Hot Sauce Report 2020
This report examines the trends from H1 in the hot sauce industry and makes projections for how these trends will extend to H2.
A few notable trends from our report:
The overall hot sauce star rating is 4.32 and the sentiment is 77%, meaning that brands are doing well at fulfilling customer expectations, but there is still room for improvement.
The total number of hot sauce reviews jumped from 3,221 in 2019 to 5,526 in 2020, an impressive 58% increase in reviews.
Capital City Mambo Sauce, Kumana Avocado Hot Sauce, and Bushwick Kitchen Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha are the current customer choices according to Amazon reviews.
Capital City Mambo Sauce has an Amazon rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on its flavor, warmth, and thickness.
The taste remains the biggest topic in hot sauce with a 15% share of all discussion, closely followed by flavor at 13%.
Versatility continues to prove important to customers, in third place overall in a discussion on hot sauce at 6%.
First and foremost, customers want their sauces to taste good and add a uniquely robust flavor to their dishes. This is not the only selling point associated with the growing industry. Customer interest is growing in some unexpected domains.
Conversations about the health benefits associated with hot sauce have increased exponentially, reaching a 400% increase in share volume from 2019 to 2020.
New Mexico State University is conducting research testing the bounds of hot peppers’ health benefits. Vitamin A and C found in the peppers contribute to anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and lowering blood pressure as well as healthy skin, teeth, and bones. Current studies are even attempting to find a connection between hot peppers and treatment for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This subject has caused quite a buzz among hot sauce enthusiasts and has the potential to draw in the health-conscious community as well.
Return and refunds as well as packaging are also increasing in relevance with respective changes in share volume at 173.2% and 139.6% in the last year.
Hot sauce has become a fun and spicy gift, with a 103.2% increase in purchases for gift purposes from 2019 to 2020.
Conclusion
With the growing number of gift purchases in the hot sauce industry, brands should consider what customers desire in their prospective hot sauce gifts. The clear increase in discussion about packaging shows that consumers likely want a creative edge in their packaging to present the item as a novelty item as much as a tasty sauce. Returns and refunds should also be highly considered, with an easy process guaranteed in case the receiver isn’t a connoisseur of spicy. And as in all businesses, the effects of COVID-19 should be considered in H2 marketing. A recent worldwide survey revealed that about half of the population plans to support their local economy in their gift purchases during the end of year holidays. Brands should be aware that although gift inspiration will still be sourced from online platforms in many cases, 51% of surveyed consumers wish to purchase from local vendors.
