Category Expertise

The dairy industry has long been characterised by tradition and continuity, yet is in fact is one of the most fast changing and competitive grocery categories. Be it the more conventional areas such as cheese, white & flavoured milk and yoghurts or the relatively new areas of quark, skyr or functional ice cream, it is…

Free From is one of the pillars of the HRA Global business, spanning gluten free, wheat free, lactose free as well as nut free. With a diverse range of clients from both within and outside of the UK, we have an unrivalled knowledge of the UK and European gluten free and lactose free markets. We…

Few categories are structurally as changeable as ready meals. Many retailers are changing and rotating their entire own label category within each trading year. As well as changes at an individual recipe dish level, the cuisines that inspire the dishes change each year. Whilst cuisines such as Chinese, Indian and Italian remain ever-popular, other cuisines…

Frozen food is undergoing a renaissance. Beyond the well communicated benefits of freshly frozen produce, the category is reaching out and appealing to new buyers and shopper demographics, some of which have given frozen a wide berth in the past. Categories centered around convenience such as ready meals, in particular new organic, vegan and functional…

As a volume opportunity, selling to other manufacturers can be hugely attractive. In many areas it is a complicated market, often requiring suppliers to be as in-tune with a processor’s customers and business as they themselves. This involves analysis of which products are sold and where, be it retail, foodservice or other. Approaching the market…

Historically, the organic category has suffered from cyclicality, booming when the economy was good and falling back in harder times. However, the drives of organic are now deep-rooted and numerous. It is able to align with other drivers such as Local and Provenance to address welfare and environmental concerns in a unique way. Another of…

Foodservice can be a difficult channel to understand and unlock, but the rewards are there for those that persevere. Issues commonly faced are incomplete data and information; the complexity of the sector in its many different facets, sub-sectors and market drivers; as well as a language and jargon all of its own. Experience, intuition, and…

Having escaped from the confines of gym-goers and bodybuilders, it’s fair to say that Sports Nutrition has made it to the mainstream. No longer sold exclusively in gyms and on specialist websites, these days everything from protein shakes to recovery bars can be found on the supermarket shelves. As gym and sports club memberships continue…

The exponential growth of Veganism caught many unaware, both inside and out of the food industry. Moving on from its near neighbour, Vegetarianism, Veganism is able to tap into health, ethical, and religious drives to leverage its appeal and volume growth. Our interest in the health sphere has naturally led us to work with several…

The drinks market is subject to rapidly changing consumer tastes, growing concern about environmental sustainability, and innovation in product format and flavours. Add into that the constant battle between brands and own labels, and raw material volatility, this is a rewarding and dynamic but challenging space. Our specialisms in beverages and dairy combine within the…

The personal care category continues to grow and develop in offer and appeal.  The ongoing tussle between brands and own label continues with the most innovative and agile propositions exciting interest. Once the sole preserve of large international brands, the sub-categories are now containing dynamic challenger brands battling the corporate giants. Many of the trends that…

The Produce category is at the heart of the retail food store – its categories of fruit, vegetables, salad and horticulture are the core of shopping baskets. Produce reaches further into prepared food than before with stir fry, prepared vegetables and fruits, bagged salads, dips and sauces all forming part of the produce category. With…

The bakery category has seen strong innovation since the modern retailing age, with consumer interest fuelled by a series of high-profile cookery programmes. Plant bakeries produce the majority of lines, with the core focus on white, brown (wholemeal) and granary propositions in plant bread while the innovation in morning goods, bagels, flatbreads, muffins, cakes and…

The confectionery category has an enduring appeal with both shoppers, manufacturers and retailers. Behind all the downsizing of the major brands, under the guise of portion control and reducing calories, one of the major trends has been for confectionaryproducts to become more indulgent. This talks to the fact that consumers are wanting ‘more bang for…

The Pet category has seen rapid and fundamental change over recent trading cycles. Once a stable category, anchored in ambient and dominated by a small number of large brands – the category has developed chilled/fresh and frozen offerings, each with a clear point of difference and value-added packaging. Wider grocery trends towards provenance, named origin…

