The Top 8 CPG Industry Trends for 2026 and Beyond
The CPG industry trends are constantly evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and global economic conditions.
Plant-based food sales are booming, and are expected to reach $25.4 billion by 2027.
This is just one example of how the CPG landscape is evolving, and businesses that adapt will thrive.
The latest report on cpg trends shows continued growth across the consumer packaged goods landscape, with rising revenue driven by innovation, shifting consumer behavior, and expanding global markets.
As packaged goods companies navigate increasing costs, competition, and digital transformation, understanding these topics is essential for long-term success.
Key Trends in the CPG Industry
Key cpg trends highlight strong revenue growth across industries, supported by smarter strategy, improved supply chains, and scalable solutions.
Leading consumer brands are using data-driven insights to build competitive advantage while adapting to evolving consumer needs.
These trends are shaping the future of multiple industries, including personal care, life sciences, and food. The CPG industry is brimming with trends that hold significant implications for CPG marketing strategies.
Here are some of the most noteworthy developments:
1. The Rise of Plant-Based Alternatives
Plant-based goods are gaining traction across consumer products, particularly in food and personal care.
This change supports product development, strengthens brand positioning, and enables companies to build long-term advantage in competitive markets.
One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent years is the rise of plant-based food trends.
With more people thinking about health, sustainability, and ethical eating, the demand for plant-based alternatives has exploded.
Things like plant-based meat, dairy-free milk, and vegan snacks aren’t just niche anymore—they’re now everyday staples.
Brands are stepping up by creating tasty, high-quality, and nutrient-packed options to win over these mindful consumers.
By jumping on this trend, businesses can reach a fast-growing market while connecting with values that really matter to today’s buyers.
2. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) boom
Direct-to-consumer channels are reshaping business models by improving customer experience and unlocking new revenue streams.
This approach allows brands to refine pricing, control launch execution, and strengthen financial performance.
They are transforming business models by improving customer experience and providing valuable digital insights.
One main trend in the CPG industry trends is the transformative impact of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) brands.
These brands are reshaping the retail landscape by sidestepping conventional retail avenues to sell directly to consumers via online platforms.
This forward-thinking strategy grants these brands enhanced control over their brand image, the ability to provide personalized shopping experiences, and a more direct line of engagement with their customers.
3. Omnichannel shopping
Omnichannel retail strategies integrate digital and physical store touchpoints, helping consumer packaged goods companies respond to real-time demand.
This transformation improves supply planning, reduces costs, and supports consistent growth.
Today’s shoppers want a seamless experience that moves easily between online and in-store interactions, which means brands need strategies that bring the digital and physical shopping worlds together.
CPG shopper marketing is key to making this happen, helping brands deliver consistent messaging and personalized experiences across every platform.
By using data insights and coordinating efforts across e-commerce, social media, and physical stores, brands can better meet the needs of today’s omnichannel shoppers.
This not only makes shopping more convenient but also builds stronger brand loyalty by catering to the variety of preferences modern consumers have.
4. Transparency and sustainability
Transparency is now a major driver of trust across consumer products industry segments.
A strong focus on health and sustainability helps packaged and private goods brands strengthen competitive positioning and improve long-term financial outcomes.
Now more than ever, consumers show a keen interest in understanding the origin and composition of their food products.
They gravitate towards brands that not only offer transparency through clear labeling but also commit to ethical sourcing and sustainability practices.
This shift highlights the growing importance of CPG sustainability, as it becomes a critical factor influencing consumer choices and preferences.
5. Personalized nutrition
Driven by fast advancements in technology and significant improvements in data analytics, personalized nutrition is gaining popularity among health-conscious consumers.
Personalization reflects deeper changes in consumer behavior, enabled by ai, generative ai, and advanced digital insights.
These capabilities support targeted programs, improve strategy, and help brands deliver the right products to the right audiences.
CPG companies lead this trend, using detailed data and advanced algorithms to create products that match individual dietary needs and preferences.
This strategy enables a more personalized eating experience and promotes better health outcomes by meeting each consumer’s specific nutritional requirements.
6. Functional foods and beverages
Functional innovation is fueling cpg growth across food, beverage, and life sciences.
