Coffee, candy and mushrooms were top-of-mind among retail buyers last year, as they were the most-used keyword searches on RangeMe, according to the latest Retail Recap 2022 report.
The report highlights trends among the activity of U.S. and international buyers on the product discovery platform, including keyword and certification searches, most visited collections and engagement with products and brands.
“The products buyers are searching for now are those that will be on the shelves in the coming months and years,” said Nicky Jackson, founder of San Francisco-based RangeMe. “By analyzing the buyer activity on RangeMe, we get a look at what will be trending next in the fast-moving consumer goods arena.”
Coffee was the most popular keyword for buyers in 2022, garnering 19.4 percent of all searches, which reflected new trends in the category including cold brew, fair trade, functional coffee and coffee accessories. Just behind coffee, representing 18.4 percent of keyword search terms was candy, a category that includes some of the top performing brands on RangeMe based on overall buyer activity and engagement, including views, saves, sample requests, purchases and direct messages.
The keyword “mushroom” is an interesting case. With 18.3 percent of search volume, it was searched in the context of several different categories across the food and beverage and health and beauty care categories, such as “mushroom coffee” and “mushroom supplements.” Known for its versatility, availability and health benefits, RangeMe is seeing mushrooms as a meat alternative and as an ingredient in beverages, snacks, and nutritional supplements. It’s also an item growing in popularity in the foodservice segment, where it’s used in a variety of menu items.
Other popular search terms included toys, water, pet, sunscreen and candles.
Top searches in international markets
Search terms varied among the international markets analyzed, with popular U.K. RangeMe search terms including porridge, tiles, makeup and baby. For APAC buyers, salad dressing was the most popular search, followed by bacon, wet wipes and acne. In the Netherlands, lozenges topped buyer searches at 41.5 percent, followed by sun care, keto and dog cookies.
Top searches in certifications
USDA organic remains the most popular search term among certifications, representing 64 percent of search volume, with USPAACC getting 20 percent and Certified Women’s Business Enterprise at 14 percent.
Trending collections on RangeMe
RangeMe’s Collections are groups of brands and products that fit a particular theme. “Trending on RangeMe” and “Startup Brands” are two new collections on the platform in 2022, created to showcase which brands and products are receiving the most engagement from buyers on RangeMe, and which are new to the CPG market. Since their creation, they continue to be among the most visited collections on the platform. The “sustainability” collection, which saw visits drop during COVID-19, is among the most visited as buyers are prioritizing sustainability efforts. Among international collections, the “brands from Japan” collection was most visited by buyers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
To view the full report, click here.
