Food and Beverage Trends: It’s Tea Time!  | WMI

From embracing green tea to kale smoothies, health-conscious consumers are always on the lookout for the next magical elixir. Promising boundless energy or glowing skin, these sippable solutions offer consumers a convenient way to get the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need to fuel their on-the-go lifestyles. Sales of performance and healthy drinks grew in 2016 to $14.2 billion, up 7% from the prior year, and growth is predicted through 2021 as consumers continue to look for convenient ways to eat a well-balanced diet. What are the trendiest new beverages on the block? Tea drinks that offer rich, earthy flavors, loads of antioxidants, and a unique experience.

Kombucha

As the weather grows cooler, consumers are thirsty for flavors that go beyond pumpkin spice. Google search trends find that kombucha, a fermented tea with added probiotic benefits, is topping search volume in both the U.S. and the U.K. Analysts found that kombucha had the largest share gain in the bottled tea drink segment in the U.S. in 2016 and anticipate the category will continue to grow.

Matcha

Interest in matcha, a full-bodied green tea, started rising in the U.S. in 2015 and has continued to escalate. Since 2016, matcha drinks have continued to grow at a strong rate of 64% year-over-year and matcha-associated foods such as cake, cookies, and ice cream have been gaining interest at a rate of 62% year-over-year.

Ginger

Demand for ginger-flavored beverages has grown 32% over the past year and across seasons. Google searches for ginger tea spike during the winter months, while interest in ginger ale and ginger beer spike in the summer. Consumers are finding new ways to incorporate ginger into their diet as a health tonic, searches for ginger juice and ginger water have risen 79% year-over-year.

Infusions

Botanical infusions made through the process of steeping herbs, plant leaves, or flowers in hot or cold water to enable certain benefits or flavors aligns with both the wellness trend and with the Danish concept of “hygge”, a feeling of coziness and well-being through life’s simple pleasures, that saw a surge of U.S. interest in 2016. The ritual of crafting the herbal blends, preparing the infusion, and serving the beverage becomes the experience.

What’s Next?

Pinkies up! The tea trend continues with searches climbing for Asian bubble tea, turmeric, oolong, chamomile, hibiscus, and dandelion teas.

With every query typed into a search bar, consumers are giving marketers insight into their interests, passions, and intentions. Contact Women’s Marketing to discover how our insights practice can benefit your food and beverage brand.

Sources: Mintel Tea and RTD Tea U.S. August 2017; Think With Google Beverage Trends Report 2017