Supermarket chain Waitrose has revealed its latest seasonal range of new products in the UK, one that has been inspired by AI-powered food and drinks trends, customer insights and social media.
As customers embrace the joy of impromptu celebrations due to the nation's changeable weather, fuss-free options which are 'good for right now' will dominate summer menus. Some of the key trends followed when building out the new collection of products are - Best of British With A Twist; Borrowed Nostalgia; Born In The USA; Swicy Summer; Un-Beetable Veggies; No And Low Mocktails; and Trending TikTok Treats.
Martyn Lee, Product Innovation & Executive Chef at Waitrose commented on the new range: "Creating delicious food which is 'good for right now' has been at the heart of our summer range. We know our customers are embracing the spirit of spontaneity when it comes to the summer months, they want less prep and to have the best food, at the right moment.
"Our summer range has been carefully curated based on AI food and drink trends and what we're seeing in restaurants, food pop-ups, travels abroad and social media. We've focused on flavours from abroad and also embracing the very best of British, we've sought to create something for every occasion this summer".
The 65 item strong range includes BBQ favourites such as Beef Smash Burgers With Bone Marrow, Middle Eastern Inspired Chicken Thighs With Amba Sauce, American Style Pork Melt Burgers and New York Style Beef And Pork Hot Dogs. There's also plenty of picnic items including a Cheddar, Courgette & Pea Crustless Quiche, Popcorn Chicken With Bbq Sauce Dip, Cheddar & Hot Honey Pinwheels, Nduja & Mozzarella Calzones and a range of dips and spreads.
This isn't the supermarket's first big move leveraging the power of AI, having already announced late in 2023 that it was launching a range of AI tools designed to further personalised the consumer online shopping experience.
The move would, amongst other aspects, see Waitrose use data based on past customer buying patterns and behaviours, such as search and browse patterns, favourite products, and brand choices.