Circana Reveals 2024 New Product Pacesetters, Spotlighting $8.4B in Breakthrough CPG Innovations
Now in its 30th year, the report highlights the top food, beverage, and nonfood launches that resonate with today’s consumers—driven by convenience, functionality, and powerful brand storytelling
IMAGE COURTESY OF: Circana
Circana, LLC unveiled its 2024 New Product Pacesetters report, identifying last year’s most groundbreaking innovations across the food, beverage, and nonfood consumer packaged goods sectors. Now in its 30th year, the report reveals exciting shifts in consumer preferences, highlighting products that deliver convenience, compelling brand stories, and enhanced functionality.
This year’s report underscores consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies’ commitment to consumer-centric innovation, prioritizing solutions that solve for evolving lifestyle and occasion needs. New offerings successfully address today’s demand for convenience, elevated wellness benefits, and trusted brand solutions. The 2024 Pacesetters achieved an impressive $8.4 billion in combined year-one MULO+ sales. 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, 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.”
The Top 10 Food and Beverage New Product Pacesetters for 2024:
1. Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken
2. Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream
3. C4 Energy
4. Red Bull Sea Blue Edition
5. MrBeast Feastables
6. PRIME Energy
7. Legendary Foods
8. Golden Island
9. Real Good Foods Lightly Breaded Chicken
10. CELSIUS Essentials
The Top 10 Nonfood New Product Pacesetters for 2024:
1. Charmin Ultra Soft Smooth Tear
2. Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs
3. Hero Cosmetics
4. Cirkul
5. Swiffer PowerMop
6. Lume
7. Gain + Ultra Oxi
8. PrettyLitter
9. TEMPTATIONS Dry Cat Food
10. Bloom
Driving Success Through Innovating Key Categories
The 2024 New Product Pacesetters list proves the CPG industry’s ability to adapt. Last year’s top-ranking food and beverage products, including Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken, PRIME Energy, and Legendary Foods, delivered high value and versatility in their respective categories.
Consumers continued to prioritize convenience without sacrificing flavor, functionality, or quality, reflecting a shift toward accessible and gratifying at-home experiences. Nonfood leaders like Charmin Ultra Soft Smooth Tear and Hero Cosmetics highlight the importance of delivering a superior experience and sustainable self-care in daily routines.
“Consumers’ 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.”
Key Innovations Shaping Consumer Behavior
The report identifies significant innovation themes driving change across the industry.
- Protein Power: High-protein offerings from the traditional to the transformative, such as Just Bare Lightly Breaded Chicken and Legendary Foods protein snacks, fulfill increasing wellness demands.
- Restaurant-to-Retail and Trusted Brands in New Spaces: Iconic brands like Sonic Tots and IHOP launched products that recreate restaurant experiences at home.
- Functionality and Flexibility: Solutions like REV Energy & Electrolyte Gum and MiraFIBER Gummies cater to on-the-go consumers seeking enhanced benefits.
- Bare to Bold Beauty: Innovations range from all-in-one and plant-based formulas like COVERGIRL Lash Blast Cleantopia to super-bold products with dramatic color or long-lasting results.
Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers Drive Innovation
This year’s report shows that innovation from companies of all sizes is imperative to meeting diverse consumer needs. 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 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.”
About the Report
The Circana 2024 New Product Pacesetters report is available exclusively from Circana, the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. The findings of this report were compiled based on insights from Circana’s New Product Innovation Practice’s powerful suite of analytical and decision-making tools, as well as the 2024 Circana New Product Survey.
*Source for all insights: Circana’s 2024 New Product Pacesetters Report
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