Focus Archive > Page 96

What’s Driving Whole Foods Customers To Other Stores?

While the primary reason active Whole Foods Market customers sometimes shop at other stores is for lower prices, other factors can also drive them to alternatives. Simply following common market trends, such as the increased …

Eggs Win Big if U.S. Cholesterol Warnings Disappear

Five years ago, the nation’s top nutrition advisory panel advised that cholesterol remain a “nutrient of concern” in food and food products due to its connection to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. This declaration …

USDA Purchases Nearly $10 Million Worth of Bottled Juices

The USDA purchased about $9.7 million of bottled juices Feb. 13. A total of 695,895 cases of seven different types of juices were purchased for the federal food assistance program. The products purchased include 231,650 …

Canned, Frozen Vegetables Exports Saw Growth in 2014

Exports for frozen and canned vegetables had healthy growth in 2014. According to the most recent U.S. Trade reports ending Dec. 31, canned and glass vegetable exports rose 7% in volume and 6% in dollar …

Frozen Fruit Imports Grow in 2014

U.S. frozen fruit imports grew to 523.4 million-lbs. in 2014, representing a 13% increase, according to the most recent U.S. Trade reports ending Dec. 31. Value also soared by 20% in a year-to-year comparsion, totaling …

J.M. Smucker Co. Hindered By Low Coffee Volumes

J.M. Smucker Co.’s performance in its third quarter was hurt by lower volumes in its coffee division, which were down 9.2% in the 12 weeks ending Jan. 28, according to Morgan Stanley Research. The company …

Changing Consumer Tastes Impacts Kelloggs

The Kellogg Co.’s breakfast food sales declined 7.7% in fourth quarter 2014, which CEO John Bryant attributed to changing views among weight watchers hurting its flagship Special K brand. While healthy eaters previously turned to …

West Coast Port Labor Dispute Grows More Disruptive

For 14 weeks, 29 West Coast port terminals from San Diego to Seattle have been operating at a diminished capacity as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) negotiate …

Price for Canned Green Beans Hits Historical High

Prices for canned green beans rose to its highest last month in the past seven years. Retail prices for 24/300 cut green beans increased to $12.35 per case for January, up from $11.75 per case …

Health Claims Still a Major Driver for Premium Sales

Consumer demand for health is still strong, and the willingness to pay more for exactly what they want is growing. While AlixPartners found the average consumer would pay 6.2% more for a product that had …

The Growing Avocado Craze

Over 140 million-lbs. of avocados were shipped into the U.S. for the Big Game on Feb. 1. The first produce-related advertising spot ever aired during the game compliments of Avocados from Mexico, and by most …

Beef More Popular Than Pork, For Now

Technomic’s 2015 Center of the Plate: Beef & Pork Consumer Trend Report shows a significant demand for pork and beef products, with the majority  of consumers eat beef and pork either as an entree, entree …

Institute of Medicine Recommends White Potatoes for WIC

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that white potatoes be reinstated for use in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The recommendation reverses a 2006 release from IOM suggesting that …

USDA purchases $54.9 million of cranberry products

To alleviate a glut in the cranberry market, USDA made three separate purchases of about 3.9 million cases of cranberry products for distribution in federal food assistance programs worth a total of $54.9 million. Between …

Pork now second in meat consumption

The comeback of pork continued with it now being the second most produced meat in the U.S. Pork recently surpassed meat to land in second behind chicken. According to the USDA, pork production will climb …

Dollar Tree May Shed More Than 500 Stores

Earlier expectations that Dollar Tree Inc. would only need to divest 300 stores to gain FTC approval for its merger with Family Dollar Stores Inc. may have proven wrong, and the Federal Trade Commission is ...

More Than Just Chicken Feed

The American poultry industry is a $470 billion mega-industry employing over 1.814 million people and generating $32.9 billion in government revenue.  We know this because we just completed an economic impact study of the industry …

Costco May Become Nation’s Biggest Organic Retailer

Costco has had some success with its organic options in recent years, and is in a position to overtake WHOLE FOODS MARKETS and TRADER JOE’S as the number one organic retailer in the country. With …

Here Come The Millennials: A Boon For Restaurants

The food industry is gearing up for the Millennials who recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest segment of the U.S. population but whose eating habits are much different.  As noted in the upcoming Demographics Of …