Food Retail Archive > Page 18

Amid Inflation, Loyalty Programs as Popular as Ever

Loyalty and subscription services helped companies retain current customers and attract new ones, even as the pandemic upended many business models. “Loyalty programs are popular right now for several reasons,” Jacob Borgeson, director of product …

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 …

Restaurants Roll the Dice on Gambling Partnerships

In the same vein as national restaurant brands increasingly marketing to marijuana users as states continue to legalize the drug, the restaurant industry is aligning with sports betting to help boost revenue. And with good …

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 …

As Inflation Rises, Consumers and Food Companies Pivot

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 …

Cashierless Tech Creating New Channel for Growth

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 …

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, …

Restaurant Brands Increasingly Court Marijuana Users

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 …

Analyst: Expect Higher Egg Prices Through 2022

(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 …

Food Businesses Step Up Sustainability Efforts

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 …

3 Strategies for CPG Success During a Recession

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 …

FI Exclusive: Q&A with Simbe Robotics CEO Brad Bogolea

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 …

Demand Growing for Clean Label Meat Alternatives

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 …

Analyzing Whole Foods Foot Traffic

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: …

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 …

When Will Perfect Storm of Food Inflation Subside?

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 …

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Plant-Based Snacks Enjoying Steady Growth

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 …

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 …

CPG Food Brand Loyalty Taking Hit Amid Rising Inflation

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 …

Remembering Bill Bishop

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 …

No Cap in Sight for Booming Mushroom Market

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 …

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 Beyond Meat Beyond Repair?

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 …

Rapid Shutdowns for Rapid Delivery

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 …

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 …

The Plant-Based Protein Movement and Market Outlook

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 …