#1 Dirty Soda QSR Rollout
Creamy, syrup-spiked sodas move from Utah soda shops into national quick-service menus and bottled soft drinks, turning customizable soft drinks into affordable, camera-friendly treats. The cooling happened gradually across several checks rather than through one sudden collapse. Dirty soda continues its national QSR rollout with active menu rollouts from major players like Sonic and Hat Creek Burger Company.
#2 M&S Foodhall Advent Calendar
M&S compresses its Foodhall into a 25-door calendar containing chocolate, pantry products, cocktails, panettone and Champagne. Strong launch coverage and shopper demand emptied the £100 calendar within 72 hours, turning a seasonal gift into an unusually early scarcity event. Most of the week’s decline came in one sharp move rather than through a slow fade. Post-season evaluation reflects strong national retail presence and rapid sell-out that has now tapered off.
#3 Kunafa Mooncake
Across Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, mooncake makers are translating Dubai-chocolate cues into snowskin, Teochew, baked, durian and chocolate-crust formats. Pistachio cream and crunchy kunafa are becoming a seasonal flavor system rather than a single confection. Most of the week’s decline came in one sharp move rather than through a slow fade. The clearest weakness was softer visibility and adoption.
#4 Malpua
The traditional Indian dessert malpua – a syrup-soaked fried pancake – is gaining new attention thanks to viral recipe videos. Its rich flavors, once limited to regional festivities, are now reaching international audiences. The decline was uneven, with weaker readings interrupted by temporary stabilisation or recovery. Malpua maintains consistent traditional and cultural culinary presence with steady online recipe engagement, though current commercial adoption remains largely localized.
#5 Fajita Loaded Fries
Fajita flavors are being rebuilt as handheld or fry-based items, moving sizzling peppers, onions, creamy sauces and marinated chicken into snackable formats that feel more portable than the skillet plate. The decline was uneven, with weaker readings interrupted by temporary stabilisation or recovery. The trend remains a niche, recurring flavor application for existing loaded fry formats with limited current market activity beyond isolated regional or chain-specific menu items.
Cooling does not always mean collapse. Some of these signals may stabilise, while others may continue to lose relevance. Explore the WBC Trend Watch.