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Recognize the changes that repeat across many markets (health, sustainability, convenience, digital buying) and learn to check whether they apply to your product and your destination country.
Goal: Tell a trend from a fad using import data and decide which trend to test on a small scale without claiming anything you cannot prove.
The global consumer is not just one, but some changes repeat across many markets. Knowing them helps you decide what product to offer, how to present it and what you will be asked to meet. A trend is a lasting change in what people buy or value; a fad does not last long. To tell them apart, look at whether the change holds for several years, whether it appears in several countries and whether companies and governments are already reacting.
Three trends appear strongly in food and other consumer goods. Health and wellness: more interest in natural ingredients, less sugar, salt and fat, and alternative proteins. Sustainability: the buyer asks about environmental impact, the treatment of workers and traceability, that is, the ability to trace where the product comes from. Convenience: ready-to-use products in small portions.
Two other trends change how and why people buy. Digital buying moves more sales to the internet and social media. Authenticity makes the consumer value products with a story, a clear origin and local or regional production. Both favor the exporter who can tell who they are, where the product comes from and how it is made.
Many trends end up turned into rules and buying requirements. Some countries require warnings on foods with too much sugar, salt or fat. The European Union requires that certain products, including coffee and cocoa, do not come from deforested land. Supermarket chains ask for certifications. That is why a trend can open an opportunity or close a door on you. Technical requirements are covered in depth in the Quality, technical requirements and agro-export course.
It is not enough to repeat global trends: you have to check them in your market. Ask yourself three questions. What is changing in the destination country? Which segment buys my product and why? Which attributes does it pay extra for (organic, fair trade, origin)? Use market studies, import statistics from recent years, shelf launches and conversations with importers. If imports grow year after year, the trend has already reached purchases.
A trend does not force you to change everything. Pick one or two that fit what you already do well and test them on a small scale: a new presentation, a certification, a lot for online sale. Measure the result and only then expand. Stay truthful: if you say your product is sustainable or organic, you must be able to prove it with documents. An unsupported claim can cost you the customer and bring legal problems.
| Trend | What changes in the consumer | Opportunity for an exporter | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and wellness | Looks for natural ingredients and less sugar, salt and fat | Natural products, superfoods and protein alternatives | Labeling and health claims are regulated in each country |
| Sustainability | Asks about origin, environmental impact and labor treatment | Certifications, traceability and recyclable packaging | You must be able to prove what you claim |
| Convenience | Wants ready products and small portions | Single-serve formats, mixes and ready-to-eat presentations | Higher packaging cost and shorter shelf life |
| Digital buying | Buys online and on social media | Direct sales or through platforms | Logistics and returns; covered in the Digital business and AI course |
| Authenticity | Values origin, story and local production | Producer stories and verifiable origin | Do not exaggerate: the origin must be provable |
Result: The trend shows up in stores and in the figures: imports rise 50% in four years (10.7% a year) with four increases in a row. Sabores Andinos launches a pilot order and leaves the sustainability certification for when the market asks for it.
21/06/2023
On 21/06/2023, in Lima, MINCETUR presented “International trends for the food sector” in its virtual seminar “Exporter's Wednesday”. The trends include sustainable production, national or regional production with traceability, alternative proteins to meat (with more flexitarianism, a diet that reduces meat without eliminating it, in Germany) and competition between fresh and processed foods. The presentation cites company examples, such as a British chain that seeks to source from net-zero-emission farms by 2030. It matters because it organizes what the buyer is asking for.
Turn each trend into a question for your product: which attribute meets it and how do you prove it.
30/12/2026
Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 aims to make sure products consumed in the European Union do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide. It covers cattle, wood, cocoa, soy, palm oil, coffee and rubber, plus derivatives such as leather, chocolate, tires or furniture. According to the European Commission, it applies from 30/12/2026 to large and medium operators, and from 30/06/2027 to micro and small enterprises. It matters to Peruvian coffee and cocoa exporters.
If you sell a covered product to the EU, prepare traceability to the place of production and confirm the current dates on the official page.
Source: Comisión Europea – Reglamento sobre productos libres de deforestación (EUDR)
2019
In 2019, UNCTAD published its estimates of global e-commerce. For 2017 it calculated sales of US$ 29,367 billion, 13% more than the year before. Business-to-business (B2B) trade made up 88% of those online sales. Business-to-consumer (B2C) trade grew 22% to US$ 3,900 billion. It is a pre-2020 figure, but it shows two things: e-commerce was already huge and the consumer-facing part was growing faster than the total.
Check how your customer buys: if they buy online, your digital presence and your logistics become part of the product.
Source: UNCTAD – Global e-commerce sales surged to $29 trillion
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