Driven by a desire for clarity and authenticity, today’s grocery buyers are fundamentally redefining what value, quality and satisfaction look like at retail.
According to WGSN’s Future Consumer Personas 2029: Food & Drink forecast, consumers are increasingly prioritizing emotional return, stewardship and personal wellbeing over flashy novelty. With 44% of U.S. consumers actively seeking foods made with simple, recognizable ingredients and 29% of family caregivers balancing multigenerational care, shoppers are hungry for food that delivers genuine trust, longevity and a sense of “enoughness.”
This cultural pivot puts the produce department in an enviable position. Whole, fresh fruits and vegetables naturally embody what WGSN identifies as the rising “Intentional Consumer” mindsets: The Keepers, who champion stewardship, heritage and foundational health, and The Restorers, who are eager to slow down, curate meaningful everyday meals and escape the sensory overload of modern packaged goods.
Yet, translating fresh produce’s inherent strengths into long-term brand loyalty requires a nuanced strategy. To understand how fresh fruit and vegetable growers, packagers and marketers can capitalize on this shift, The Packer spoke with Claire Lancaster, head of food and drink for WGSN and co-author of the landmark 2029 forecast. Below, she breaks down why the produce aisle is uniquely primed to win the intentional consumer — and how fresh brands can refine their messaging to lead through 2029 and beyond.
The Packer: How can fresh produce brands effectively communicate trust, supply chain transparency and sustainable farming practices to appeal to The Keepers?
Lancaster: The Keepers respond to proof, continuity and accountability rather than vague sustainability language. Produce brands should make the journey from farm to shelf easy to understand, using clear information about growing regions, farming partners, harvest timing, labor standards, water use, soil health and certifications.
Transparency should feel useful rather than technical. QR codes, grower stories, seasonal maps and simple farm-to-shelf timelines can show who produced the food, where it came from and how the land is being cared for. The strongest brands will connect sustainability to dependable quality: healthier soil, resilient farms and responsible water use ultimately support better-tasting produce, better nutritional value and a more secure food system.
Is there growing consumer interest in heritage, heirloom or locally stewardship-driven produce varieties among this segment?
Yes, but The Keepers’ interest is less about novelty and more about preservation, provenance and long-term value. Heritage and heirloom varieties can offer a tangible connection to agricultural history, regional identity and biodiversity, while locally grown produce can make the food system feel more visible and accountable.
The opportunity is to present these varieties as living agricultural knowledge rather than premium curiosities. Brands can explain what makes a variety distinctive, who has preserved it, where it grows best and why maintaining it matters. Seasonal availability, grower partnerships and short educational stories can turn a tomato, apple, bean or squash into evidence of stewardship.
This segment is likely to value “grown for the future” as much as “grown locally”: varieties that support crop diversity, climate resilience, regional food cultures and the continuity of farming communities.
Produce aisles can feel overwhelming with competing claims. How can produce brands simplify messaging for consumers seeking intentionality?
Lead with one clear organizing promise rather than presenting every possible benefit at once. The most effective message architecture would be: what it is, why it matters, how it was grown and how to use it. For example: “Sweet corn from regenerative farms in Iowa — harvested at peak flavor.” Supporting claims such as organic, non-GMO, local or water-conscious can sit beneath that central story, with clear definitions and evidence.
Brands should avoid turning the pack into a checklist of disconnected claims. Instead, use a small number of recognizable signals such as a named grower or region, harvest information, a simple stewardship measure and a preparation suggestion. This gives shoppers confidence without demanding extensive research.
For The Keepers, intentionality comes from understanding the consequences of a purchase. Messaging should therefore connect personal benefits — taste, freshness, nutrition and value — with wider benefits such as farm resilience, soil health and regional continuity.
How can fresh produce fit into The Restorer mindset of slowing down, savoring quality and finding emotional return in everyday meals?
Fresh produce can become a simple route back to sensory connection and everyday care. The opportunity is to shift communication away from produce as a duty or nutritional correction and towards produce as a source of color, texture, aroma, ritual and reward.
Brands can encourage slower, more satisfying preparation through strategies like seasonal produce boxes designed around one unhurried meal, “peak flavor” varieties with serving suggestions; recipe cards focused on chopping, roasting, grilling or preserving; bundles for rituals such as weekend breakfasts, family dinners or lunch preparation; or produce paired with finishing ingredients such as herbs, citrus, chile, cultured dairy or crunchy toppings.
The Restorer mindset does not necessarily mean elaborate cooking. It can be as simple as a perfect peach eaten slowly, tomatoes dressed at the table or herbs harvested for a weeknight meal. The emotional return comes from making an ordinary meal feel cared for.
Are there specific fresh flavor profiles, nutrient-dense produce categories or packaging formats likely to lead this space by 2029?
By 2029, growth is likely to come from produce that combines sensory pleasure, nutritional value and practical flexibility.
Fresh flavor profiles to watch include vibrant sourness, aromatic freshness, sweet-acid balance, complex or layered spicy heat and ‘natural’, earthy notes.
Nutrient-dense categories that avoid overclaiming and focus on familiar benefits such as fiber, hydration, protein, micronutrients, gut support or sustained energy will resonate with evolving consumer health expectations.
Packaging will become more informative, flexible and waste-conscious. Expect greater use of smaller portions and resealable formats for fragmented households; mixed-variety packs built around a meal or cooking occasion; innovative packaging that protects freshness and reduces spoilage; concentrated formats such as chopped herbs, vegetable blends and stir-fry kits; recyclable or compostable materials where they genuinely improve the overall footprint; and QR-enabled packaging that connects shoppers to growers, growing methods, recipes and seasonal information.
The leading proposition will be “better food with a clearer story,” so produce that is delicious, nourishing, easy to use and demonstrably connected to the long-term health of farms and communities.
