Indulgence trends: overview
- Traditional indulgent foods are declining amid wellness and GLP-1 influences
- Consumers increasingly link indulgence with premium quality and provenance ingredients
- Clean-label products attract buyers seeking control over food choices today
- Health and indulgence are now viewed as complementary priorities
- Meaningful food experiences provide rewards beyond traditional treats alone
What comes to mind when thinking of the word ‘indulgence’?
Perhaps it’s enormous cakes with copious amounts of icing and a few chocolate bars to boot? Perhaps it’s glasses of softly sparkling champagne and plates of caviar? Perhaps it’s a three-course dinner with ten different cuts of meat?
For some consumers, it may be none of these things, because the meaning of indulgence is changing.
The decline of traditional indulgence
Traditional forms of indulgence – heavy, high-calorie treats and snacks – are no longer as popular as they once were.
Several factors are contributing to indulgence’s decline, including the rise of GLP-1s, but shifting cultural norms have also influenced the trend, according to Matthew Barry, global insight manager for food at market intelligence company Euromonitor International.
The “aspirational” nature of wellness culture has offset some of the attractiveness of indulgence, he says.
People who have money, he suggests, want to show off through “expensive smoothies, elaborate skin care routines, and natural, organic food”, rather than cakes and champagne. This has brought traditional indulgence categories out of the spotlight.
A widespread focus on self-optimisation has also put indulgence on the cultural back burner, Barry suggests. “I think modern wellness culture has left many people with a sense of guilt anytime they are not optimising themselves so they prefer to take their moments of indulgence quickly.”
This will not remain the case for ever, and there are signs that a backlash against self-optimisation culture is on the horizon. But for now, it remains culturally ascendant.
Yet the decline of traditional indulgence does not mean indulgence itself has disappeared.
What indulgence looks like today
The concept hasn’t gone away – its meaning has simply changed.
The positioning of indulgence had, traditionally, been as the opposite of health. However, consumers no longer see the two concepts as opposed, suggests Ananda Roy, consumer goods industry advisor at analytics company Circana.
Indulgence today is less about fat or sugar, and more about premium or carefully sourced ingredients, the discovery of new global flavours or the preparation of high-quality meals at home.
“Rather than viewing health and indulgence as competing priorities, many consumers are looking for products and experiences that deliver both enjoyment and a sense of value, whether that’s nutritional value, quality, provenance or simply making a meal feel more special.”
In a tough economic environment, consumers are seeking “greater control” over their food choices, he explains. This is prompting them to be more careful about the food ingredients they choose, and in turn driving demand for minimally processed, clean-label foods with simple ingredients.
Indulgence, then, is no longer purely about taste, but also experience.
“Consumers are placing greater value on experiences that feel meaningful rather than simply indulgent in the traditional sense. Discovering new flavours, developing cooking skills, enjoying a memorable meal out or choosing high-quality ingredients can all provide a sense of reward that goes beyond the product itself.”
In short, then, indulgence has shifted away from an association with unhealthy foods, and instead towards high-quality or well-sourced ingredients that provide an antidote to the fast-paced world consumers are living in.
A giant cake will no longer cut it.
