Consumer Insights Archive > Page 12

A Closer Look at Alcoholic Beverage Trends

Steve Ramirez is a Vice President and Relationship Manager with City National Bank’s food and beverage group. Based in Los Angeles, he provides cash flow, asset-based lending, real estate and equipment financing expertise to family …

Mexican Food Hotter than Ever

Even a lingering pandemic has done little to slow the momentum of Merkado, an independent restaurant serving Mexican comfort food in San Francisco. The establishment, which features a menu inspired by Yucatán and Jaliscan cuisine, …

3 Keys for Marketing to Millennial Parents

Millennial parents have become massively impactful consumers. Several stats speak to the generation’s purchasing power. First, millennials in general are the largest adult cohort worldwide, with 23% of the global population – or 1.8 billion …

Study: Meal Kits Gaining Momentum with Gen Z, Millennials

New consumer research suggests that meal kits are gaining momentum – especially with young adults. According to research from Culinary Visions, an insights and trends forecasting practice, 49% of consumers ages 18-34 say meal kits …

Fresh Berry Category Ripe for Summertime Success

Berries were a powerhouse throughout the pandemic and the category continues to thrive as convenience and nutritional appeal keep consumers coming back for more. According to an April report by IRI, fresh berries are the …

Expert: Brands Must Consider Emotional Factors of Inflation

How will consumer behavior shift as prices climb amid inflation? Most c-suites – in food business, and beyond – are inadvertently approaching this question with a purely rational framing, evaluating the marketplace as if every …

What Are the Top Online Grocery Pain Points?

It’s been over two years since the start of the pandemic, a span in which many consumers began ordering groceries online for the first time. Though significant improvements have been made along the way, there …

Consumers Lapping Up Super Premium Waters

Beverage companies looking to recapture consumers who have rejected sweet sodas are turning to sparkling waters to up their bottom lines. Market research firm Euromonitor International reported flavored sparkling water is outpacing bottled still water …

Report: 40% of Consumers Buying Plant-Based Foods

Nearly half of consumers are buying plant-based products in 2022. A new report from Acosta found that 40 percent of consumers surveyed in March purchased plant-based protein and/or dairy alternatives within the last six months, …

Analysis: What Exactly is the Carnivore Diet?

The carnivore diet – a meat-only meal plan – is gaining in popularity. Compared to other low-carb diets, such as paleo and keto, the carnivore diet eliminates all carbohydrates and plant foods completely. According to …

Fried Food Demand Continues to Sizzle

Consumers are still loving all things fried. Market research service Mintel Menu Insights found that the number of fried foods on U.S. restaurant menus rose 5% during the first three quarters of 2021. And with …

Is Easter the MVP of Holiday Candy Sales?

In the seasonal candy playing field, Easter has been knocking it out of the park. Per IRI data, combined sales for chocolate and non-chocolate seasonal candy totaled $1.3 billion in the 7-week period ending April …

Teen Spending Up, Interest in Plant-Based Down

Teens are spending more money (+9%) and food is a top priority, according to Piper Sandler’s Taking Stock with Teens Spring 2022 survey. With these themes in mind, below are key findings that food industry …

Deli Prepared Foods Thriving Despite Inflationary Squeeze

As rampant inflation tightens its grip across the food industry, many consumers are cutting back on grocery staples and trading down to cheaper items. All the while, higher-ticket prepared food sales are soaring. Comparative unit …

7 Ways CPG Companies Accelerated Growth in 2021

In a recent IRI webinar on consumer packaged goods (CPG) company performance in 2021, senior leaders from three of the category’s top performing companies — Michael Del Pozzo from PepsiCo, Gary Osifchin from Reckitt, and …

Is the Future Consumer Flexitarian?

As reported in a recent FoodThink white paper, flexibility is among the top priorities for U.S. consumers when it comes to food shopping and eating behaviors. With food habits and social wellness trends evolving rapidly, …

3 Keys for Successful Social Media Marketing

Food businesses are losing faith in Instagram following a change in its algorithm. The social media platform’s choice to prioritize videos over photos has created unforeseen costs for small businesses, leaving many owners frustrated, reported …

Report: Bacon, Refrigerated Snacks Big CPG Winners Since 2020

Consumer data analysis firm Catalina reports two years into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are snapping up certain packaged foods at a rapid clip, and there’s little evidence the trend is slowing much. Bacon, refrigerated snacks …

Analysis: Is There Too Much Plant-Based Competition?

Seemingly any product you can think of has a plant-based alternative these days. When The Food Institute attended this years’ Natural Products Expo West, we found a plethora of plant-based brands with items like alt-chicken …

Kerry: Health, Wellness Primary Concerns for Modern Consumers

What’s the mindset of the average American consumer in 2022? Kerry, a global food company, examined that question last week in a webinar titled “How America Eats: Creating Data-Driven Success for Food Brands.” “We’ve been …

Functional Beverage Market Percolating

In 2022, consumers have a growing thirst for functional beverages. The global functional beverage market size was estimated at nearly $120 billion (USD) in 2021 and, according to researchandmarket.com, is projected to grow at a …

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TikTok is Becoming a Food Industry Influencer

Users sharing their food on social media is nothing new, but TikTok is taking the phenomenon to new heights. Earlier this week, the hashtag for “food” had garnered a whopping 268 billion views on the …

Can Indulgent Treats Improve Health and Wellness?

The pandemic era strengthened food and beverage trends like health, wellness and nostalgic indulgence. While contradictory at first glance, these behaviors are finding alignment as consumers redefine what constitutes “healthy” behavior. Health and wellness are …

Can Plant-Based Innovation Boost Store Brand Sales?

On the heels of a stagnant sales year for store brands, Amazon and Kroger are bulking up their private label portfolios with plant-based products. Is category innovation on the horizon? The Food Institute Podcast · …

Does the Keto Diet Have Staying Power?

The keto diet is still making headlines after surging in popularity several years ago. Food sensitivity specialist YorkTest researched the most viewed diet-related hashtags on TikTok and found that Americans can’t get enough of the …

Why Food Brands Should be Targeting Gamers

Gamers are proving to be an influential demographic in the food industry. In fact, research from Wunderman Thompson Commerce’s Future Shopper Report 2021 shows that globally, 84% of online shoppers are gamers. With this in …

How Americans are Combatting Meal Prep Fatigue

After two years of more cooking at home, it looks like Americans are getting tired of meal prep. A survey by OnePoll on behalf of Jennie-O found that six in 10 respondents admitted feeling “burnt …

The Restaurant ‘Experience’ Returns

Editor’s note: This article is a free, one-time preview of The Food Institute’s new Premium articles, which will be available to members. To join FI, click here.  After nearly two years of intermittent pandemic-related lockdowns, consumers are seeking …

Is Plant-Based Meat at a Retail Crossroads?

Alternative meat sales continue to plateau at retail following strong performance in recent years. Has plant-based meat reached its peak, or is this just a lengthy chapter in the emerging category’s evolutionary process? According to …

Can Meat Industry Maintain Record-Setting Sales?

The recently released 2022 Power of Meat report indicated pandemic-induced inflation sent meat prices soaring, with sales hitting a record $81.8 billion in 2021, an increase of 0.3% from the previous year. Those record sales …