It’s been four decades since consumers were slapped with a double whammy of rapidly rising food and gas prices. In the 1970s and early 1980s consumers coped by switching to generics, changing their diets, and …
Image courtesy of Whole Foods Market Cashierless stores are a promising technology that could redefine how shoppers interact with grocery stores, but the field is still in its relative infancy, with experimentation ongoing. While solutions …
Image courtesy of The Kroger Co. Kroger is trying its hand at foodservice distribution. The grocer recently launched a restaurant supply business that offers next-day delivery to businesses in the greater Dallas area. Kroger …
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 …
For New York City restaurants, one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic has been the realization that Big Apple residents enjoy eating outdoors. “It’s an awesome example of what the great …
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 …
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, …
The pandemic era has seen a significant rise in the sales of plant-based milks and cheeses, experts said, attributing the upward trend to consumers developing more healthful habits after having eaten indulgently at the beginning …
Image courtesy of Wingstop While 18 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have legalized marijuana for recreational use, it remains illegal on the federal level. Yet, several national restaurant brands are incorporating marijuana into their marketing …
(Editor’s Note 6/15/2022: For updated coverage on the shell egg market, please read “Analysts: Expect Continued Demand for Eggs Despite High Prices“) Egg buyers may have found some relief in March as prices moderated, but …
For Earth Day, The Food Institute takes a closer look at recent industry efforts to meet the growing sustainability expectations of consumers. RETAILERS Sam’s Club recently revealed new sustainability efforts for its Member’s Mark private-label …
During the Great Recession, consumers spent less, traded down, and cut back on many CPG purchases. A recent report from the IRI Recession-Proof Your Business series explored these behaviors to glean strategies for success in …
When it comes to inventory management, few companies are automating the process for retailers like Simbe Robotics. The company’s “Tally” autonomous retail robot scans product inventory on shelves and connects data points to ensure products …
As a broader variety of plant-based protein alternatives enter the market, health-conscious flexitarians are turning a more critical eye towards ingredients and production methods. In 2021, consumer interest in clean label grew by 86% within …
This article is written and sponsored by HSBC. Learn how regenerative agriculture is leading us to a more sustainable future According to Feeding America, in 2019, food insecurity in the US had reached its lowest point since …
A new report from Placer.ai, titled Placer Spotlight: Whole Foods’ Journey Since the Amazon Deal, takes a closer look at Whole Foods foot traffic data over the past several years. Here are some key takeaways: …
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 …
Call it a perfect storm: COVID led to labor shortages and supply chain issues and to fuel shortages, all of which contributed to inflation. Factor in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and unpredictable weather, and food …
We may not have George Jetson’s flying car quite yet, but we could soon be getting a significant amount of our deliveries by drone if Amazon and Chili’s have their way. Amazon has been talking …
As consumers continue to blur the line between snacks and meals, the plant-based category is playing an active role in the space between. Seventy-eight percent of global consumers say their definition of snacks has evolved …
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 …
With inflation raging, consumers are beginning to cut costs on everyday CPG food items. And as a result, brand loyalty is taking a hit. Private-label brands, after two pandemic years in which they lost market …
Upon returning from vacation, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Bishop, an industry legend who also happened to be one of the nicest guys I ever met. To be fair, many …
Retailers are digging up new ways to boost fresh mushrooms sales in the produce department and beyond, as consumer interest in fungi functionality continues to thrive. The global mushroom market size is expected to reach …
Like many things, consumer behavior has changed over the past two years. In fact, a new report from Placer.ai found that hybrid work, increased economic uncertainty, and more leisure activity, dramatically accelerated the rate of …
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 …
Investors appear to have soured on Beyond Meat, sending its stock price from a $160.28 to as low as $35.74 in the last year, as competition in the alternative-meat sector has increased and the company’s …
When U.S. delivery startup Zero Grocery abruptly closed recently, it stunned northern California businesses that sold its products. Many were owed money and questioned what went wrong with the fast-growing startup, reported San Francisco Chronicle (March …
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 …
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 …
Plant-based innovations are disrupting the food industry, as the category’s growing prevalence in environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) matters drives investor interest from farm to fork – and beyond. Research from Bloomberg Intelligence suggests the …
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 …
Online grocery shopping is reshaping e-commerce and is expected to become the top category this year, Adobe Analytics recently reported. “E-commerce is being reshaped by grocery shopping, a category with minimal discounting compared to legacy …
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 …
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 …
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 · …
