Author: George Hajjar

Tariff Trouble: Vexed Shoppers, Countrywide Bans

Tariffs are rattling global supply chains and inflating costs across the food industry, with India boycotts and U.S. shoppers trading down. As inflation bites, legacy brands brace for deeper margin pressure.

Beyond Religion: Considering Halal Certification in Today’s Market

Halal certification is gradually becoming a coveted recognition as the population of Muslim consumers continues to grow globally. The secular business case for the certification, however, is equally as compelling, as shoppers care more about the traceability and humane standards of the products in their cart.

A Fresh Perspective: Consumers Value Premium, Minimally Processed Foods

Within the grocery environment, fresh grocers in the first half of the year greatly outperformed their competitors, thanks to industry tailwinds prioritizing unique offerings and healthy food. In a recent webinar, two industry powerhouses discussed the implications of these macrotrends on the F&B landscape.

Gen Z Puts LATAM Flavors Front and Center

Latin American consumers are reshaping the U.S. food landscape, driving flavor trends and outpacing growth across F&B sectors. Their cultural influence is now a bottom-line opportunity businesses can’t afford to overlook

Amazon Grocery Business Goes All In

Amazon has ramped up its grocery game with faster delivery, Whole Foods synergy, and a “One Grocery” strategy aimed at efficiency and scale. Meanwhile, emerging players like Temu are stirring up fresh competition in global fulfillment.

Specialty Cheese Is In, Top Challengers Up 9.2% YoY

Specialty cheese challengers are surging, outpacing legacy brands with innovation and indulgent appeal as the market nears $41.1 billion. Consumers are trading up for emotional satisfaction, fueling growth in premium formats and adventurous milk blends.

Competitive Beverage Dynamics: Chinese Chains Vs. Starbucks

Chinese café disruptors Luckin and Cotti are muscling into the U.S. market with tech-driven formats and inventive drinks, challenging Starbucks’ experience-first playbook. Can hyper-local pricing and automation rewrite America’s morning routine?

Amazon Prime Day 2025 Inspires Nearly 155K Orders

Amazon Prime Day 2025 smashed records with over $24 billion in sales, fueled by influencer-led campaigns and F&B category dominance. Grocery deals drove traffic, while Premier Protein Shakes emerged as the event’s MVP.

Mid-Year Update: The State of the Specialty Food Industry

At the recent Summer Fancy Food Show, industry leaders discussed the promising future for specialty food makers. Despite economic headwinds, consumers are expected to largely increase or maintain their consumption in many key categories.

Ferrero Group to Acquire Kellogg

Ferrero’s $3.1B bid for WK Kellogg Co. signals bold ambition amid cereal’s slump and health backlash. As big brands consolidate, legacy CPGs chase reinvention and reformulation in a shifting consumer wellness landscape.

CPG Giants Pledge to Remove Food Dyes

Over the past few weeks, CPG giants have pledged their support in removing select artificial food dyes in an apparent bid to align their practices with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and …

EY: CPG Brand Relevance Faces ‘Negative Drift’

Legacy CPGs are losing consumer relevance to agile upstarts – but AI, innovation, and a shift to “disruptive optimism” offer hope. EY’s latest report calls on brands to earn loyalty daily or drift into obscurity.

Baby Boomers: A Restaurant’s Reliable Friend

Baby Boomers offer restaurants a loyal customer who tends to be more resilient compared to younger cohorts. Contrary to popular belief, data suggests that this cohort is excited by innovative dishes, particularly those that invoke nostalgia, comfort, or function.

As Importers Race the Clock, Cargo Surges

Retailers are bracing for a summer cargo surge, but tariffs and cautious consumer spending may temper volume. With air freight disrupting traditional shipping channels, supply chains are scrambling to adapt before the holiday rush hits full speed.

Feeling Peachy: Summer Darling Leads Beverage Innovation

Peach-enhanced menu items are growing in popularity, now on 19.8% of foodservice menus, according to one report. The fruit has found its stride in beverage innovation, with legacy brands experimenting with the flavor.

Economic Strain: Food Bill Gets Unruly

Despite wage gains, food inflation continues to outpace earnings, leaving consumers increasingly anxious about grocery costs. Meanwhile, new tariffs threaten to disrupt the food industry, with stakeholders bracing for volatile pricing and potential shifts in shopper loyalty.

Tiny Tastemakers: Gen Alpha Dubbed ‘The Foodie Generation’

Gen Alpha’s distinct food and beverage preferences, coupled with its astonishing $5.5 trillion global market share by 2029, shape it up to drive a sustained impact on the food and beverage industry. Learn about why some are calling them “the foodie generation.”

Father’s Day Spending to Reach Record-breaking $24 Billion

With Father’s Day spending projected to hit new heights, consumers are looking past the uncertain state of the economy to celebrate with their loved ones. Analysis of industry reports suggests that food and beverage industry experiences will take center stage during the holiday.

BMO 2025: Plant-Based Folds into Macro Environment

At the recent 2025 BMO Farm to Market Conference, consumer interest in personal wellness created plant-based tailwinds. Kroger, SunOpta, and Remedy Organics were among businesses weighing in on the future of the sector.

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Global Plant-Based Sales Reach $28.6 Billion

In 2024, global plant-based retail sales reached $28.6 billion thanks to accelerated interest in meat analogs in Europe and the Asia-Pacific regions. Domestically, although sales stagnated in 2024, there are many indicators that it will soon rebound.

Food Delivery Showdown: Mergers, Acquisitions, Repositions

Food delivery giants like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, and Grubhub are making bold strategic moves – from acquisitions to service diversification – to capture both consumer loyalty and merchant partnerships. As competition heats up, these platforms are doubling down on technology, international expansion, and grocery delivery integration.

Industry Shaken: Indie Cafés Outbrew the Big Guys

Independent cafés and mid-sized coffee chains are chipping away at the dominance of Starbucks and Dunkin’, leveraging bold menu experimentation to capture customers. Challenger brands are expanding aggressively, too.

Yogurt Is Having a Moment

Recent moves in the yogurt segment from CPG giants signal a strong category foundation heading into an uncertain economic future—a white horse amid other stagnating retail categories. Danone, for example, beat out analyst expectations with its Q1 sales.

HHS Plans to Remove Synthetic Food Dyes, Industry Responds

Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA took to the stage to outline a plan to phase out eight petroleum-based synthetic dyes as well as take steps to improve the American food supply. The announcement was met with a less-than-enthusiastic industry response.

Retailers, Manufacturers Struggle to Brace for Tariffs

Despite the 90-day pause on many of the reciprocal tariffs impacting the F&B industry, retailers and manufacturers are feeling anything but calm. National Retail Federation data suggests the sector has adopted a conservative approach to the next quarter, with many retailers relying on built-up inventory.

Grubhub Resuscitates Seamless, Bets Big on NYC

Grubhub recently announced it is bringing Seamless back as a standalone brand specifically for the NYC community. The strategy endeavors to target the market as part of the “next chapter” in its partnership with Wonder.

Airlines Look to F&B to Up Their Customer Experience

If you’ve flown in the past few years, you’ve likely run into a poor customer experience on an airline: albeit from overworked staff trying their best, delayed and canceled flights, more turbulence, and smaller seats. …