I’m still recuperating from this week’s SFA Summer Fancy Food Show; hours upon hours spent walking the 2,500 or so booths spread over 345,000 square feet of floor space at Manhattan’s Javits Center.
To say I was impressed by it all would be putting it mildly; it was my first Fancy Food Show, and I’d never seen anything quite like it before. The sheer industry “muscle” and marketing savvy on display, not to mention the logistical chops to pull it all off, from what I could see, flawlessly… words fail me. I’d like to extend congratulations to everyone involved.
If only my walking shoes were as capable as the folks behind the show…
Beyond a mild case of the shin splints, a few things have stuck with me over the past few days. In fact, now that I’ve been given cause to think about them, they’re pretty well impossible to ignore.
Flavor, flavor, flavor… and experience.
I caught the update earlier this year when the SFA identified “SenseMaxxing” as its 2026 Trend of the Year. But as I walked the walk through the show, it was crystal clear to me that product developers are placing much greater emphasis on texture, aroma, visual appeal, and physical interaction with food.
And why not? These developments are occurring at the same time consumers are spending more of their day interacting with screens. Shopping, banking, entertainment, communication and work increasingly happen through glassy phones and computers.
Food remains one of the few routine purchases that cannot be fully digitized – and I hope I never see the day. People still smell fresh bread, compare produce, and judge quality by appearance and texture before making a purchase.
A Generation “on an Endless Search for Flavor and Experience”
Okay – that subheading is a tad dramatic, but from what I saw at the Javits Center, it’s pretty well on the mark.
The SFA sees consumers – particularly the 105 million Millennial and Gen Z buyers – turbocharging this desire. They’re looking for foods that engage multiple senses through texture, aroma, sound and appearance. Again, it’s not hard to see why: As more daily activities move onto digital devices, consumers increasingly value experiences that feel tangible and immersive.
According to research cited by the Association, roughly 70% of consumers now consider texture to be as important as flavor when making food choices.
SenseMaxxing
Viewed in isolation, SenseMaxxing could be dismissed as another piece of trend forecasting. But when you look at it alongside broader developments in grocery retail, it goes a long way toward explaining several changes already underway across the industry.
Retailers have spent the past several years investing in fresh departments, prepared foods, artisan bakeries, coffee programs, and in-store foodservice. Manufacturers continue introducing products that emphasize crunch, creaminess, fermentation, heat, carbonation, and layered textures. At the show, I even had a chance to sample a Sichuan pepper that tingled somehow.
Global condiments, premium snacks, and refrigerated offerings increasingly compete on the overall eating experience rather than on flavor alone.
You’d better believe this will have practical implications for supermarkets.
Price, convenience, and digital capability are always going to be important; online ordering, loyalty apps, and personalized promotions are now expected by many shoppers. At the same time, physical stores retain advantages that digital commerce can’t fully replicate. Fresh merchandising, sampling, prepared meals, specialty departments and knowledgeable associates create experiences that depend on being present in the store.
The SFA’s trend report and my own experiences at the show reinforce this point.
A New Set of Expectations
Functional foods continue gaining traction, but consumers increasingly expect those products to deliver enjoyable eating experiences as well as health benefits.
Global flavors continue expanding, yet many of the fastest-growing products also introduce distinctive textures, aromas, and even preparation methods. Premium products stand a good chance of landing with even cost-conscious consumers… when they believe the quality justifies the price. Across these categories, experience, and perceived value reinforce one another.
I think this trend also aligns with consumer confidence research I saw at the show. Shoppers are scrutinizing purchases more carefully after several years of elevated inflation. They’re asking whether a product is worth its price, whether a private label offers comparable quality and whether a purchase delivers sufficient value. And promised experience becomes part of that evaluation equation. Products that engage multiple senses often communicate craftsmanship, freshness, and quality more effectively than packaging or advertising alone.
For retailers, this suggests an opportunity that extends beyond adding new products. Merchandising, sampling, bakery presentation, prepared foods, specialty cheese, coffee bars and fresh produce displays all contribute to how consumers experience the store. Investments in these departments support differentiation that online competitors will have a hell of a time keeping up with.
The intensity of a trend can dissipate over a couple of quarters, a few years. But the underlying consumer behaviors they catalyze can have some potent staying power. SenseMaxxing could cool down… or accelerate… but from here out, we’ll likely see consumers continue to look for foods that provide quality, authenticity, and memorable eating experiences.
For supermarkets, that reinforces a long-standing competitive advantage. Your aisles and perimeter remain the place where shoppers can see, smell, touch… and ultimately trust the products they choose to bring home.