Catering in the COVID Era
Once seen as a perk, meals at work are being pitched as a safety measure. Corporate catering companies were decimated by the initial pandemic shutdown, but with lockdowns easing and employees returning to the office, …
Focus Archive
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Shopify Finds Winning E-Commerce Strategy
Shopify Inc. is seen as one of the biggest winners in the retail shakeout following the coronavirus pandemic, reported The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 8). Millions of small businesses were forced to adapt to online sales …
Frozen Food Supply Chain Feels COVID Strain
With popularity of frozen foods up during the pandemic, supply chains for frozen products are undergoing their own set of challenges. Eighty-six percent of consumers said they bought frozen food in March and April, with …
Pandemic Highlights Value of Family Meals
September is National Family Meals Month, and FMI is highlighting proven scientific benefits of sharing meals. “We have long known that family meals have a tremendously positive impact,” said David Fikes, executive director of the …
Shoppers Connect with Private-Label Brands
Private-label brands have been performing well during COVID-19. Entering 2020, the category grew more than 4% as national brands only grew at 1.5%, according to Nielsen. As the year carried on, the category continued to …
City-Based Restaurants See Effects of COVID on Dining
Restaurants in cities are particularly struggling with attracting diners during COVID, even with outdoor dining options available. Even New York City’s Michelin-starred restaurants are having trouble, reported The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 2). Daniel Boulud, …
Oatly Criticized for Blackstone Sale, Possible Ties to Deforestation
Swedish alternative-dairy company Oatly is facing protests by climate and political activists over its decision to sell a stake to Blackstone, a private equity firm that is blamed for contributing to deforestation in the Amazon, …
Consumers Eat Plant-Based for the Planet
Over half of Americans are eating fewer animal products since the pandemic, according to research for Eat Just, Inc. One reason for the shift is to be more sustainable. Over 60% of study participants indicated …
Weekend Takeout Surges as More Indoor Dining Opens
Friday and Saturday night takeout is emerging as a lasting trend during the pandemic, according to Technomic. Research found that off-premise meals on Friday and Saturday nights accounted for 24% of overall sales in the …
Walmart Debuts Subscription Service, Amazon Gets Drone Approval
Retailers are developing new strategies in an effort to one up each other in the battle for delivery advantage. Walmart will launch Walmart+, a membership service that could help it better compete with Amazon Prime. …
More Facility Closures Follow Rise in COVID-19 Cases
As coronavirus cases around the U.S. continue to rise, manufacturing plants—particularly poultry processing—are experiencing more closures. On Aug. 31, the U.S. topped 6 million cases of coronavirus, reported CNN (Aug. 31). The food processing industry …
Nestlé Buys Aimmune for $2.6B to Combat Food Allergies
In an effort to expand its health sciences business, Nestlé SA agreed to buy the rest of the partially owned biopharmaceutical company Aimmune Therapeutics Inc. for $2.6 billion, reported The Wall Street Journal (Aug. 31). …
Convenience Stores Adapt During COVID-19
Main Points: Convenience stores must adopt practices to ensure employee and customer safety, such as contactless checkout The ability to shift focus to different day parts to achieve sales is essential Consumer loyalty is …
Food Companies Make More Job Cuts
A growing amount of large food companies—particularly in manufacturing and foodservice—are continuing to restructure, making more job cuts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, Coca-Cola laid off thousands of workers, offering voluntary deals …
Plant-Based Continues to Resonate with Consumers
Shoppers are increasingly turning to plant-based products. The specialty plant-based segment has grown more than 27% since 2017, reaching nearly $5 billion in total brick-and-mortar sales in 2019, according to the recent State of the Specialty …
Restaurants Look to Government for Guidance
Restaurants across the U.S. are resuming operations in accordance with guidelines to ensure health and safety and patrons and employees. However, states, cities, and counties have different requirements for operating during the pandemic. In New …
German Grocers Continue Expansion into U.S.
