Jodie Minotto, the research manager for Mintel Australia, says when Covid first appeared there was an immediate shift by consumers to look for products which offered health and wellness and also value for money.
She says convenience, which had earlier ranked higher, slipped down as a priority because people had time under lockdowns to prepare and cook food.
Value, she says, reflected the fact that many people were losing their jobs and that for some price was a factor.
However, Minotto says that price alone is not seen as a benefit; rather it's what people pay for a benefit.
"Environmental factors are now starting to loom large in the minds of consumers," she explains.
"While health and wellness will continue to be a significant factor in the minds of consumers going forward, sustainability will be an equally big factor."
She says value and convenience will be factors, but sustainability will be the big consumer trend of the future.
