The honey aisle is changing fast, and the data proves it. Once viewed as a price‑driven commodity, honey has now become one of the fastest‑growing categories in center store as shoppers seek higher‑quality, purpose‑driven products. At Nate’s Honey, we partnered with Numerator Insights to understand the behaviors powering this shift and to see where the category is headed next.
Honey Outpaces the Grocery Aisle
Numerator’s trended data shows honey gaining more household penetration than nearly every other center-store category. Since 2023, honey has grown 6 points in household penetration, surpassing even fast-growing categories like hot sauce. This reflects a broader consumer movement toward natural sweeteners, cleaner labels and everyday wellness choices.
Shoppers Are Trading Up from Private Label
For years, private label dominated the honey shelf. Numerator’s Lapsed, Retained and New report reveals that’s changing. More than $10 million in sales that had been going to private label went to branded honey over the past two years — proof that shoppers increasingly value quality, purity, taste and trust. Brand now matters in honey, and consumers are showing strong loyalty.
Flavored & Functional Honey Drives New Growth
Using Numerator, we identified growing consumer interest across multiple honey types — raw and unfiltered honey, organic honey, Manuka honey, and hot honey or flavored honey. Each segment posted 1–4% share gains, signaling product curiosity and new usage occasions. Honey is becoming more than a pantry staple — it’s a versatile lifestyle ingredient.
Honey Extends Beyond the Honey Aisle
Numerator’s Source of Volume report made another big discovery: Honey is taking share from sweeteners and fruit spreads. That opens innovation pathways beyond the traditional honey aisle, from flavored spreads to better-for-you sweetener alternatives and beyond.
What This Means for the Future
The takeaway is clear: Consumers are redefining how they are using honey. With data-backed insights into shopper behavior, consumer loyalty and category expansion, Nate’s Honey is well-positioned to continue leading honey into new spaces, both on shelf and online.
As honey grows from a simple ingredient to a premium, wellness-forward category, consumer demand and the data behind it will continue guiding how we innovate, educate and serve our customers. Stay tuned for new products from Nate’s Honey that align with consumer interests and our mission of celebrating all things honey.
Source: https://www.numerator.com/resources/case-study/nature-nates/
