PREVIEW FOCUS: America’s Growing Food Waste Problem

Food waste has become a significant issue around the world, but nowhere more so than in America. In fact, about $161 billion of food is wasted in the U.S. every year, per Rubicon research. In …

Labor Union Influence Rising in Fulfillment Facilities

As the pandemic continues to impact U.S. frontline workers, union activity is growing across major companies like Mondelez and HelloFresh. Furthermore, labor unions are increasingly seeking to organize workers in fulfillment facilities as brands add …

How Amazon is Changing the Grocery Landscape

A detour to the grocery store on the way home from work used to be just part of the daily grind, but all that has changed, and Amazon’s entry into the grocery business is moving …

Canned Tuna, Bolstered by Pandemic, Appears to Have ‘Staying Power’

Prior to the pandemic, canned tuna was fading as a staple of the American pantry, with younger generations seeking out fresher, less-processed food options. In fact, per capita consumption of canned tuna dropped 42% in …

Italy to Require COVID-19 Pass for Workers

Italian workers in public and private sectors must display a health pass to access their workplaces starting October 15, a move prompted by the fact the Delta coronavirus variant continues to surge across much of …

The Latest Generation Marketers are Courting? Gen Alpha (and Their Millennial Parents)

Marketers are increasingly turning their attention to Generation Alpha – the kids born after Gen Z – not to mention their Millennial parents. Generation Alpha, typically considered those born beginning in 2010, figures to grow …

Parents Want Nutritious Kids Meals. Are Restaurants Ready to Deliver?

Demand for more nutritious food options on children’s menus continues to climb as health-conscious Millennial parents seek options that align with their own dietary values. Now more restaurants seem to be responding, with traditional kids …

Higher Food Prices, Lower Inventory Expected Through Holidays

According to industry experts, consumers can expect to see higher prices in the last quarter of this year in several grocery categories. Ingredient suppliers are seeing longer lead times because of issues like labor shortages …

U.S. Median Household Income Drops in 2020

The economic impacts of the pandemic took a significant toll on the financial stability of American households last year. U.S. median household income fell 2.9% to $67,500 between 2019 and 2020, according to new data from the …

Report: Plant-based Menu Items Skyrocketing at U.S. Restaurants

With what seems like a new plant-based development each week, it’s no surprise that meat alternatives are now a $14 billion market, according to Tastewise’s new Q3 Market Report: Alternative Proteins. The Food Institute reviewed …

Shoppable Content: The Next Chapter in Digital Advertising

As competition intensifies across the media advertising landscape, major retail players are differentiating themselves with technologically-optimized content that advances the omnichannel purchasing experience. The recent partnership between Walmart and media corporation Meredith has upped the …

Facing Mounting Pressures, Kroger Becomes Latest to Pass Along Higher Prices

On a recent earnings call, Kroger CFO Gary Millerchip said the retailer will be “passing along higher cost to the customer where it makes sense to do so.” The CFO acknowledged the company’s facing pressures …

By Sea, Rail, or Road: Supply Chain Update

Whether by sea, by rail, or by highway, the nation’s supply chain has never been more complicated. Here’s a quick roundup of recent supply chain developments, in what has become a year loaded with slowdowns. …

Amid Strong Investor Appetite for 10-Minute Delivery Apps, Safety Concerns Abound

Investor appetite for apps that promise 10-minute delivery is on the rise. Turkish grocery delivery app Getir just topped $1 billion in fundraising this year with its latest deal, for instance, by securing additional capital …

How Much is Theft Impacting Retail Shrink?

Retail theft accounts for about $45 billion in annual losses for retailers these days, according to The Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail. That figure is up $15 billion from a decade ago and has …

Kombucha Gains in Popularity as Functional Beverage Market Growth Continues

Amid the growth of the “better for you” beverage category, one drink in particular has experienced massive gains. The kombucha category grew from $1 million in sales in 2014 to $1.8 billion in sales in …

Chew on This: Gum Sales Plunge Amid Pandemic; Sugar-Free Chocolate Surges

Joanna Lepore feels consumers these days are experiencing a “massive moment of introspection.” The coronavirus pandemic, she explained, has made most people pause, examine what they want out of life, and search for moments of …

Oklahoma City Most Likely to Lead Restaurant Recovery Charge: Report

As the U.S. restaurant industry pushes towards pandemic recovery, a new report from Lending Tree shows some cities are bouncing back faster than others. For the study, researchers examined four key metrics from the 50 …

Coffee Innovations Hitting Higher Gear

Coffee’s popularity in the U.S. shows no signs of slowing. More than half of Americans over 18 years old drink coffee daily, with the average coffee drinker consuming three cups of coffee per day, as …

Will Food Companies Follow Cathay Pacific’s Lead on Firing Unvaccinated Crew?

