“By 2030, visiting a Target, Walmart, or Costco won’t just be about shopping,” said Diana Zheng, head of marketing at Stallion Express, a leading e-commerce shipping company from Canada, “It will be an experience. An immersive experience. A personalized experience, even a social experience.”
The current line of Cinema Sweets launched in December and sales have been brisk. “We’re quite pleased,” he said, brandishing an R2-D2 popcorn holder from a Star Wars release years ago, “and it’s definitely been a good launch for us across more than 550 domestic theaters.”
It’s not hard to understand why these companies have found success in a challenging environment. These are comfort food manufacturers (among other things!) whose identities, infrastructure, and revenue are built upon foods people reach for when they’re feeling down, feeling squeezed, or both.
From chefs to retailers to restaurant operators, catching fire with a dish that went viral on TikTok can ignite a fan base (and bolster quarterly revenue).
The Pitbull-launched intra-store restaurant is part of a larger, $9 billion plan to make “upscale changes” to stores and bring in more recognizable and coveted brands and influencers. For Walmart, pairing with the king of collaborations is a natural choice.
The market for GLP-1 drugs is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030. Manufacturers and brands who want a piece of the low-sugar pie, so to speak, will have to offer the same.
From number-crunching untold volumes of data to helping streamline inventory, supply chain, and predictive market trends, there is no digital limit to what AI can help operators achieve.
Despite some titans of the pantry and cookie jar winning in their categories (Keebler’s Chips Deluxe Fudgy in the Cookie category; Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream in Soft Drink), better-for-you offerings not only abounded but won several snacking categories.
The least expensive products will start at just $1.99 and range from apparel to supplements, vitamins to technology, and more. Many of the offerings will be exclusive to Target and complement its dedicated online wellness destination that features ideas, meal inspiration, and more.
For ketchup manufacturers, #TheKetchupChallenge is a welcome crimson blip on the mid-winter radar. Ketchup sales are up 7.6% in the 12 weeks ending February 2, 2024, outpacing mustard, jams, honey – even mayonnaise – as unit sales are also up 2.0% during the same period.
EV charging stations outside, stores within stores inside, sprawling beauty sections, niche products, reimagined loyalty programs – the battle for foot traffic is cutthroat as the economy roars to life.
What came first – the Cheeto or the existential crisis? That’s the question a recent story in The New York Times hoped to answer. Though a definitive answer remains elusive, many scientists, nutritionists, and more …
Through its partnership with Flashfood, an app which offers steep discounts on groceries nearing their sell-by dates, Meijer has become the first American retailer to save 10 million pounds of potentially wasted food. To put …
Chicken listings on restaurant menus have grown 6.4% in the past five years, outpacing the 4.7% of burgers and other beef-based items.
The Indian herbal supplement Ashwagandha gaining ground in the West these days as a dietary supplement for a variety of uses.
Like many diets, indulgences, and vices, “everything in moderation” is a good rubric by which to evaluate one’s actions if implementing a food-as-medicine nutritional plan.
The macadamia nut market is growing at a CAGR of 11.2%, and experts believe macadamias may soon move to the center of the premium nut mix category.
There’s also an interesting feedback loop occurring in American consumerism – the tighter the budget becomes, and the more stressed people feel, the more demands they have regarding how they’d like to be accommodated while shopping.
“Consumers can expect to see ancient grains used as an alternative base for many products, ranging from cereal, to bread, to pancake batter. Expect to see them regularly on the menu in restaurants, especially in dishes with other healthy items such as salmon, vegetables, or tofu.”
Has the would-be darling of the pandemic-era – ghost kitchens – been resurrected by a partnership between Denny’s and Franklin Junction?
Millennials grew up with store brands and they see them for what they are – a brand. Without a doubt, there is a transformation taking place in the private brand mainstream tier where products are moving away from strict equivalency to national brands and becoming true national brand alternatives.
“Choose a future that puts people first – if we keep doing that, we can help people around the world live a better life. That’s what we want to do – that’s the world we want to help create.”
Dozens of brands are experimenting in the nonalcoholic (NA) and low-alcohol space, offering consumers the opportunity to not so much choose sides but merely choose wisely according to their preferences, dietary needs, and personal goals.
People eat cheese for all sorts of reasons; this year, however, taste and health were the primary ones as 33% of consumers around the world considered it a necessary staple in their diets.
This week, The Food Institute’s CEO, Brian Choi, and Digital Media Director Susan Choi are attending the hottest trade show in North America – CES 2024, presented by the Consumer Technology Association. This year’s show …
Gen Z reportedly suffers from “menu anxiety,” and some young people are scared to order their own food at restaurants, according to a study by Prezzo Italian Restaurant. The idea of paralyzing menu anxiety may …
In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.
The new year has arrived and with it all manner of prognostications regarding what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s just around the bend. Here’s a look at 2024 trends that consumers demand, what grocers should …
Regardless of when costs come down, consumer behavior has been altered and shoppers will continue to look for the best savings in 2024.
“It’s not KETO, it’s not gluten-free, it’s not upcycled grain or something super narrow – it’s a business at the end of the day that needs to make money,” he said, “and if it’s good enough for Erewhon, it should be good enough for many people.”
“Grocers now have more technology at their disposal than ever before, and effectively leveraging this data to drive in-store performance has become increasingly difficult,” Boyle said.
Airing on three platforms (YouTube, Roku, and the pocket-laden TikTok) and also playing in stores, Add to Heart is nothing if not a bold step into the media-laden retail environment increasingly influenced by in-store retail media networks.
Monolithic allegiance has given way to the brands and companies that can provide the best, most convenient, and value-driven experiences, making every consumer a seven-headed hydra.
What does it take to design a novel system for alternative protein production? Christie Lagally, CEO of alt-chicken company Rebellyous Foods, spoke with FI about poor alt-meat infrastructure and what her company is doing about it.
And that’s OK. In many ways, being authentic isn’t about the best product or service or value or lifestyle; it’s about being human, which is being vulnerable. Vulnerability is the heartbeat of authenticity, the subtle brand drumbeat that brand advocates and consumers can hear. Without a heartbeat – without being occasionally vulnerable – it will be hard to resonate and grow the brand in a way that feels organic, fresh, and authentic.
“Today’s warehouses often have the three D’s – they are dull, dusty, and dangerous…automation and simulation environments can support operators in performing their jobs more efficiently and in safer work environments.”
