Electrolyte drinks are booming, but experts warn many consumers are chugging far more sodium than their lifestyles truly require. As brands race to meet demand, the next competitive edge may be cleaner formulations.
Fashion houses are turning cafés into high margin brand theaters, using lattes and pastries to boost dwell time and drive double to triple digit category lifts. As shoppers pull back on apparel, consumables are emerging as the new entry level luxury.
Food makers are inching toward dye-free portfolios, but voluntary compliance and costly reformulations are slowing the march. With consumers demanding cleaner labels, the industry faces a high stakes test of whether “natural” can still look – and sell – like the original.
AI-powered shelf intelligence is becoming grocers’ secret weapon for Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day demand surges. Real time, SKU level insights help retailers prevent out of stocks, deploy labor strategically, and keep high stakes shopping windows fully supplied.
Bankruptcies are swelling across the food sector as rising labor, ingredient costs and higher interest rates squeeze already thin margins. It appears some F&B companies may face a reckoning amid a volatile market in 2026.
