With a new year upon us, we’re now in full prediction mode, and when it comes to CPG, there are a lot of trends to keep an eye on: Whole Foods said that a "poultry revolution" is coming, while Pinterest forecasted two-toned hair and micro french manicures will be all the rage in 2023. As for predictions that are just a tad broader, we rounded up insights from CPG industry experts to see what trends and themes in CPG—specifically across food and beverage, and beauty and personal care products—we’ll likely see this year.

Here are the CPG trends to expect in 2023

Food and Beverage trends to watch

Greener pastures: Consumers continue to seek out sustainable products, and—just like in the fashion industry—food and beverage brands are turning to regenerative agriculture to help cut down their carbon emissions by improving soil health and preventing erosion, according to CB Insights.

By Erin Cabrey

January 13, 2023

Amelia Kinsinger

Inclusivity, simplicity, and sustainability will be key in CPG this year

Brands like Nestle, General Mills, and PepsiCo have invested in regenerative agriculture, and we’ll see more of this in 2023, Thomas Sineau, associate director of consumer retail at the tech research firm, told us.

“It's a matter of survival for these companies to adopt more sustainable/regenerative practices,” he said. “The second thing is, I think there's a bit more awareness on the consumer side, sometimes organic may not be just enough.”

Shop to it: Food and beverage brands are likely to participate in more shopping events, like Amazon Prime Day, to boost sales, Coresight CPG analyst Arun Sriram predicted. Per Numerator, CPG categories saw the largest increase in sales compared to previous years, with the number of shoppers buying grocery items during the event rising two points to 17% last year.

Keep it simple: While there’s only so much product info a brand may want to share with consumers, it’s increasingly important for on-pack messaging to be as clear and concise as possible, per research firm Mintel’s Global Food and Drink Trends report. That’ll help consumers “escape information overload,” Jenny Zegler, director, food & drink and global consumer at Mintel, wrote in the report.

Consumers aren’t quite as interested in brand storytelling on the product packaging itself, so more brands will cut to the chase with topline attributes and benefits and leave the rest to social media or their own websites.

Living Proof: One beauty retail trend to expect in 2023 is what Mintel calls "BeautyRx", or "the medicalization of beauty." Consumers are increasingly looking for brands to back up their product claims with proof that they work, as demonstrated by the types of influencers gaining popularity on TikTok, Mintel senior beauty analyst Clare Hennigan told us. “In the past, we've seen beauty-focused influencers, or reality television stars. We're now seeing dermatologists and cosmetic chemists really garner and grow followings and attract attention from consumers,” she said.

Beauty and Personal Care trends to watch

Mintel found that 53% of beauty and personal care product users research ingredients to understand product efficacy.

Hennigan said this trend has largely been seen in the skin care space, with makeup products treating conditions like acne and rosacea, but haircare and skincare-infused makeup could be next.

All together now: The meaning of beauty is evolving, especially as 72% of US consumers think beauty is "too rigidly defined," per Mintel. As consumers demand more inclusivity, brands will introduce products geared toward different life stages and issues like pregnancy, menopause, periods, sexual wellness, sleep, and blood circulation. “A lot of messaging has felt a little one size fits all,” Hennigan said. “But as this evolves, we're going to see greater demand for products and services and messaging that really are more inclusive, and also not just only focus on the individual, but whole communities as well.” We’ll also see inclusivity in terms of product design, to make makeup application more accessible to those with varying levels of arm and hand mobility, Hennigan noted.

Brands like Guide Beauty, which was founded by a celebrity makeup artist who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, have already entered this space, and L’Oreal debuted a motorized makeup applicator device called the Hapta at CES last week. “For L'Oréal, the future of beauty is inclusive,” said Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO of the L'Oréal Groupe, in a statement. “And this future will be made more accessible by technology."

One prediction from Hennigan we hope isn’t true: the resurgence of the Y2K aesthetic may bring with it the return of skinny, over-plucked eyebrows. Hide your tweezers before it’s too late. Subscribe to the Retail Brew newsletter for the latest industry news and insights.

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Here are the CPG trends to expect in 2023

Inclusivity, simplicity, and sustainability will be key in CPG this year

Consumers continue to seek out sustainable products, and—just like in the fashion industry—food and beverage brands are turning to regenerative agriculture to help cut down their carbon emissions by improving soil health and preventing erosion, according to CB Insights.