As part of the larger ‘longevity’ movement spanning health, lifestyle and wellness, the anti-ageing sector of the skincare and beauty industry has seen tremendous growth over the last decade. This growth doesn’t look to be slowing any time soon. With millions of consumers continuing to educate themselves on anti-ageing skincare protocols and anti-ageing science developing…

With such a diverse range of products and choices in baby care, there are great brand opportunities for baby care companies to help new parents navigate the confusing and sometimes overwhelming world of infant care. With a growing global population and more informed parents, the baby-care aisles provide more and more choice. There is plenty…

Going hand-in-hand with what is seen as more traditional skincare is body care, a rising star within the beauty and skincare industry. With both female and male body care expanding rapidly, there are fast growing opportunities arising as product development continues and new formulas are released. At once an application and an experience, body care represents…

With the ‘Mrs Hinch Effect’ continuing to fuel sales, the cleaning product category has been seeing an impressive surge in consumer engagement. Various lockdowns have shown the focus that the home can become and highlighted shopper awareness of the role of viruses, bacteria and pathagens within the home environment. Whilst this increase in demand offers a…

The cosmetics category is constantly evolving to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of beauty: established brands innovate and renovate products based on new discoveries and trends whilst new brands revolutionise with unique formulas. At HRA Global, we have conducted many projects in the cosmetic category. The category relies on market research to surface deep…

With the global feminine market forecast to surpass £31bn by 2022, it is a large and growing opportunity for successful brands. The personal nature of the category, however, means creating a trustworthy brand identity is essential to encouraging consumer sales. HRA Global can offer professional and personal insights into feminine Hygiene product marketing, creating a…

A heavily populated market that spans a variety of channels from salon to supermarket, the hair care industry offers ample opportunities for new products. The variety of sales channels allows for innovative marketing and thinking creatively about how this market can be targeted to a particular audience based on haircare market research. This shift can…

Sustainability is a huge consumer issue in the who health and wellness space and specifically, re-usable household products are becoming ever more popular with big-name companies introducing refillable product stations as a commitment to improving the environment. It is crucial that new products being introduced into the household disposables market have a clear stance in…

A large sector within the household category, advanced laundry products are increasingly in demand as washing machines become even more widespread in developing economies and chemical-rich formulations are being disregarded in favour of allergen-friendly products. The increasing shift towards natural-based laundry products offers opportunities for new products within an eco-conscious niche. The demand for friendly…

As experienced FMCG experts, HRA Global has a clear view of the evolving dental hygiene sector; its history and future prospects. One of the constants within this sector is the oral care category, staple products including toothpastes, toothbrushes, dental floss and mouthwash. Concerns about fluoride, new types of toothbrushes such as bamboo and new protocols…

In 2021, the skincare market size is reported to be in excess of £115bn with an expected increase of £25bn by 2025.  As leading FMCG consultants, HRA Global recognises that this growth is largely due to the evolving and expanding target audience of the skincare category. Initially a niche market dominated by premium brands and…

With the demand being as high as ever and the vitamins market soaring over lockdown, now is the ideal time to optimise your vitamin brand. Vitamin deficiencies having become more common-knowledge in recent years, the increase of the vitamin market opportunity is rooted in the array of products available based on a need to amplify…

The supplements market has experienced commercial success over the last decade, with value sales expected to reach a total of £457m in 2021. Similar to the vitamins market, supplements have become increasingly mainstream. Sports nutrition supplements, food supplements and protein shakes initially marketed towards bodybuilders to promote muscle growth, have been some of the biggest…

Personal care products benefit from having a variety of sub-sectors: for example deodorants and antiperspirants leading the hygiene occasion; whilst the pampering occasion is spearheaded by shampoos and fragrances. With so many overlaps and products stretching from one primary consumer occasion to secondary usage occasions, this can offer challenges in marketing however, as the target…