Trends in the Health & Organic Industry from the 2016 Naturally Good Expo

On 1st and 2nd May we exhibited at the Naturally Good Expo in Sydney for our second year in a row. We met some amazing people and like minded brands. Below are some of the trends we noticed…

1. Similar products are competing in the market. Crafting a unique voice and brand identity will help brands stand out from the crowd.
2. On-the-go snacking is ever so popular as consumers are leading increasingly busier lives and looking for something that’s convenient yet nutritious.
3. Meat-based, high protein energy bars are now a thing… We think we still prefer our meat based protein with a fork and knife for now!
4. Pulses are emerging as a hot trend. Pre-packaged, ready to go bean and spice packs make curry nights a breeze for busy working professionals and families.
5. More frozen, healthy food brands are on the rise, touting freezing as a natural preservative. These aren’t your typical frozen TV dinners!
6. Packaging saw a trend towards clean, minimal design with a monochromatic colour scheme of only two to three colours.
7. Clean nutritional panels are ever so important for today’s health conscious consumers.
8. Organic teas are becoming an increasingly congested market as are organic chocolates.
9. Candy has expanded to the organic category, with brands opting for refined sugar replacements like coconut sugar, offering consumers a less guilty indulgent (but they are often still very high in fat due to coconut oil and nuts).
10. Organic sodas and juices continue to grow.
11. Kombucha is still a hot trend for 2016 with once small, homemade brands now being carried by key distributors.
12. Bone broth isn’t just found in grandma’s kitchen anymore.
13. The granola and energy bar categories are jam-packed. Differentiation in packaging and variety in flavour will likely help it grow.
14. High quality, cruelty free, vegan and organic beauty brands are on the rise.
15. There are some great tasting, dairy-free products on the rise in the yogurt and cheese category. In particular, coconut “yogurt” is being produced by a number of companies.
16. Certified organic labelling trumps taste and clean nutrition panel for some consumers.
17. Body scrubs and organic self-tanners are hot right now.
18. Transparency is still one of the most important aspects of a product that companies continue to feature with many companies proudly waving their “Australian Made” flag.
19. Consumers are proud to support Australian-made products and will often opt for those over something with eye-catching packaging that’s produced elsewhere.
20. More brands are incorporating Australian Superfoods like Kakadu Plum, Quandong and Wattleseed into their beauty and food products.
21. The entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in the natural, organic and healthy products industry! There are some truly unique business ideas out there.