Experts Say Tentative Dockworkers Deal Strikes Balance
A tentative deal granting U.S. dockworkers a pay hike averted a potential supply chain crisis, while opening the door to modernizing ports.
Investments Archive
COLUMN: Noodles & Company Needs More Than a Secret Sauce
Noodles & Company has tumbled from fast-casual stardom to potential Nasdaq delisting, plagued by declining morale, quality, and customer experience. One industry turnaround expert proposes a bold recovery plan targeting high-impact opportunities to restore the brand’s luster.
Farm Bill Extension: Crisis Averted, but for How Long?
Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown by passing a stopgap spending measure that prolongs the U.S. farm bill for another year. Experts warn that failing to modernize the farm bill within the next year could exacerbate food price volatility.
Retail’s Hidden Secret: Unlocking Quarter 5 Potential
The period between December 26 through mid-January offers myriad opportunities for CPGs and grocers alike. Measured omnichannel strategies and retail media network initiatives can support these efforts.
BNPL Boom Boosting Holiday Spending
Buy-now-pay-later services are surging in popularity, with Adobe projecting $18.5 billion in holiday purchases this year. While retailers benefit from increased sales and lower fees compared to credit cards, experts warn that BNPL poses risks if not carefully regulated.
Cava’s Secret Sauce: The QSR Is So Hot Right Now
The latest financial data shows Cava is enjoying tremendous success, outpacing the fast-casual dining segment and sustaining jaw-dropping growth. Some of this success is likely thanks to its Gen Z engagement strategy.
What’s Up with Airline Food? Shake Shack, Delta Partner on Burgers in the Sky
Delta’s latest partnership with Shake Shack has been met with excitement; however, is it enough to shake the airline’s negative in-flight meal image?
M&A on the Menu: Jersey Mike’s Lays Out $8B Recipe for Growth
Private equity firm Blackstone on Tuesday announced its $8 billion acquisition of Jersey Mike’s. One industry insider feels the blockbuster deal signals an optimistic outlook for M&A in the sector.
Has Mike Tyson Bitten Off More Than He Can Chew with Mr. Charlie’s?
Mike Tyson is investing in a QSR chain dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s.” However, the rapidly expanding brand has locations in California, where the recent minimum wage increase played a major role in the demise of Kevin Hart’s similar concept last month.
Battle of the Brands: Gen Z Top Drinks, Snacks, Fast-Food Faves
Piper Sandler’s “Taking Stock With Teens” survey reveals that Gen Z favors Chick-fil-A, Monster, and Goldfish, respectively. More than anything, brands that prioritize convenience and energy remain the top choices.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q2 2024
Private Label Growth Pockets in Frozen Food
As consumers continue to stockpile frozen foods, retail operators are leveraging private labels to tap into that demand. Which frozen products are experiencing the most store brand sales growth? FI investigates.
Survey Shows Retail Workers Prefer Practical Tools over AI
Today’s retail workers are most eager to be equipped with tools that help them tackle inefficient tasks, particularly when interacting with customers.
Dollar Stores Have Reached An Inflection Point
The performance of dollar store stocks suggested investors believed Walmart’s best days were behind it. They were wrong.
Market Signals: Unpacking Bezos Earth Fund’s Alt-Protein Allocation
Bezos Earth Fund is allocating $60 million to build research centers that focus on improving the taste, cost and nutritional value of alternative meats. What does this financial traction signal for the future of alt-meat investments?
How Post Holdings Claimed the Best Packaged Food Stock in the Market
Since its spin-off from Ralcorp, Post has spent over $10 billion on acquisitions. It has taken impairment changes relative to acquired assets of less than $300 million. Meanwhile, off a cereal business worth about $2 billion, Post and Bellring are now worth over $20 billion combined (including the respective companies’ debt).
Lead with Delicious: How Plant-Based Thrives
How will plant-based evolve in the year ahead? In this industry outlook, analysts weigh in on economic challenges, the financial landscape, and consumer adoption strategies for 2024.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q4 2023
Stories of the Year: What Does AeroFarms’ Bankruptcy Signal for CEA’s Future?
Henry Gordon-Smith’s exploration of the bankruptcy at AeroFarms offered crisp context to the international state of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) before one of its most notable innovators declared bankruptcy.
Analysis: Automation Could Cure Labor Shortages in Manufacturing
Automation offers companies the opportunity to attract talent with the right skills and assign those skills to the most appropriate areas of the business.
Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q3 2023
Alt Meat No Longer Sizzles While Plants & Fungi Grow
A recent confluence of headlines reporting a shift in sales and venture-backed capitalism indicate a change in consumer mindsets surrounding alt meat products and their pseudo-competitors – particularly seafood, fungi, and the versatile mushroom.
Outlook for Meal Kits Murky
Meal-kit companies are delivering mixed results in 2023. The difference between the category’s “haves” and “have-nots” appears to be widening. “There’s a broad range of what’s considered a ‘meal kit’ today, reflective of rapidly changing …
Packaged Foods Stocks Struggle with Inflation—and Investors
Packaged food stocks experienced a banner year in 2022. The five biggest manufacturers—General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Campbell Soup, Kellogg, and Conagra Brands—on average returned 22% including dividends. On the same basis, the Standard & Poor’s …
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Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q2 2023
Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q1 2023
Mergers, Acquisitions, Startups & Layoffs: What to Expect in 2023
Inflation is ebbing and the economy is weathering the rate hikes well. Unemployment is at a 50-year low, and recent tech layoffs are minimal compared to the volume of employees hired by those same companies the past several years.
The Food Institute Launches FI Latam Content Platform
NEW YORK, April 13, 2023/FINewswire/– The Food Institute, the leading source for food industry news, data, and trends, announced today the official launch of “FI Latam” – The Food Institute’s Latin America-focused content platform. Elements …
Foodservice Distributors Continue to Prosper
2022 was a strong year for food and beverage stocks – and particularly the biggest manufacturers in the industry. On average, including dividends, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Campbell Soup, Kellogg, and Conagra Brands returned 22.6%. …
COLUMN: Let’s Learn from the Demise of Freshly
The public markets (and strategic firms) aren’t kind to businesses that don’t make much money and then stop growing. The recent shutdown of Freshly shocked many of its consumers, but not those following the ~$6B …
Rutgers Food Innovation Program Appoints Five Advisory Board Members
How Energy Drink Stocks Are Defying the Market Slump
Energy drink stocks are performing more vigorously than you may imagine. If an investor had invested in the S&P 500 at the beginning of the year, even with dividends she’d have lost about 16% of …
6 Tips to Withstand a Recession
The Food Institute spoke with food industry executives to determine their strategies to withstand a coming recession.
Analysis: Beyond Meat Earnings Indicate Alt-Meat Category in Trouble
Beyond Meat reported third quarter earnings on Wednesday afternoon, and they were disastrous. Revenue declined 22.5% year-over-year … and that wasn’t even the worst news.
Column: Why Investors are Wary of Kroger-Albertsons Merger
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will need to approve Kroger and Albertsons’ planned merger, and that agency has taken a skeptical view of corporate consolidation in recent years.
UPDATE: What Kroger, Albertsons’ Merger Means for Grocery Industry
Kroger Co. will merge with rival U.S. grocer Albertsons Cos. – a move that will create a grocery giant.