Starbucks Has Big Plans for Smalltown America
Starbucks appears poised to overtake Subway as America’s most prolific QSR. Smalltown locations could be key in helping the coffee chain reach its goals.
Focus Archive
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Value-added Proteins Gaining Steam at Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are attempting to give customers a taste of convenience with value-added proteins like meat and seafood.
Top 5 Highest-Grossing U.S. Fast-Food Chains
Average unit volume (AUV) speaks to a chain’s operational efficiency and overall success, indicating the average annual sales that a brand earns per restaurant—a reflection of how consumers feel about the brand itself. These are the top five highest-grossing fast-food chains in the U.S. by AUV.
Go with Your Gut: Marketing Advice for the ‘Gut Health Boom’
Gut health has become the latest health obsession for consumers, and medical professionals and brand marketers are taking note.
CPG Brands Adapting Marketing Messages to Reach Latin Consumers
According to a recent Kantar report, Latin America is home to nearly 40% of the global CPG and FMCG brands that are growing. Here’s a look at the most popular CPG brands in Latin America, …
Snack 50: The Surprising WHYs Behind Gen Z’s Snack Decisions
Earlier this summer, market research company Alpha-Diver and The Food Institute released the first ever Snack 50 report, the industry’s first measure of the psychological drivers of real-world consumer decision-making as it relates to snacking. …
What Target’s ‘Drive Up with Starbucks’ Signals For Curbside Pickup
While the mid-pandemic rush around curbside pickup has cooled off, the potential benefits for consumers and retailers alike are still shaping the grocery landscape. The number of shoppers opting in for the convenience of in-car …
The 15 Healthiest Low-Carb Foods
The low-carb foods market might be bloated, but opportunities remain for food and beverage companies to take advantage.
Global Expansion Tips for Plant-Based Businesses
Worldwide demand for animal and dairy protein is slated to reach $1.2 trillion by 2030, reflecting significant opportunities for plant-based brands eyeing global expansion.
Report: Convenience Still Fueling Prepared Food Sales
Despite persistent inflation and cost-of-living concerns, consumers continue to seek out prepared foods for their ease and convenience. In a new survey from good natured, 72% of respondents claimed they have consistently purchased or increased …
Analysis: Why Sam’s Club and H-E-B Dominate Pharmacy Customer Service
The J.D. Power 2023 Pharmacy Study finds consumers prefer Sam’s Club to Costco when it comes to brick-and-mortar mass merchandiser pharmacies, and H-E-B to Wegmans and Publix when it comes to supermarket pharmacies. “As pharmacies …
Why Inventory Distortion Costs Retailers Trillions
Inventory distortion due to out-of-stocks and overstocks is projected to cost retailers $1.77 trillion worldwide this year.
Will the Government’s New Farm Relief Bill Function?
In the past, the sheer bureaucracy of requesting emergency relief has led to several administrative changes, causing delays, confusion, and more than a little fiscal frustration for those providing many of the common produce staples in grocery and retail.
The Consumer Curiosity Report Reveals Future Food Trends
The Consumer Curiosity Report was the first inaugural report developed by Curious Plot to not only learn how food-forward consumers think and behave, but to help establish, foster, and share new food trends from home to aisle, retail to restaurant.
Column: Leaders Must Prepare for The Great Separation in 2023
What companies need in 2023 are strategic leaders that can challenge the status quo and aren’t institutionalized by conventional wisdom.
Americans Avoid Businesses Without a Drive-Thru
No drive-thru? For nearly half of Americans, that’s a deal-breaker. New research shows that 47% of U.S. consumers would simply avoid going to a store that doesn’t have a drive-thru. And twice as many people …
The High-Tech Future of Food Production
The world is getting hotter, impacting every aspect of food production. Animals are overheating. Extreme temperatures are scorching crops. Does the future of food depend on high-tech solutions? How sows and cows stay cool Livestock …
Scientists Fear Next Pandemic Could Come from Pigs, Hogs
Americans may think the dangers of a COVID-like pandemic originating in the U.S. are remote, but scientists warn that may not be the case since the U.S. boasts the largest number of human cases of …
How to Win Over Evolving Omnichannel Shoppers
Common sense wins the day in most respects, and a little data goes a long way toward verifying collective gut-checks, especially during inflationary years. And though the U.S. has landed a little softer than feared …
Can Microalgae ‘Ghost Proteins’ Resurrect Alt-Meat?
