Kind of a Big Deal: Snack Brand Targets Protein, Flavor in 2025

Beth Jarocki, chief customer officer at KIND Snacks, said modern shoppers are as focused as ever on consuming more protein, less sugar, and bolder, spicier flavors.

Battle of the Brands: Gen Z Top Drinks, Snacks, Fast-Food Faves

Piper Sandler’s “Taking Stock With Teens” survey reveals that Gen Z favors Chick-fil-A, Monster, and Goldfish, respectively. More than anything, brands that prioritize convenience and energy remain the top choices.

From Data to Dollars: AI Inspires Marketing Hyper-Personalization

AI is revolutionizing the consumer journey for CPG brands. Yet, while AI enhances predictive insights, concerns about data privacy and the balance between automation and human connection remain key considerations for brands, according to industry insiders.

From Pests to Plates: Insect Market to Mature

The global edible insect market is slated to grow by $11.42 billion from 2024-28, with the growing food shortage as a contributing factor, as well as the high nutrient density and low rearing cost of insects. However, insects are often perceived as “unhygienic” in many cultures.

Impact of Inflation: F&B Industry Preps for 2025 Challenges

Economists warn of a potential recession in 2025. As a result, food and beverage companies must focus on innovation and sustainability as they navigate economic challenges and interest rate cuts.

Private Label: an Increasingly Effective Retail Lever

Private label represents roughly 19% of the market. It offers brands and retailers an opportunity to deliver on price, taste, and quality.

Groceries, Healthcare Prove a Winning Retail Combination

A new report from Placer.ai highlights that grocery stores offering in-store healthcare services are seeing increased foot traffic, particularly from higher-income customers. Wellness offerings not only boost store visits but also enhance customer loyalty.

3 Key Takeaways From Plant Based World Expo 2024

Innovation was rife at this year’s Plant Based World Expo; on display were breakout processes to better deliver on taste, texture, and even price.

Le Pain Quotidien Redefines AI Integration with AI Clone of Chef-Founder Alain Coumont

The international restaurant-bakery chain recently debuted the cutting-edge AI tool Alain.AI to modernize their recipe database and standardize protocol across 214 locations in 19 countries.

Dinner and a Movie: Can In-Theater Dining Save Struggling Cinemas?

The first half of 2024 featured a cold start for the domestic movie industry. Now, theaters across America are as focused as ever on making a “premium push” regarding their food and beverage offerings.

Lanternflies and Pongamia Trees Yielding Unexpected Harvests

Florida’s shift from citrus groves to pongamia plantations is a move towards sustainability and resilience, offering new economic opportunities with biofuel and plant-based proteins.

Opinion: Here’s Why I Haven’t Given up on AI in Drive-Thrus

Restaurants can have a drive-up process even if they don’t have a traditional drive-thru setup.

Buc-ee’s – Not Your Father’s Fuel Stop

Buc-ee’s has redefined the c-store by boasting the cleanest restrooms, a wide array of private-label goods, music, foodservice, and more.

AI-Driven CPG Platform Keychain Adds Former Whole Foods Exec to Key Role

CPG manufacturing platform Keychain has appointed Mitchell Madoff to Head of Retail Partnerships. The Foxtrot transplant and former Head of Whole Foods Private Label brings with him an extensive background in CPG and private label spanning over two decades.

Going Electric: Walmart Commits to Digital Signage

“The digital element presents an expanded shopper/marketer revenue stream for the company,” Zakowicz said.

Innovation and Inflation: Dual Forces Shaping the Plant-Based Milk Market

Milk alternatives continue to hold the largest share of the plant-based category as innovations intrigue a broader group of consumers. But inflation remains a challenge and some varieties are facing more scrutiny from consumers.

Dollar Stores Have Reached An Inflection Point

The performance of dollar store stocks suggested investors believed Walmart’s best days were behind it. They were wrong.

Wild Results: Buffalo Wild Wings Promotion Pays Huge Dividends

The promotion, which started in mid-May, saw visits on Monday, May 27 increase nearly 56% compared to the average number of Monday visitors from the four months prior.

A Fork in the Road to Sustainability: Nestlé’s New Plant-Based Fork

The innovation is a key part of its commitment to eliminate or reduce plastics in packaging while scaling reusable and refillable systems.