Brands investing in innovation and smarter pricing models are better positioned to drive revenue and respond to evolving consumer expectations.
The rise of functional food trends shows how more people are looking for products that go beyond basic nutrition to offer specific health benefits.
Functional foods and drinks are packed with ingredients like probiotics, vitamins, or adaptogens to help with things like better digestion, stronger immunity, or more energy.
This trend highlights a growing interest in preventive health and personalized wellness.
CPG companies are jumping on board by creating innovative products that combine convenience with science-backed benefits, appealing to a wide range of health-conscious consumers.
7. Keeping up with adaptogens
Adaptogen-based products demonstrate how digital transformation and ai influence trend forecasting and product development.
This strategic use of technology strengthens financial services, asset management, and overall growth planning.
Adaptogens are natural ingredients believed to help the body adapt to stress.
They are being incorporated into a wide range of CPG products, from beverages to powders, catering to consumers seeking natural solutions for managing stress and anxiety.
These ingredients have been used in traditional medicine for centuries and are now gaining popularity in the wellness world.
8. Trending CPG Food
Trending food launches highlight how consumer products brands are aligning innovation with digital marketing.
The last CPG industry trend we will discuss is the rise of CPG food trends in the US. These case examples show how aligning supply, pricing, and brand storytelling drives revenue growth management.
With the increasing focus on health and wellness, consumers are gravitating towards healthier food options in their grocery shopping.
CPG companies are responding to this demand by offering a variety of healthy and convenient food products that cater to different dietary preferences such as plant-based, gluten-free, and keto-friendly options.
One of the main drivers for this trend is the growing awareness about the impact of diet on overall health.
Consumers are actively seeking out products with cleaner labels, free from artificial ingredients and preservatives.
They are also looking for functional foods that provide additional benefits such as boosting immunity or improving gut health.
The Challenges Behind Utilizing CPG Industry Trends
Despite strong growth, many companies face financial pressure from rising costs, complex supply chains, and fragmented markets. Overcoming these challenges requires a disciplined strategy and scalable solutions.
- Data Overload: The abundance of consumer data can be overwhelming. Companies need sophisticated analytics tools like those found on the Tastewise platform to interpret data and derive actionable insights.
- Rapidly Evolving Trends: Keeping pace with the ever-changing consumer landscape can be difficult. CPG companies need to be agile and adaptable to stay ahead of the curve.
- Omnichannel Integration: Creating a seamless omnichannel experience requires significant investment in technology and infrastructure.
- Personalization at Scale: Personalization efforts can be resource-intensive, and scaling them to reach a diverse consumer base efficiently is a challenge.
- Sustainability Concerns: Balancing consumer demand for affordability with sustainable practices can be complex. Sourcing ethically and implementing eco-friendly packaging solutions might come at a higher cost.
What is the Future Trend in the CPG Industry?
Looking beyond 2026, we can expect the CPG industry to continue its trajectory toward personalization, data-driven decision-making, and a strong focus on health and wellness.
To remain competitive, brands must build capabilities across digital, data, and insights. A forward-looking approach enables faster development, stronger execution, and sustained success.
Technological advancements like artificial intelligence and machine learning will play an increasingly significant role in developing targeted marketing strategies and creating personalized consumer experiences.
Additionally, the emphasis on sustainability is likely to intensify, with consumers demanding even greater transparency and eco-friendly practices from CPG companies.
Stay Ahead of the Curve With Tastewise
The CPG industry is a dynamic and ever-evolving landscape. Ignoring trends can leave companies behind. Advanced AI tools support transformation across forecasting, pricing, and demand planning. These technologies help brands unlock competitive advantage, improve revenue, and operate more efficiently at global scale.
Here at Tastewise, we are a leading provider of food intelligence, offering CPG marketers the tools and insights they need to make data-driven decisions and capitalize on emerging trends.
Our platform provides comprehensive consumer and market research, helping brands understand what consumers are buying, eating, and wanting.
Don’t be blindsided by the changing market – stay ahead of the curve with Tastewise as your trusted partner in navigating the exciting future of CPG.
