New insights from meal-kit provider HelloFresh demonstrate the benefits of unique first-party data to subscription retailers – giving them the ability to spot trends before they become mainstream.
The company has revealed that the number of customers ordering recipe boxes containing 30 or more plants a week has more than doubled over the past five years as consumers become more interested in both gut health and plant-based diets.
What this means for retailers
For subscription retailers, the finding underlines one of the biggest advantages of recurring customer relationships: access to a continuous stream of behavioural data. Unlike traditional retailers, subscription businesses can track changes in customer preferences over time, helping them identify emerging trends and adapt products and services accordingly.
HelloFresh’s data suggests growing awareness of plant diversity is influencing purchasing behaviour. One in 10 customers now orders boxes containing more than 30 plants a week, while consumer research commissioned by the retailer found that 55% of Britons are actively trying to eat a wider variety of plants than they did five years ago.
The trend reflects increasing public awareness of the links between gut health, fibre intake and overall wellbeing. Social media is also playing a role, with almost half of adults reporting they have seen content about eating a diverse range of plants for gut health.
For subscription businesses, this type of insight can be particularly valuable for customer retention. Understanding which health, lifestyle and purchasing trends are gaining traction can help retailers tailor propositions, develop new products and create more personalised customer experiences.
The company’s view
Mimi Morley, senior recipe development manager at HelloFresh UK, said: “Plant diversity has gone mainstream. Tim Spector’s research has helped millions of people understand that gut health isn’t about cutting things out; it’s about adding variety in. And we’re seeing that play out in kitchens across the country. Customers want meals that make it easy to hit their fibre and plant-variety goals without sacrificing flavour or convenience.”
She added: “At HelloFresh, we’ve been building plant diversity into our menus for years, through beans, pulses, grains, herbs, vegetables and fruit. The fact that so many customers are now hitting 30 plants a week from their box alone shows how achievable gut-friendly eating can be when variety is built in.”
The findings illustrate how subscription retailers can use first-party customer data not only to understand changing behaviours but also to shape future product development, creating a feedback loop that can strengthen customer engagement and loyalty over time.
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