Sarah Klose
Delis should stock a wide range of condiment brands and flavors.
Sauces, toppings, condiments and more are the key to complete meals. They’re the dollop of deliciousness the consumer desires. That sweet sensation. That intense heat. That spicy twist.
And the desire for condiments is growing. Statista forecasts $31.31 billion revenue in sauces/condiments in the U.S. market for 2025, with annual growth of 2.76% through 2030.
THE STAPLES
Let’s start with the staples — the classic condiments.
Beano’s Original Submarine Dressing is “the optimal balance of oil and vinegar, infused with a perfected blend of spices that you can see,” says Jill Huff, Beano’s brand manager at Conroy Foods, Inc. in Pittsburgh, PA.
“All-natural cream cheese is one of our top three products,” says Carl Cappelli, senior vice president of sales and development at Don’s Prepared Foods in Schwenksville, PA. Local farmers produce it.
THE FLAVORS
Moving beyond the basics, grocery stores are advised to stock a wide range of condiment brands and flavors.
Mike’s Hot Honey comes in Original and Extra Hot, and is ideal for drizzling on pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, even cheesecake.
“What is fantastic is, the sweet of the honey hits the front of the palate, and the heat of the chile peppers hits the back of the palate,” says Cheryl Smith, senior vice president of retail sales for Mike’s Hot Honey in Brooklyn, NY. “Mike’s Extra Hot Honey is the perfect pairing with cheese, because the dairy element softens the heat a little bit.”
Beaverton manufactures everything from Inglehoffer Ghost Pepper Mustard to Beaver Spicy Tartar Sauce.
“Our Beaver Cranberry Mustard won the silver medal in blind taste testing at the 2024 World-Wide Mustard Competition,” says Domonic Biggi, chief executive at Beaverton Foods, Hillsboro, OR. The competition is held at the National Mustard Museum.
“Maple mustards are on the rise. Dill mustards are popular,” says Patti Bridges, owner/operator of the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI. Spicy pepper mustards are favorites too.
“For the more adventurous palate, Wasabi Sandwich Sauce delivers a sinus-clearing punch to salmon bowls. Our Roasted Chipotle Sauce and Peach Habanero sandwich sauces make for the perfect savory dip or drizzle to chicken quesadillas,” says Huff of Conroy Foods.
Don’s Prepared Foods offers innovative cheese spreads and dips. “Artichoke & Asiago Cheese Dip — imagine that one on a flatbread with grilled chicken salad or a burger. Dynamite Shrimp Dip has spice on the back end — imagine warming up a sandwich with this dip on it,” says Cappelli.
CONDIMENT TRENDS
In its Sauces, Dressings And Condiments Market Analysis 2025-2030, Mordor Intelligence says international travel spurs demand for global flavors, like Sriracha, hoisin sauce and chimichurri.
Nashville Hot Sandwich Sauce is made from honey and cayenne peppers and complements cheesy eggs, and chicken and waffles. “We’re continuing to see interest in more dynamic flavor combinations (like sweet + spicy = ‘swicy’) and trendy ingredients like honey that adds a more charismatic sweetness,” says Huff.
Social media and cooking shows encourage people to experiment with cuisines and flavorings.
“People are putting mustard on anything. I see people making their own sauces by using our mustard as a base. The sauces could go on any chicken, fish — really on any protein,” says Biggi.
Mike’s Hot Honey expects more uses for its product, such as on fried chicken, chicken strips and sandwiches. The company partners with Dunkin’ Donuts on a breakfast sandwich and with Cinemark Theaters on popcorn.
THE NATURALS
Statista reports consumers are seeking healthier and more natural items, which is leading to a rise in organic, clean-label and plant-based condiments.
“We have artisan dips: clean dips without preservatives. Our flavors include Cheddar, Horseradish — and Sweet Corn, which is everywhere now,” says Cappelli.
“People want good flavor, but want to be healthy. You can have a pop of flavor without putting something on that is high in sugar or overly processed. We try to use honey and fruit juices in our products,” says Biggi.
BENEFITS OF THE DELI AISLE
Compared to the grocery aisle, the deli aisle offers cross-merchandising and meal solution marketing for condiments.
“Deli shoppers love convenience, and purchasing all the components to make restaurant-quality sandwiches at home in one area of the store saves time,” says Huff.
Mike’s Hot Honey likes the deli for sampling. “In the honey aisle, I am not able to show you how to use it. Grocery stores partner with us and sample Mike’s Hot Honey at the deli aisle, and usually convince people to buy it,” says Smith.
