THE 10th annual Products of the Year have been announced, with 10 of the 50 products named offering healthy and allergy-free alternatives to everyday food and beverage items.

The winners are responding to rising consumer demands for health conscious and dietary specific foods.

One category that has become more and more popular among consumers is gluten-free, with two categories being created this year for general and kid friendly specific products.

Product of the Year Director, Sarah Connelly said: “A category that we have seen consistent growth in each year is ‘convenience foods’ but this year we are seeing more vegetarian easy-option foods, which simply haven’t been available before.”

The awards recognise product innovation and span categories including house and home; skincare, hair and beauty; home cooking and pantry; snacks and entertaining; kids; indulgence; healthy options and gluten free; and everyday staples.

Over 14,000 Australian consumers have voted for their favourite products of the year.

The Nielsen research that determines the winners involves evaluating consumer response using the six key principles derived from their learnings about successful innovation.

1. Relevance – Is the product fulfilling a need or addressing a problem?

2. Uniqueness – Does is stand out and bring something new to the category?

3. Excitement – Does it excite them?  Would they spread the word?

4. Likeability – Does it deliver what you want?

5. Value Perception – Do you think it provides value for money?

6. Purchase Intent – How likely are you to buy this product (again)

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Key research findings

• Consumers are generally open to trying new brands and do so on a regular basis. Over half of consumers have tried four or more new brands in the past year.
• Woolworths stands out against competitors for their range of organic, healthy and fresh products, while Coles is associated with having better deals/promotions than other supermarkets.
• When choosing a supermarket, the most important attributes to consumers are the range of available products, the location of the store and the deals/promotions available.
• 2 in 5 consumers claimed they would definitely or probably purchase a product they hadn’t tried before if it won Product of the Year. This result is in line with last year’s result with the percentage increasing consistently from year to year.
• Younger consumers are more likely be influenced by the Product of the Year logo than older consumers, with females slightly more likely to state that they would purchase a Product of the Year winner than males.

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