Breaking the Ice: The Chill, Crunch, and Pleasure of Freeze-Dried Candy

When scanning a candy store in 2024, customers will notice a developing trend: freeze-dried products, apparently, are the coolest. Candies like Skittles and Jolly Ranchers can now be found in freeze-dried variations.

Drinks Catering to Gen Z Steal the Show in Chicago

The event’s exhibitors focused on foods, drinks, and equipment designed to help foodservice operators create unique taste experiences. Beyond offering crave-worthy fusion dishes and fun iced beverages, exhibitors offered a wide array of vending machines on the show floor.

Sweet Sustainability: How 3D-printed Cookies Are Made From Waste

Researchers have created a way to make 3D-printed food, including cookies, out of plastic waste. It could be the answer to multiple global issues.

Sweetgreen Positions New Steak Offering as Sustainable, Rooted in Regenerative Grazing Practices

Sweetgreen is leveraging regenerative agriculture to position its new grass-fed steak offering as climate-friendly. Can expanding these agricultural practices offset beef’s massive carbon footprint?

Gen Z’s ‘Little Treat Culture’ Especially Apparent in Coffee Category

Young adults are turning to drinks like cold brews and ube lattes as they seek self-care while partaking in “little treat culture.”

Food Meets Fashion in NYC

On Thursday, May 16, The Food Institute is taking over the headquarters of Hugo Boss in downtown Manhattan to discuss food, finance, and fashion.

C-Stores Draw Market Share From Grocery, Retail

Casey’s and Maverik are highlighting breakfast while Buc-ee’s and Rutter’s are leveraging increased square footage and store footprints to drive sales and steal market share away from grocers and retailers.

States Are Banning Cultivated Meat; Do Consumers Want Novel Proteins?

Novel proteins including cultivated meat, mycelium, and dairy bioidenticals are advancing further into the market, and some state governments are pushing back. A new survey by McKinsey & Company explores how consumers perceive these ingredients—and their willingness to trial them.

Why Hormel Foods Employs a Cultural Anthropologist

Dr. Rodriguez is thrilled to live in a time when underrepresented voices, cultures, and cuisines can easily take the world by viral storm. She’s quick to point out that for many cuisines, blanket terms like “Mexican” or “Asian” just don’t do it anymore – the people, and the food, deserve more.

What’s Playing? The Role of Music in Retail

“The power of audio in retail goes beyond just music,” Elsley said. “Incorporating carefully crafted messaging and advertisements into the auditory experience can further enhance customer engagement and drive sales.”

Don’t Call It ‘New Sprite’ – Coca-Cola Debuts Sprite Chill

In the wild world of beverages, any edge on the competition may be enough to resurrect an LTO from the past or push it into full-time production.

Frozen Plant-Based Meals Gaining Loyalty

Shoppers seeking convenience are in the market for readymade plant-based meals — and the frozen food aisle is a prime target for innovation.

The Summer of Swicy

Asian cuisines like Thai, Korean, and Chinese have long used swicy foods as an enticing way to attract new and long-time patrons, and many mainstream and fusion restaurants are combining classic American fare with these staple flavors from across the world.

Is the Future of Retail Bionic?

As more work is being published (and more health-focused products manufactured) to improve health and happiness, we may be entering an era in which the average human life can not only be improved, but extended. Are store managers ready for what that means?

Could Daiya’s Latest Alt-Cheese Innovation Be a Game-Changer?

Daiya’s newest alt-cheese recipe utilizes proprietary fermentation technology to mimic the texture and meltability of traditional dairy cheese. Could it be a game-changer for the plant-based cheese category?

Consumer Shift: Private-Label Snacks See Unprecedented Popularity

For the first time in the report’s history, the top six brands – all of them – are store brands, from retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target.

Mountain Mike’s Pizza Plans to Reach the Upper Crust

The newly minted CEO isn’t oblivious to Mountain Mike’s challenges in its crowded sector. For example, Metevier knows he needs to be sensitive to labor costs now that his California-based chain must deal with that state’s recent implementation of a $20 minimum wage (85% of the chains locations are based within the Golden State.)