Don’s Prepared Foods likes the impression of freshness. “When you put our fancy cream cheeses in the deli department, the consumer perceives that the store makes it fresh every day. The deli can say, ‘Try this, taste this, add this to a turkey sandwich for unique flavor,’” says Cappelli.
PERFECT PACKAGING
When packaging condiments, companies consider safety and convenience. Conroy Foods’ retail sauces come in resealable plastic bottles.
Beaverton has two options. “We offer glass and plastic. For a big outdoor picnic or a boat ride, a plastic squeeze bottle is safer because it doesn’t break,” says Biggi.
In the grocery aisle, Mike’s Hot Honey is packaged in 12-ounce squeeze bottles. In the deli aisle, the product is in 1.55-ounce mini jars perfect for charcuterie boards and cheese pairings. “We are infused with real chile products, so our hot honey is thicker in general, and won’t come pouring out,” says Smith.
• • •
Pickles Offer Coolness and Crunch
Pickles are known for their crisp taste and hip vibe. They’re popular — per Statista, over 252 million people consumed pickles in 2024.
STAPLES AND NEW FLAVORS
Pickles have basic categories, just like ice cream (chocolate/vanilla).
“The staples of pickles are Garlic Dill and Hot, but we keep the category fresh with LTO (limited time offer) flavors, such as Ranch and Sriracha,” says Patti Amato, retail sales director at Patriot Pickle in Wayne, NJ.
Grillo’s Pickles sticks to clean ingredients: no colorings, additives or preservatives. So does Yeehaw Pickles — even for its Hot Damn Dills and Giddy-Up Garlic Dills.
“We use fresh dill, raw honey, fresh chiles, like capsicum,” says Andrew Cesati, owner/director at Yeehaw Pickles in Crested Butte, CO. “When customers wanted a sweeter taste in our Honey Sweet Stackers, we cut some of the honey and added coarse cane sugar.”
SNACKING AND TRENDS
With pickles, flavor trends include spicy and Asian. Health trends include drinking pickle juice to prevent cramping and dehydration.
Sandwich trends include Pickle Subs. “Instead of bread, people are using pickles and stuffing them with their favorite sandwich fillings,” says Amato.
And pickles aren’t just a condiment — they’re a snack, too.
“People are making better choices about snacks — instead of grabbing potato chips and crushing the entire bag in one sitting, you can grab one of our pickles and get that salty tangy fix,” says Cesati.
For home chefs, pickles can elevate recipes.
“We love to add Grillo’s Hot Chips to a homemade pizza, mix Pickle De Gallo into egg salads, or even add a Dill Spear as cocktail garnish,” says Eddie Andre, vice president of brand for Grillo’s Pickles in Westwood, MA.
“The pickle to Gen Z is what avocado toast is to Millennials. A takeoff on that, is all kinds of crazy collaborations,” says Eric Girard, sales and marketing vice president at Van Holten’s in Waterloo, WI.
The company’s fastest growth is with licensing. Its newest pickle is Warheads Blue Raspberry. On TikTok, Girard noticed people turning Van Holten’s pickles blue, and thought the company should make them.
“Our serious research is me surfing Instagram and seeing if their vibe feels like ours. That is honestly how we came up with Warheads. We saw people eating sour candy and pickles together,” says Girard.
MERCHANDISING AND PACKAGING
Pickles are merchandised in the deli, where shoppers will pay a premium for quality products. Pickles can pair with other deli items to make a meal.
“Grillo’s are the perfect addition to any meal and are typically cross-merchandised near your go-to sandwich ingredients and barbecue essentials,” says Andre.
Pickles come in jars or pouches, and the containers are made of glass or plastic.
“We prefer glass — it is cleaner and you don’t have plastic seeping into your bodies. And you can reuse the jars,” says Cesati of Yeehaw Pickles. Each jar has a specific-colored label — the company updated them to make the brand name more prominent.
“Our pickles are packed in clear tubs, allowing the consumers to see the quality and freshness,” says Amato of Patriot Pickle. The company offers single-serve pouches, too.
Grillo’s Pickles revised their plastic jar and added grips. “After years of seeing feedback that the old jar design was more difficult to open and often was a mess with brine splashing out, we were finally able to introduce our new jar that features a convenient screw top lid to prevent spills and enhance functionality,” says Andre.
Van Holten’s pickles come in individual pouches with clear windows. The largest pickles are in bold, bright pouches that feature cartoonish characters, such as Sour Sis and Big Papa. “We could try to put pickles in jars, but we want fun single-serve snacks that grab people’s attention,” says Girard.
