Report: Modern Consumers Drawn to Sustainability of Seafood

Recent research shows that modern consumers are drawn to the sustainable nature of seafood and view it as part of a healthy diet.

Will Competitors Copy Walmart and Amazon’s New Fulfillment Strategies?

Walmart and Amazon, the top two retailers in the U.S., are both making big changes to their fulfillment strategies for online orders, aiming to ramp up next-day delivery. WALMART’S HUGE NEW HIGH-TECH CENTER Walmart recently …

Generative AI Sets the Stage for Digital Grocery’s Evolution

Generative AI has the potential to revolutionize grocers’ entire ecosystem, especially online—if they know how to utilize the technology.

The Better-for-You Blockbuster Snacking Season Has Arrived

As families gear up for movie night across the country and CPG companies figure out how to get their snacks off the shelves and into the hands of consumers before the previews even start, what constitutes a typical movie night snack, for many, is going the way of the dinosaurs.

Experts: El Nino (and Food Industry Upheaval) is Coming

Everyone knows “El Nino” by now – hot weather. Big winds. And once again in 2023, much of the world will gain a better grasp of this unpredictable meteorological phenomenon. El Nino generally refers to …

3 Trends Reshaping Grocery

New research from analytics firm Placer.ai noted the steps that successful grocery chains are taking in 2023 to outpace the competition amid inflation.

The Route to Market (& Me) – Amazon Fresh & The Evolving Consumer

“What is the route to market?” Carroll wondered. “That’s what we all used to say – ‘what is the route to market?’ Today, though, it’s the route to me. Give me what I want, when I want it, as conveniently as possible.”

4 Movements Impacting Retail in Latin America

Adapting to inflation, changing consumer preferences, and omnichannel has been a challenge for Latin America’s grocery industry. Nevertheless, in the past few years, retailers in Latin America have developed innovative strategies to create resilient products …

How to Compete with Aldi’s Sweeping Price Cuts

Aldi is cutting prices on more than 250 products, ranging from snacks to meals, and the move is putting even more pressure on an industry facing inflation.

Poll Shows Americans Have Become Adventurous Eaters

A recent survey suggests there’s pent-up demand to eat out — and to try new flavors — as American consumers become more adventurous eaters. Nearly half of the survey’s respondents (47%) said they’re tired of …

Grocers Take Loyalty Programs to Next Level

Offerings such as member pricing boast potential to simultaneously grow market share and increase loyalty program penetration for grocers.

Study: Plant-Based Attains Popularity with Gen Z

An eye-opening 81% of college students will choose a plant-based food offering when it’s the default option, according to a recent study led by foodservice provider Sodexo. And these Gen Zers are more interested in …

Study: Lab-Grown Meat Potentially Worse for Environment than Retail Beef

If proper technology and facilities can be developed to lessen the current emissions costs of lab-grown products, then yes, the research team found cultured meat to be much more environmentally competitive and with a potential wide range of applications. Today, though, the scientific/environmental/cultural jump “from pharma to food” remains an expensive and taxing endeavor for mother Earth.

Drive Impulse Purchases Using Urgency and Store Layout

Despite inflation, impulse purchases remain a key opportunity for maximizing basket sizes. A study by Ipsos found that while 56% of consumers say they’re making fewer impulse buys, one-third still made one in the past …

When Wallets Are Tight, Concentrate on Quality & Convenience

When consumers start tightening their wallets due to economic conditions, they start choosing between price and convenience. And in the case of major retailers, it becomes a struggle to decide where to concentrate efforts. “Companies …

Groundbreaking Consumer Insight: The Snack 50 Psychological Ranking

According to Circana Group and reported by The Wall Street Journal, nearly half of American consumers snack three times or more every day, a figure up 8% in the past two years. Last year, U.S. snack sales soared to over $180 billion, up 11% from the previous year.

