The cooking ingredients and meals industry has returned to a level of stability after years of significant volatility. Growth over 2025-2030 is predicted to be slow but steady, shaped by the increasing importance of emerging markets, consumer shifts towards affordably-positioned products and channels, and a changing competitive landscape.

This report outlines five forces currently shaping consumer health. The first three are growth drivers, with new audiences fuelling protein demand, beauty redefining health, and surging demand for healthspan and cellular solutions. It also tackles disruption, with tariffs pressuring supply strategy, and OTC companies needing an expanded mission to escape stagnation. Packed with data and strategic insights, it is a guide to capturing growth and mitigating risk in a rapidly evolving market.

Climate-stressed coffee harvests and higher energy and logistics costs pushed hot drinks prices up in 2025, but consumers largely protected their daily coffee and tea rituals and selectively traded up into premium and functional options. Over the next years, structurally higher coffee prices, consumers prioritising functionality, café-style moments at home, social media-shaped Gen Z habits and the rise of Chinese-style coffee and tea chains will shape much of hot drinks’ growth and innovation.

By applying a megatrends framework, brands can better understand the long-term forces and macro drivers influencing shifts in consumer behaviour. This report highlights five megatrends defining consumer markets and influencing how brands innovate, engage and stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Financial cards and electronic payment value continues to increase as cash and other paper declines for consumers. Fintech innovation is increasing access to financial products and services, the security and convenience of card payments and generating new revenue streams. Credit card payment value continues to outpace others for card functions, and the Asia Pacific region is the leading growth for global payment value. Commercial payments remains the largest paper payment opportunity.

Rising concern over ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is reshaping the foods landscape. This report examines the issue in detail, exploring where staple foods are most impacted by negative consumer sentiment, and – most importantly – which foods stand to benefit. This report also outlines UPF consumption across key markets, determines what the consumer thinks of the issue and examines what the future holds, identifying how food producers, brands and retailers can benefit from clean label demand.

Luxury retail faces significant headwinds in 2025, including weak economic growth, inflation, rising costs and geopolitical and climate risks. With global growth at a 30-year low—especially in China and the US—retailers must prioritize agility, deeper engagement, and personalization. As luxury shifts from products to lifestyle and experience, success will hinge on storytelling and creating experiential value-led retail that goes beyond a pure transactional model.

Multi-layered, science-backed functionality is reshaping food and drink. Digestive health, energy and brain health claims drive innovation, but success now also depends on simplified, all-in-one nutrition and holistic benefits—such as hydration, sleep and longevity—delivered in credible, convenient formats. Brands that combine enjoyment with wellbeing, especially in snacks and portable options, will capture growth, while others risk losing relevance in a rapidly evolving market.

Cooking ingredients and meals faces a challenging outlook in 2026 and beyond between price pressures, consumer frustrations and trade conflicts. Growth opportunities remain, however, in areas like natural wellness, convenience that reflects modern lifestyles, and introducing consumers to diverse global flavours.

Ingredion, one of the leading lights in the global ingredients industry, particularly in areas like starches and sweeteners, enjoyed a good 2024, with profits and margins rising, despite a slight dip in revenues. Having set up the new division of Texture & Healthful Solutions, Ingredion will be placing a strong emphasis on clean label and healthy eating, albeit without neglecting the indulgence and affordability trends.

Despite mounting pressures from inflation, rising living costs, tariffs, talent shortages and overtourism, city destinations continue to demonstrate striking resilience. The sector is entering a pivotal new era, marked by ambitious infrastructure investment, rapid innovation and the widescale integration of AI across urban systems. These shifts are reshaping how cities compete, manage visitor flows and safeguard long-term sustainability, setting a new global benchmark for urban tourism’s future.

O-I Glass is the world’s largest manufacturer of glass packaging, with a particular emphasis on glass beverage containers. The glass landscape faces significant challenges in the years ahead, including weak consumption growth in certain regions in some key categories, such as alcoholic drinks, the need for greater sustainability, and fierce competition from alternative pack types like rigid plastic and metal. O-I is reshaping its strategy and operations to meet to these challenges.

Ball Corp is the leading manufacturer of metal beverage can packaging globally. The company has a particularly strong presence in the Americas and Europe. Ball Corp is well positioned to address the sustainability trend in fmcg packaging, thanks to the infinitely recyclable nature of aluminium, with the company reaching a 74% rate for average recycled content globally in 2024 and 52% of its cans using the weight-optimised STARcan design.

Givaudan is a leading flavour and fragrance manufacturer, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The company makes ingredients for a wide range of industries, including food and beverages, nutraceuticals, home care, personal care and fabric care. Givaudan continues to make acquisitions to boost its presence across categories and to get the latest technologies onboard. Organic growth can also be expected, with the company building new production facilities in the US, China and Indonesia.

Pet care retail is evolving with more channels gaining sales from pet care products. Pet care that was commonly sold in grocery stores or pet specialists has made a strong footprint online benefiting from both budgeteers and those seeking curated products. Existing players are trying to integrate business solutions to ensure pet parents stay loyal throughout their pet’s life events. New retail channels are also introducing pet care products as many pet families love to spoil their beloved pets.

Global tourism is entering a new era defined by personalisation, purpose, regeneration and diversification. From AI-enabled travel experiences to sustainable growth models and multi-market connectivity, 2025 trends reveal how innovation, inclusion and intentionality are reshaping value creation and long-term competitiveness across the travel industry.

This report highlights the health-related results of Euromonitor’s International Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey 2025. It covers global consumers’ health perceptions, short and long-term concerns, treatment preferences and habits towards healthier lifestyles.

The global economy has weathered trade shocks relatively well throughout 2025, supported by easing financial conditions, moderating inflation, trade negotiations and the agility of the private sector in re-organising the supply chain and rerouting trade flows. Looking ahead to 2026, global growth prospects remain subdued as market volatility persists, trade barriers are high and downside risks to global growth still dominate.

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, leads baby food globally and ranks third in dairy, in which it is the number one player in powder milk and coffee whiteners. The company is driving growth through nutrition and reformulation, as can be seen in its sugar and fat reduction efforts with Cerelac and Ninho Adulto, and via the roll-out of its Nan Sinergity formula, which contains probiotics and six HMOs. Enhanced functionality is a primary focus, as part of its wider strategy to m

This report utilises Euromonitor International’s new Passport Innovation platform to explore new product launches across beauty, health and home categories. The report features new brand and sub-brand launches and their attributes across the beauty and personal care, consumer health and home care industries. Three key innovation trends are identified for each of the industries, with product examples from large global e-commerce retailers launched in 2025.

Modern families are evolving fast, reshaping global consumption. Traditional models are declining, while new household types rise, driven by demographic, economic and cultural shifts. Brands must act now to stay relevant. Understanding today’s fluid family structures and emerging types is critical to unlocking growth, avoiding stagnation and building emotional connections that drive loyalty.

Nestlé, also a leading player in pet care and packaged food, is the number one company in the hot drinks industry. This is mainly thanks to leading coffee with its Nescafé, Nespresso and Starbucks “billionaire brands”. Among the group’s “six big bets” for 2025 are Nescafé Espresso Concentrate and Nescafé Dolce Gusto Neo, with the company also in the process of turning around 18 key underperforming business cells, including soluble coffee in Europe and Milo in China.

The nicotine industry is rapidly transforming, balancing revenue from combustion products with innovation in reduced-risk products (RRPs) and functional alternatives. Leading companies diversify portfolios, expand into emerging markets and invest in new categories such as cannabis and supplements. Success depends on brand equity, rapid innovation and adapting to evolving consumer and regulatory landscapes.

The global travel industry continues to evolve amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts and climate pressures. Despite these challenges, the industry remains resilient, reaching USD2.9 trillion in 2025 as demand for authentic, wellness-driven and tech-enabled experiences rises. Digitalisation and sustainability are reshaping travellers' engagement, while premiumisation and affordability together unlock new avenues for growth and value creation.