Regional Differences in CPG Trends
Regional variation is becoming more pronounced as markets diverge in maturity, regulation, and consumer behavior. In North America and Western Europe, consumer packaged goods companies are prioritizing margin protection through advanced pricing, stronger digital channels, and tighter control of supply chains. These regions emphasize premium goods, brand differentiation, and data-led strategy to sustain revenue despite slower volume growth.
In contrast, emerging global regions are driving expansion through affordability, accessibility, and localized packaged goods portfolios. Here, private and private label products play a central role, allowing brands to manage costs, scale distribution, and meet evolving consumer needs. Companies that tailor business models by region are better positioned to maintain competitive advantage across diverse economic environments.
These regional differences require a more flexible approach to product development, financial planning, and go-to-market execution. Brands that align regional execution with overarching cpg trends are more likely to achieve long-term success across multiple industries.
What is the Future Trend in the CPG Industry?
The future of the consumer products industry will be shaped less by individual product launches and more by systemic transformation across operations, technology, and finance. As consumer behavior becomes less predictable, consumer packaged goods companies are shifting toward adaptive strategy models that prioritize speed, resilience, and continuous optimization.
One defining future trend is the integration of ai and generative ai into everyday decision-making, from demand forecasting to pricing and promotion planning. This enables brands to move beyond reactive planning and toward proactive revenue growth management. At the same time, rising financial pressure is forcing organizations to rethink how they build the right balance between innovation investment and profitability.
Ultimately, future-facing cpg trends point toward organizations that combine digital transformation, advanced insights, and disciplined execution to remain competitive while shaping the future of how goods are produced, marketed, and delivered.
CPG Categories to Watch in 2026 and Beyond
Looking ahead, category performance will increasingly depend on alignment with structural consumer needs rather than short-term trends. Food and personal care remain core growth engines, but the most resilient consumer products categories are those supported by clear use cases, measurable value, and consistent revenue contribution.
Within packaged goods, categories that support wellness, functionality, and convenience continue to attract innovation investment. These segments benefit from faster product development, premium pricing tolerance, and stronger brand loyalty, particularly in established retail environments.
At the same time, expansion of private and private label categories is reshaping category dynamics by redefining value propositions. These categories allow retailers and manufacturers to protect financial performance while maintaining advantage in price-sensitive markets, reinforcing their role in long-term cpg growth.
Data Insights Behind 2025 CPG Trends
The strongest insights from 2025 reveal that performance gaps between top brands and the rest of the market are widening. Companies that achieved sustained growth did so by embedding analytics into strategy, rather than treating data as a reporting layer. This shift enabled clearer visibility into consumer behavior, demand elasticity, and retail execution.
Advanced digital platforms and ai capabilities supported more accurate forecasting, improved pricing discipline, and tighter alignment between demand and supply. These capabilities directly contributed to higher revenue, lower operational costs, and improved financial resilience across volatile markets.
FAQs
AI is being used in various ways to personalize the CPG experience.
For instance, AI algorithms can analyze purchase history and browsing behavior to recommend products and recipes to individual consumers.
Additionally, AI-powered chatbots can provide personalized customer service and answer product-related queries in real time.
Inflation is putting pressure on household budgets, causing consumers to be more price-conscious.
We can expect to see a rise in private-label brands and discount retailers as consumers seek value for money.
Additionally, CPG companies may look for ways to optimize packaging and reduce product size to maintain affordability without compromising quality.
The popularity of ethnic cuisines is on the rise, driven by globalization and increased cultural exchange.
CPG companies are responding by expanding their product offerings to include ingredients and flavors from diverse culinary traditions.
We can also expect to see more innovation in ethnic convenience foods that cater to busy lifestyles.
Food waste is a significant global problem. CPG companies are leveraging technology to develop solutions that extend shelf life, improve supply chain efficiency, and connect consumers with surplus food.
This could involve the use of smart packaging that monitors freshness or partnerships with food rescue apps to redistribute nearing-expiry items.
Lab-grown meat, also known as cultivated meat, is a nascent technology with the potential to revolutionize the food industry.
While still in its early stages, CPG companies are exploring partnerships with lab-grown meat producers to bring these products to market.
This trend could significantly impact the future of protein consumption within the CPG landscape.