Amazon Delivery Strategy a Model for Other Retailers

Robotics, machine learning, and data analytics helped optimize the Amazon delivery process in recent months. Now, the e-commerce giant’s model could be a standard other retailers look to emulate. Amazon managed to speed its deliveries …

American Jerk: The Salty, Smoky, Spicy, and Thriving Business of Jerky

There are many notable jerky and meat snack companies out there and most are thriving as the snackification of America continues apace. Jerky in any form has been a staple snack since navigators used sextets to sail the seven seas and discover more jerky, as John Smith is purported to have in the early 1600s when he marked a map of Virginia and wrote, “as drie as their jerkin beefe in the West Indies.”

Grocers Tap into Health and Wellness Trends

Grocers looking to stand out can tap into two trends: the demand for healthy foods and growing interest in cooking at home.

Virtual Reality Can Provide Grocers Deeper Insights Without Breaking the Bank

VR technology can help grocers optimize planograms and get a better understanding of how shoppers browse their aisles.

COLUMN: For Tyson and JBS, the Problem is Not Just the Cycle

Input costs are up, prices are falling, volumes are down. It’s an unprecedented environment.

Summer Preview ’23: Inflation Alters Vacation Plans

Inflation is lingering like an in-law overstaying their welcome. As a result, consumers are demanding deals as they make vacation plans for summer 2023. Judging by recent research, consumers plan to hit the road in …

C-Stores’ Transformative Era Is Upon Us

The C-store landscape has changed drastically over the last several years, but the transformation is far from over.

Shrimp: The New Seafood Value Proposition

When it comes to seafood, shrimp is, well, no shrimp. While other seafood prices have been on the upswing since the pandemic era, shrimp prices have remained affordable and stable, providing value opportunities for savvy …

COLUMN: Throwing a Lifeline to Leaders in a Volatile Market

Business owners must keep their fingers on the pulse to forecast whether the cash in the business is sufficient to maintain operations and overcome the volatile market conditions.

Why Lemon8 May Replace TikTok as Top Marketing App

As Congress considers a ban on the social media platform TikTok due to questions about the privacy of data, online safety concerns and connections with the Chinese Communist Party, many individuals and businesses alike are …

Short-term CFOs Offer Grocers a Sizable Assist

Many grocers operate with small, tight teams that are experts at their jobs — but this can leave the company shorthanded when a major project or expansion pops up.

How to Foster Loyalty in a Competitive Retail Space

With the ever-increasing amount of shopping options – from local grocers to whole and organic nutrition vendors and widespread grocery chains – growing customer loyalty is more important than ever for those in the retail …

Inventory is Everything, Especially in Omnichannel Grocery

Omnichannel grocery is here to stay, and while operating in multiple channels can increase profits, it can also increase challenges.

How to Win in the 2023 Snacking Universe

“Snacking is still a lifestyle in the U.S., fueled by the younger generation,” Wyatt began. “We’re in an unprecedented situation as price hikes in this category are outpacing other food/bev categories.”

The Future of Food Retail

Grocers continue to be challenged by the emergence of competitive C-stores, inflation, and a looming global recession.

Dollar Stores Are Becoming Problem for Grocers

Shoppers flock to dollar stores, attracted by their low prices and convenience, but opponents say they harm a community more than help by taking sales from traditional grocery stores. In some cases, they can lead …

The State of Wagyu in America

Wagyu often tops restaurateurs’ dinner menus as the cut de la creme, the luxurious and bougie beef, the apex protein for the apex predator armed with a sharp knife, a crisp vegetable, and an appetite for the sublime.

Analysts: Global Rice Shortage Likely to Last for Months

The ramifications of weather and war have resulted in a global rice shortage, which could be among the worst in nearly a quarter century. Rice production for 2023 appears destined for a severe shortfall. “The …

Shoplifting Has Become a $100B Problem for Retailers

The good news is the waning pandemic has allowed consumers to return to in-person shopping; the bad news is the return has been coupled with a sharp rise in retail shoplifting theft, a $100 billion …

The Inflationary Consumer: Fewer Trips but Bigger Carts

Consumers’ grocery shopping habits are changing as they grapple with inflation, leading to fewer trips but spending more during each visit. Between November 2022 and January 2023, average basket size rose 6% while number of …