Food tech startups are developing new techniques to transform microalgae into “ghost protein,” a powerful alternative protein source with an undetectable, completely neutral flavor.
Top 5 Sources of Prebiotics for Gut Health
As we continue to discover how gut health impacts our overall well-being, scientists are exploring the value of consuming prebiotics to maintain a healthy gut microbiome.
Protein Bars Proliferate, Yet they Confuse Consumers
Amid the health and wellness movement, protein bars are flying off grocery shelves. Yet, it’s debatable how healthy many of these protein snacks actually are in 2023. The protein bar market has become massive. According …
Column: Why Google’s New RT-2 Robot Could Transform the F&B Industry
Innovation is the driving force that shapes the landscape of the food and beverage industry, and as the Innovation Advisor at The Food Institute, I’m committed to exploring the latest advancements in this dynamic field. …
What’s Up with Watermelon? Prices, for Starters
While food inflation seems to be cooling in the aggregate, watermelon prices remain red hot. That’s according to Mintec, a market intelligence company, which recently reported prices had surged 49% in mid-July when compared to …
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The Grimace Effect – How Marketing & Memes Drive Sales
Audacious, sublime, organic – these are the hallmarks of profit for brands wise enough to be confident in their values and lucky enough to thread the needle between quality-controlled seriousness and edge-of-the-internet frivolity.
Nona Lim Announces Acquisition by Hong Kong-based DDC Enterprise Limited
The Latin American Flavor Takeover: How Latam is Revolutionizing U.S. F&B
As the Hispanic Heritage Month approaches this September, the spotlight shines on the vibrant and ever-growing influence of Latin American cuisine on mainstream culinary trends in the U.S. The Food Institute’s upcoming Latam Food Week …
Cleaner Labels Could Renew Interest in Alt-Meat as Sales are Dropping
The meat alternative market is slowing down after years of explosive growth: dollar sales fell 18.5% to $370.2 million for the 52 weeks ended June 18, according to data from Circana. Without the perception of …
Emergent Functional Foods Are Flooding the Market
Cereal, by most conventions, is a breakfast food. Yes, cereal can also make a great snack, and has been snackified for decades as a familiar and kids-friendly alternative to vegetables and other foods with more …
Why Is America Nuts For Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter—it’s the ingredient with top-billing in the iconic PB&J sandwich, an American classic, and a $2 billion industry.
Precision Fermentation Steals the Show at IFT FIRST
Animal-free proteins made through precision fermentation and cell-cultures were seemingly everywhere at the recent IFT FIRST event in Chicago.
The Future of Liquid Packaging: Harnessing Automation in the Manufacturing Sector
The fast-paced evolution of technology has continuously redefined multiple sectors and the food manufacturing industry is no exception. One of the areas of innovation is in the liquid packaging processes. Liquid food products, whether sauces, …
Why Mixed Reality Could be a Business Game-Changer
When Apple unveiled its Vision Pro headset in June, tech experts reacted with hyperbole. Optimists claimed the mixed reality device is likely to replace smartphones someday. Cynics, on the other hand, scoffed at the product’s …
The Summer of Butter
Every dairy category has seen positive growth, from milk, natural cheese, and eggs to yogurt, cream cheese, dairy processed cheese, and whipped toppings, all helping power the #SummerOfButter.
3 Key Takeaways from IFT FIRST 2023
CHICAGO – Product developers and food scientists from over 70 countries learned about the latest in food ingredients and technologies recently at the IFT FIRST 2023: Annual Event and Conference. The Institute of Food Technologists …
SKU News: Firsts From Maxwell House, Yough!, & Philadelphia
New product launches from Maxwell House, Yough!, and Philadelphia signal important firsts for each of the brands. Designed to be convenient, better-for-you, and plant-based, these new offerings are indicative of the trends defining the food industry right now.