German discount grocers Aldi and Lidl have been capturing a larger share of the U.S. grocery market over the past several years. The stores have increased sales and attracted shoppers with simpler stores that offer …
Consumers Turn to Sweets During Pandemic
Sales of chocolate and candy increased during the pandemic as consumers look for products to boost their mood and lighten perspectives, according to data from the National Confectioners Association (NCA). Overall sales of chocolate and …
Corporate Borrowing Increases Along with Manufacturing Sales
Manufacturing companies are seeing increased sales during the pandemic, but some are issuing record levels of debt. Strength in the retail and deli businesses helped push sales up at Hormel Foods Corp. in its third …
Bee-Friendly Farms Ensure Future of Food Supply
KIND Healthy Snacks plans to switch to “bee-friendly” almond suppliers to encourage growth of the insect population, reported Fast Company (Aug. 25). KIND’s almond suppliers are working on two major changes: 1) stopping the use …
Food Trucks Make Suburban Shift
Food trucks are being saved by the suburbs during the pandemic after no longer able to depend on busy city centers, reported Omaha World-Herald (Aug. 21). The industry has found new customers who enjoy sampling new …
DoorDash Plans IPO, Diversifies with Grocery Delivery
DoorDash plans to open an initial public offering in the fall, according to people familiar with the matter, reported Bloomberg (Aug. 22). The company had previously considered going public through a direct listing but decided …
Severe Weather Damages Key Crops
Recent storms across the country have caused major disruptions to farmers—particularly in Texas and Iowa. Texas Cotton producers in the Rio Grande Valley took a devastating hit from Hurricane Hanna in late July, according to …
Drinkers Turn to Familiar, Convenient Alcohol
Alcohol e-commerce platform Drizly raised $50 million in a series C funding round, reported The Boston Globe (Aug. 20). The company, one of the largest alcohol e-commerce delivery platforms in North America, currently operates in 235 …
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US Foods Offers All-in-One Ghost Kitchen Solution
Restaurants looking to open ghost kitchens can now get help doing so from the foodservice distributor US Foods. The company is launching US Foods Ghost Kitchens, a program designed to guide restaurant operators when opening their …
Are Pickup-Only Formats the Future of Food?
As digital ordering grows in popularity, food companies are adapting with new formats. Taco Bell Yum Brands Inc. plans to launch a Taco Bell mobile restaurant in first quarter 2021 under the Taco Bell Go Mobile …
Scorching California Temperatures Affect Produce
Northern California has been hit with triple-digit temperatures, as well as hundreds of lightning strikes that ignited brush fires, reported Los Angeles Times (Aug. 18). The mercury hit 107 degrees Fahrenheit on Aug. 17 in …
Black-Owned Food Companies in High Demand
Black-owned food businesses are seeing a surge in sales and interest from consumers as organizations celebrate August being National Black Business Month. Michele Foods posted a 78% jump in sales of its syrup products in …
Big Retailers Dominate E-Commerce
Walmart’s e-commerce sales rose 97% in the second quarter and same-store sales grew by 9.3%, driven by purchases of food and general merchandise, reported CNBC (Aug. 18). Though Walmart customers shopped less frequently, they bought more when they …
Pizza Essentials are Latest to Face Shortages
Certain pizza ingredients are getting harder to come by as pizza sales soar. Small pizza shops around the U.S. reported pepperoni prices are rising while the supply is getting tighter, reported Bloomberg (Aug. 14). Pizza …
Food Activity Picks Up in Asia
Over the past several days, there has been a significant amount of food-related activity in Asia—particularly in China and Japan. China China is expected to have a food supply gap of about 130 million metric tons …
COVID’s Impact on the Lobster Industry
The economic impact of coronavirus is unprecedented. It has brought social repercussions that sent shockwaves throughout the hospitality industry, especially products and services associated with luxury or discretionary buying, such as lobster and other delicacies. …
What the Stock Market is Revealing About Key Beverage Trends
The relative stock price performances of beverage companies this year tell a compelling story about the key beverage trends influencing today’s market. While most public beverage stocks closely followed the broad index (i.e., S&P 500 …
Vertical Farming Growth Accelerated by Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the traditional U.S. food and agriculture supply chain, providing a potential growth opportunity for vertical farms. One recent deal made in the space involves Singapore-based Temasek Holdings Pte and Bayer …
COVID Turns Restaurant Robotics into Necessity
Food Institute Focus – COVID Turns Restaurant Robotics into Necessity
Casual Dining Leverages its Assets
Food Institute Focus – Casual Dining Leverages its Assets