Natural Products Expo West is the industry’s biggest stage for emerging trends, groundbreaking innovations and the next wave of category-defining brands in natural CPG. With Expo West 2025 just around the corner, The Natural List is revisiting last year’s biggest takeaways in a special re-release of its 2024 show preview episode. 

In this episode, co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith welcome Scott Dicker, who is now senior director of market insights at SPINS, to uncover the top products, attributes and themes that made an impact at Expo West 2024. From the rise of functional teas and botanical formulations to the evolution of non-alcoholic beverages, the conversation reflects key shifts in consumer behavior and what that means for the future of CPG. 

A year later, these insights remain highly relevant as Expo West 2025 prepares to spotlight the next big industry trends like waste-less formats, AI and inclusive clean beauty. Themes like conscious CPG, functional wellness and sustainability-forward branding continue to drive innovation. Expo West attendees can expect to see how last year’s trends have matured, evolved or expanded into new opportunities for brands and retailers alike. 

As Expo West starts in just four weeks, this episode serves as a taste of the themes that will take center stage on March 4-7. Whether you are attending the show or tracking industry movements, tune in for a fresh look at what shaped 2024 and what’s on the horizon for 2025. 

Related:Natural Products Expo West provides assistance for California fire recovery

In this episode:  

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Our guests

Scott Dicker, Sr. Director, Market Insights
SPINS 

Scott Dicker is senior director of market insights at SPINS, a leading wellness-focused data company and advocate for the natural products industry. With a background in nutrition, he believes making wellness options more accessible starts with demystifying data. By analyzing omnichannel, market-wide data, he identifies emerging patterns and shifting consumer behaviors to help retailers and brands better understand the market and their audience. 

Scott has spoken at leading industry events, including Natural Products Expo, SupplySide, and Plant Based World, and his insights have been published in industry resources such as Natural Products Insider, Nutritional Outlook, and Whole Foods Magazine. He has a long-standing involvement in nutrition and wellness, previously working as a sports nutritionist and launching multiple entrepreneurial ventures in the field. 

Your hosts 

About Jessica Rubino  

Jessica Rubino is a natural products industry expert and content strategist with more than 15 years experience in media, events and natural products. As New Hope Network’s vice president of content, Jessica oversees digital and print content, conference programming and branded content for CPGs, retailers, investors and service providers. Jessica is passionate about using innovation as a force for good and leveraging content to spark the changes we want to see in the world.  

About Adrienne Smith  

Adrienne Smith is the director of content for newhope.com and the editor-in-chief of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine where she helps ideate and produce content for natural products retailers, brands and entrepreneurs. She also runs the NEXTY Awards, an annual program held in conjunction with Natural Products Expo West that recognizes emerging and established natural CPG brands for their innovation, inspiration and integrity. 

Before coming to New Hope Network, Adrienne spent two decades writing about food and beverage products and trends for the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Trade in Madrid, Spain, as well as for publications including the International Herald Tribune/New York Times and El País. A former restaurant owner, chef and sommelier, Adrienne is passionate about food in all its forms.