certified upcycled and regenerative organic products to promote a healthy planet.
2. Animal welfare become a priority​: Consumers are also “becoming more conscious of where” meats and dairy are coming from and buying products with pasture-raised or eco-friendly fishing practice claims. Fresh Thyme stocks cage-free, organic, free-range, and pasture-raised specialty eggs on 97% of its shelves.
3. Promoting local and diverse brands​. Consumers are looking for brands that reflect their community and background and brands affiliated with organizations like U.S. Veteran Owned Business, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and National Minority Supplier Development Council.
4. Protein on the move​: Fitness-focused consumers are looking for various protein sources, including pea and beet proteins, to fuel their fitness routine. Fresh Thyme supports this trend by offering protein powder and snack bar brands like Orgain and Truvani.
5. TikTok and social media trends take over​: TikTok and Instagram continue to influence how and what consumers buy with viral food trends like baked feta pasta and cottage cheese ice cream.
6. Allergy-conscious consumers have more choices​: Consumers are shopping for a variety of free-from products (allergen-free, gluten-free, etc.) to fit their lifestyle and dietary requirements, and Fresh Thyme offers products from Made Good Foods, Fody Foods, and Harvest Snaps Baked Green Pea Snacks ​to meet this demand.
7. Functional beverages on the rise​: Consumers are sipping functional beverages with immunity and mood-boosting claims and better-for-you-claims, including brands like Recess, Poppi, and De Soi.
8. The mushroom craze continues​: Fungi-based coffee, capsules, and alternative meat products have sprouted up, as consumers look for their nutritional value and support for a variety of diets.
9. Crabs are on the move​: Shoppers are purchasing more crab for a host of recipes, including crab cakes to crab rangoons, and sustainable and ethically sourced seafood is becoming a bigger priority for consumers.
10. Beauty becomes a part of health and wellness​: Consumers are looking for health and wellness products that also support their beauty, including skin-health claims.