With the FDA granting full approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, and the highly contagious delta variant spreading around the nation, several businesses are mandating that all or some employees provide proof of vaccination. Recently, Cathay …

Major Food Companies Turning to Unprecedented Measures to Find New Hires

Dealing with a shallow labor pool, major companies are increasingly turning to creative – and, in some cases, controversial – measures to attract new hires. Here’s a look at some unique moves made recently along …

Teatime and Beyond: A Look at the Future of Tea

Unilever Plc has reportedly kicked off the sale of large parts of its tea business, which begs the question: What’s next for the traditional drink, which has a history that dates back nearly 5,000 years …

Ag Update: Tesla-like Tractors Coming Soon

A number of startups are ready to unleash a new crop of electric tractors designed to revolutionize field production and help with other tasks. Bloomberg reported (Aug. 18) a pair of Monarch 12-foot, self-driving tractors …

The Keys to Moving from the Great Resignation to the Great Retention

Higher pay. Flexible work hours. A retirement account. What more do workers want? The answer is: plenty. The pandemic changed the way a lot of people think about work, and employers are not only scrambling …

Employment at Grocers, Restaurants Down in August Despite Net Employment Gains

Ahead of Labor Day Weekend, the labor situation for grocers and restaurants is anything but rosy. Although both the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and ADP showed a net gain in jobs for August, hiring …

Fresh Food, Health Care Likely to Spur More Dollar Store Growth

Of the approximately 7,300 U.S. stores opened, or planned to open in 2020 and 2021, 43% are dollar stores, according to Coresight Research. Dollar General opened 1,000 new stores in 2020 and has 1,050 more …

Oregon McDonald’s Hiring Workers as Young as 14 Amid Labor Shortage

Food companies have had to get creative to attract workers during the ongoing labor shortage. An Oregon McDonald’s is now even looking to hire teen workers as young as 14, according to a report from …

Worker Shortages Spurring Rash of Labor Unrest

Chronic labor shortages and mandatory overtime appear to be fueling union unrest as the economy bounces back from the pandemic, with workers realizing they aren’t as powerless as they once were. “With the pandemic and …

Rising Food Costs Heighten Financial Insecurity Among Seniors

Food price spikes across the U.S. are forcing many senior citizens to visit food pantries or cut back on the number of meals they eat per day. In a recent survey by The Senior Citizens …

Report: Eating at Home Trend Here for the Long Haul

The COVID-19 pandemic simply accelerated Americans’ shift to a home-centric lifestyle, according to a new report by The NPD Group. But the tendency to largely hunker down at home was already apparent prior to the …

What Does the Future Hold for Delivery Apps?

It seems like every few weeks food delivery apps are finding themselves in hot water. Most recently, Chicago officials accused both DoorDash and Grubhub of harming city restaurants and customers through high fees and other deceptive …

Is the U.S. Cattle Oversupply Finally Cleared?

After a tumultuous year of COVID-related meat processor backlogs, is the U.S. beef supply finally evening out? One banking and financial services company thinks so: the U.S. oversupply of beef appears to have “finally cleared,” …

Loyalty Programs Gain in Food Industry; Grocers Align With Subscriptions

Loyalty programs continue to gain traction across the food industry as restaurants and retailers implement new offerings to capitalize on customer allegiance. The increase is widely tied to pandemic-induced spikes in digital commerce along with …

Bojangles’ New Approach Amid Labor Issues: Taking Two Days Off

Bojangles closed all of its company-owned stores today and will do so again on September 13 in an effort to give its employees and managers a “well-deserved break.” However, employees will not be paid for …

Robotics Emerging in Food Industry as Labor Shortage Persists

Are robots about to take over? A quick glance at headlines recently makes one wonder. Elon Musk recently unveiled plans for life-like humanoid robots designed to take over “boring” work from humans, for instance. Though …

(WITH VIDEO) Scientists Produce First-Ever 3D-Printed Wagyu Steak

Japanese scientists have taken alternative meat to the next level. A group of scientists led by Osaka University recently used stem cells isolated from Wagyu cows to 3D-print an alternative form of steak. This alternative …