In today’s fast-paced grocery industry, keeping up with what’s hot and what’s not is the key to staying ahead. If you ever wished you had a crystal ball, that’s where AI trend analysis comes in, offering insights for marketers into the ever-changing world of food trends. Let’s take a journey through uncovering emerging food trends through AI and reshaping how to get customers excited about grocery shopping.

Consumer preferences are evolving rapidly, and AI marketing has become the cornerstone of successful marketing strategies. With consumer behaviour shifting, competition intensifying, and data becoming more abundant, leveraging AI is no longer an option but a necessity. The key to understanding food trends is keeping your ear to the ground of emerging viral recipes and foods on social media and search engines. A classic example is the viral baked feta cheese pasta trend that caused stores to sell out of the creamy cheese, leading to a lost opportunity. Of course, you have more important things to do than scrolling on TikTok endlessly, but that's where AI marketing tools swoop in to do the scrolling for you.

Now, imagine having a super-smart assistant who scours through heaps of data to predict what your customers will be craving next week. That’s AI predictive analysis in action. By analyzing search engines and various social media platforms, AI algorithms from tools like Trendsdecoder can forecast the next big thing in food trends with jaw-dropping accuracy. Understanding which viral food waves you can ride is step one of a stellar social media marketing strategy.

Let’s walk-through some examples from the Trendscoder tool to uncover some emerging food trends.

Below is a screenshot of keywords in the “grocery fresh” category along with the number of Google searches and boost that would come along with using the keyword in a post. These keywords give insight into evolving consumer preferences and the emerging trends that ever grocer should be leveraging in their marketing.

for instance “local” being the top keyword suggests that consumers are prioritizing supporting local farmers rather than larger brands, and a grocery store can include messaging in their marketing and social media strategy to promote their locally-sourced produce and products.

Another interesting trend is from the keyword “baby led weaning”, an increasingly popular approach to starting solid foods, baby-led weaning involves jumping straight to finger foods and bypassing purees. This trend could signal grocery marketers to share informative posts, infographics, or videos explaining the concept of baby-led weaning and its benefits, such as promoting self-feeding skills and fostering a positive relationship with food and provide tips and advice on how parents can safely introduce solid foods to their babies, including appropriate food choices and portion sizes.

You may notice the keyword “pizza dough” is seen as one of the most popular keywords as well, suggesting that customers are making pizza at home rather than buying frozen pizzas. For your social strategy, you can share easy-to-follow recipes for homemade pizzas using store-bought pizza dough as the base. Include variations such as classic Margherita, BBQ chicken, veggie-loaded, and breakfast pizzas to cater to different tastes and occasions.

Trensdecoder further generates a summary for the latest social insights on the category of “grocery fresh” which will help guide your marketing and social media strategy towards what consumers' “flavour-of-the-day”.

Below is a screenshot of keywords in the “deli” category along with the number of Google searches and boost that would come along with using the keyword in a post.

With the top keyword being “fresh”, grocers can be guided to promote their deli products in marketing messaging emphasizing the word “fresh”. On your social media, share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your deli team in action, showcasing your dedication to maintaining freshness standards.

Further more, the “Italian sandwich” as a strong keyword for the deli category originates from the easy but delicious “chopped Italian sandwich” trend on social media. The recipe involves taking all the all of the ingredients for the sandwich (Deli meats, cheese, lettuce, banana peppers, oil, vinegar, etc) putting them on a cutting board, chopping it up, mixing it together and scooping it into hoagie rolls for an easy meal for the perfect bite. See below for a Tiktok video from user @ninjacue of the quick and easy viral recipe.

Keywords like “gourney cheese”, “Boursin cheese”, and “Boursin garlic and herb” are the result of the growing popularity in soft spreadable cheeses and charcuterie boards. To capitalize on this trend, share mouthwatering photos and videos of charcuterie boards featuring a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits, and nuts. Highlight the versatility of Boursin cheese by showcasing it in different recipes, such as stuffed mushrooms, creamy pasta dishes, or as a spread on crackers or bread.

Below is a screenshot of keywords in the “specialty bread” category along with the number of Google searches and boost that would come along with using the keyword in a post.

The number 1 keyword in the specialty bread category is related to the dutch oven homemade bread trend. This Dutch Oven No Knead Bread is the perfect way to make a deliciously crusty artisan loaf in the comfort of your own home with only 5 minutes of prep, and you don’t have to ever touch the sticky dough with your hands! Use online channels and social media platforms to promote Dutch oven bread offerings, share baking tips, and showcase customer testimonials or success stories. Engage with followers and encourage user-generated content to generate buzz and excitement around the trend.

Interestingly, sourdough bread is also increasing in popularity among consumers. With the growing interest in minimally processed bread, customers can't get enough of sourdough's tangy taste, chewy crumb and delicious crust! Like the dutch oven bread, folks are enjoying experimenting with homemade sourdough. With this in mind, grocery stores can try offering sourdough starter culture kits or DIY baking kits that include pre-measured ingredients and instructions for baking sourdough bread at home.

The keto diet, characterized by minimizing or completely cutting out carbs to achieve a ketogenic state for weightloss is growing in popularity so unsurprisingly, consumers are looking for ways to still enjoy bread while maintaining their low-carb goals. To incorporate this in your social strategy, highlight the variety of keto bread options your store offers along with sharing keto recipes that incorporate your keto bread products.

Of course, no magic wand comes without its challenges. AI isn’t immune to biases lurking in data or the tricky task of telling a passing fad from a lasting trend. Plus, you require a healthy dose of skepticism, always consider double checking any important information and facts to avoid spreading misinformation. AI is an amazing but imperfect tool and must be used responsibly.

But fear not – there’s a recipe for success. It starts with serving up top-notch data, mixing in a dash of human expertise, and stirring in a healthy dose of collaboration. By blending AI insights with the human touch, grocery marketers like yourself can create a shopping experience that feels tailor-made for your shoppers.

In the grand buffet of food trends, AI predictive analysis is the secret sauce that keeps things fresh and exciting. By harnessing its power, grocers can satisfy cravings, anticipate trends, and create shopping experiences that feel like magic. Interested in learning how to incorporate AI marketing into your grocery marketing strategy past trend analysis? Access our webinar today!