We read several industry publications on a regular basis - Fresh Cup magazine, Specialty Coffee Retailer, Gourmet News, Specialty Food among them. We advertise in Fresh Cup and Specialty Coffee Retailer, both publications for the coffee and tea trade. In the most recent issue of Gourmet News, they reported on the top five trends gathered from SPINS data - this is the industry authority that provides reporting and consulting services for the natural products industry. Here they are:
- Local flavor - community and local emphasis .
- Beyong Organic - Fair Trade, carbon-neutral, recycled. Certification adds authenticity and transparency to these types of claims.
- Coconut - showing up in everything! With its added health benefits and electrolytes, coconut is here to stay.
- Gourmet private label - appealing to cost-conscious consumers.
- Vegan - emphasis on certification of vegan products.
An overall trend was a focus on
value labeled as the "new chic" and an emphasis on natural ingredients. It was gratifying to note that we were well on our way to being trendy! We buy locally and recently introduced a quiche made of all-natural ingredients. We have one of the largest offerings of Certified Organic and Fair Trade teas in the country and have been actively implementng greeninitiatives, including partnership with CarbonFund and running on green power. And Coconut...who knew! We have Coconut Vanilla tea, Coconut Key Lime bars and cakes. I hope these count!
We read several industry publications on a regular basis - Fresh Cup magazine, Specialty Coffee Retailer, Gourmet News, Specialty Food among them. We advertise in Fresh Cup and Specialty Coffee Retailer, both publications for the coffee and tea trade. In the most recent issue of Gourmet News, they reported on the top five trends gathered from SPINS data - this is the industry authority that provides reporting and consulting services for the natural products industry. Here they are:
