Market research firm Circana has revealed its 2024 New Product Pacesetters. The 30th annual report highlights product launches across food and beverage and nonfood consumer packaged goods (CPG) sectors found in convenience stores and other channels.
Overall, 25% of consumers surveyed are “early adopters” who like the sense of discovery that comes with finding new products. Nearly 40% of the youngest shoppers—Gen Z—consider themselves early adopters. They enjoy exploring new products and are often “brand agnostic” as their identities and shopping habits evolve, Circana reported.
When it comes to the consumer, including those visiting convenience stores, “’tastes and preferences continue to evolve,” said Joan Driggs, vice president of content and thought leadership at Circana. “This year’s pacesetters embody the trends shaping markets today, from protein-powered foods to elevated hydration solutions and co-branded new-to-market products. These innovations demonstrate how CPG leaders meet consumers where they are while opening doors to new occasions and usage opportunities.”
Circana reported the 2024 pacesetters achieved “an impressive $8.4 billion in combined year-one multi-outlet sales.”
The Chicago-based research firm said in 2024, brands embraced newer formats, nutritional enhancements and extensions into new categories, often in partnership with other brands or licensed entities, capturing consumer interest across diverse lifestyles.
“Innovation remains at the heart of growth and consumer connection,” said Lisa Maas, principal and practice lead of innovation, at Circana. “The 2024 pacesetters tap into the emotional and practical needs of modern consumers. Whether it is indulgence paired with protein, enhanced wellness, or iconic brands solving for evolving needs in new spaces, these products resonate because they make life easier, better, and more enjoyable.”
In the food and beverage space, protein in both convenient and new formats joined the ever-present beverages among top pacesetters, the report said. Key innovations continue to shape consumer behavior, including high-protein offerings from the traditional to the transformative to fulfill increasing wellness demands from consumers.
The top 10 food and beverage pacesetters are:
- Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken (JBS USA)
- Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream (Keurig Dr Pepper)
- C4 Energy (Nutrabolt)
- Red Bull Sea Blue Edition (Red Bull North America)
- MrBeast Feastables (Feastables)
- Prime Energy (Congo Brands)
- Legendary Foods (Legendary Foods)
- Golden Island (Link Snacks)
- Real Good Foods Lightly Breaded Chicken (Real Good Foods)
- Celsius Essentials (Celsius Holdings)
Refreshment beverages continue to be a show of force as they join new sources of protein on the Rising Stars roster.
The top 10 food and beverage rising stars are (listed alphabetically):
- Barilla Protein+ (Barilla Group)
- Delimex Crispy Quesadillas (Kraft Heinz)
- Kendamil (Kendal Nutricare)
- King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites (King’s Hawaiian Bakery)
- Oikos Pro (Danone)
- Perdue Air Fryer Ready (Perdue Farms)
- Sparkling Ice Starburst (Talking Rain)
- Sprite Chill (The Coca-Cola Co.)
- Topo Chico Sabores (The Coca-Cola Co.)
- Tropicana Refreshers (Tropicana Brands Group)
When it comes to the restaurant-to-retail advantage, manufacturers and brand owners are making their own play with licensing and co-branding, including 11 of this year’s food and beverage and three nonfood pacesetters, Circana reported. And when it comes to innovation, Circana reported this is coming from companies of all sizes.
“Across the past five years, smaller manufacturers reaped the benefit of being nimble during the pandemic, more easily reacting to supply-chain challenges and moving new products more quickly through the pipeline,” the report said. “But in 2024, small and extra-small manufacturers combined represent just 20% of pacesetter dollars, compared to 43% in 2023.”
Extra-large and large manufacturers made a rebound of sorts in 2024, increasing their dollar contribution to 64% of all pacesetters and increasing the number of pacesetter products from 23% in 2023 to 32%, the report said.
“The fluctuation around the role of company size in dominating the new product space serves as a reminder that even established brands need to think out of the box, challenge brand norms, and work to engage with different customers,” said Maas. “At the same time, challenger brands continue to bring their A-game with distinct benefits, and we see younger consumers outspend on products from these companies.”
Circana is a consumer behavior market research firm. Through technology, analytics and cross-industry data, it helps almost 7,000 of the world’s brands and retailers unlock business growth.
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