Speciality Food Magazine -November/December 2025

10 @specialityfood Insights from 4C Associates’ annual food and beverage (F&B) survey show that consumer behaviour has evolved in significant ways over the past four years. While consumers are still conscious of price, it’s no longer the only lens through which a product’s value is judged. Sustainability is now expected, premiums are becoming the norm, and consumers will say a lot about their preferences. In 2023, we saw consumer purchase decisions being heavily driven by inflation, and in 2024 we saw signs of consumer mindset evolving. This year we see another shift in expectations. 1 PRICE STILL MATTERS, BUT IT IS LOSING ITS IMPORTANCE While price is still the top factor in purchasing decisions, its influence has declined steadily, from 72% in 2023 to 64% in 2024 and now 60% in 2025. This contrasts with the non- linear path of inflation, where in March 2023 inflation was 19% and fell sharply in 2024, but has risen to 4.5% in June 2025 remaining well above pre-COVID levels. While shoppers aren’t necessarily returning to pre-inflation habits, they are looking beyond the immediate shock of inflation and redefining what “value” means. Rather than paying more, they expect more for the same price. Today, value is not just about cost, but rather it’s about the full package: taste (the second most important purchase driver), product range, health benefits, and even sustainability. For F&B companies, this change means price alone is no longer enough to win consumers. Brands that can clearly demonstrate these additional attributes without raising costs will be best positioned to retain loyalty. What's driving consumer behaviour in 2025? Head of consumer products at 4C Associates, Katy Gallagher, explores key developments in consumer behaviour that are shifting the strategies of food and beverage companies 2 PREMIUM IS THE NEW STANDARD Unsurprisingly, with consumers now focused on total value, attributes once considered premium are now widely expected. Survey results show that an average of 53% of consumer are unwilling to pay more for these features. Organic produce is particularly under pressure: 51% of consumers say they won’t pay extra, up 9.3 points from 2024, and only 24% are willing to pay even 5% more. Similarly, production factors like lowering carbon emissions and Fairtrade certification are increasingly seen as standard, offering little justification for higher prices that they may have once been able to command. Consumers expect more for the same spend, which creates added cost pressure and businesses need to re-evaluate how they manage their product portfolio and prioritise investment, ensuring that resources are directed to either reduce the cost of these attributes, or to find and invest in features that do differentiate them in the market with consumers. 3 GETTING LOCKED INTO BRANDS With consumers demanding more, they’re now seemingly more willing to shift loyalties - 65% of respondents said their preferred brands remained unchanged, down from 73% in 2024, though that was a marked increase from 53% in 2023. This indicates that shoppers are willing to switch brands, for sharper deals or new product innovation suggesting that loyalty is stabilising, but brands still need to actively engage consumers to maintain it. The data suggests variety is becoming a decisive factor with almost 20% of consumers naming product range as their top purchase driver, highlighting the importance of balancing variety with efficiency, and ensuring the right range is available without overextending. Tools like agile sales and operations planning (S&OP), capacity planning and SKU rationalisation reviews can help brands manage their range strategically while keeping operations lean. Cost, special offers, and travel distance were more dominant in 2023, showing a clear shift toward choice and variety. As budgets ease, shoppers expect newness and choice, not just low prices. Price- sensitive consumers are rewarding brands that refresh or expand their offer, proving that innovation and relevance can help sustain loyalty under cost pressure. 4 VALUE AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE SAY-TO-PAY GAP The say-to-pay gap (the difference between what consumers say they value and what they’ll pay extra for), is continuing to widen across all categories. As highlighted, product traits once viewed as premium, such as organic, plant-based, or high-protein, are now considered standard, with little pricing power left. More than half of consumers (62%) will not pay more for high- protein foods, and an even larger share (69%) will not pay extra for low-calorie options. The same applies to sustainability practices like recyclable packaging and Fairtrade certification. These are now hygiene factors that shoppers expect at no extra cost. But not all sustainability attributes carry the same weight. For example, 66% will not pay more for low-carbon products, and 73% will not pay extra for low-water-use items. However, there are some production traits continue to carry more weight. Hard to replicate initiatives such as regenerative farming, renewable energy use, or other visible sustainability commitments remain credible differentiators. These may feel more tangible to shoppers and offer F&B companies a way to justify a premium in a market where baseline health and sustainability claims are now taken for granted.