FI Fast Break audio news: June 25, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break podcast notes how July brings another round of U.S. minimum wage increases in states such as Alaska.
Tag: AI
FI Fast Break audio news: June 18, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break podcast touches on the latest related to Pres. Trump’s tariff plans, and the outlook for the energy drink market.
FI Fast Break audio news: June 11, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on a recent study that suggests GLP-1 weight-loss drugs alter the “taste perception” of users.
Experts Say Amazon Humanoid Workers Just Hype – For Now
Amazon is reportedly developing humanoid robots to streamline delivery operations, testing them in a “humanoid park” obstacle course. Experts remain skeptical, citing previous automation failures and questioning whether the hype will ever translate into real-world efficiency.
FI Fast Break audio news: June 4, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on how Americans are scaling back on summer travel plans due to economic uncertainty.
5 Major Trends on Display at NRA 2025
The 2025 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago showcased groundbreaking foodservice innovations, from globally inspired comfort foods to cutting-edge pizza solutions. Business leaders also displayed the latest AI-driven data analytics, revealing a dynamic future in which tech drives growth in the industry.
CPG Shake-Up: Tariffs and GLP-1 Drugs Challenge Brands
With ingredient bans, rising tariffs, and the influence of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the CPG industry faces a pivotal moment. Forward-thinking brands that embrace strategic supply chain shifts and data-driven consumer insights are most likely to emerge as winners, experts say.
How F&B Companies Can Maximize Return on Tech Investments
Many F&B companies aren’t getting the results they desired from tech investments due to factors ranging from insufficient data to inadequate planning. Industry experts shared actionable strategies with FI to help companies resolve these issues.
FI Fast Break audio news: March 26, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on an innovative new product that uses pea protein and targets those using weight-loss drugs.
FI Fast Break audio news: March 19, 2025
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast notes new research that points to the link between diet and lung cancer.
Hungryroot – A Master Class in Pivoting
Hungryroot, a survivor of the DTC meal-kit boom, pivoted from a narrow CPG business model to a distributor model with a limited assortment retail interface, leading to significant success. By focusing on a small list of ingredients, Hungryroot transformed into an online grocer that offers personalized meal planning.
Price: The Elusive Enemy of Food Delivery
Food delivery shoppers are becoming more price sensitive, indicating that platforms will have to get creative to ensure profits. One key growth lever for companies in 2025 is reinforcing their commitments to grocery, the often-overlooked food delivery service next to restaurants.
Sustainability, Innovation Take Center Stage at Gulfood 2025
The Gulfood 2025 event in Dubai emphasized the urgent need for sustainable global food systems. The event also showcased innovative solutions and products aimed at enhancing food security, such as AI-based order processing.
AI and Independent Restaurants: Experts Share Tips, Predictions
Yum Brands’ new AI platform, Byte by Yum, illustrates the potential of proprietary tech for QSR giants, but independent restaurants can also leverage similar, customizable platforms. Experts advise starting small with AI for specific tasks and monitoring its outputs closely to ensure that it enhances efficiency.
Rise and Stall of Amazon Go Illustrates Limits of AI
In its quest to revolutionize retail, Amazon Go has faced significant hurdles, from customer confusion to technical difficulties. Amazon’s challenges in brick-and-mortar retail highlight the complexities of adopting cashierless technology.
FI Spotlight: How AI Powered Solutions Are Transforming the Shopping Experience
Inspiring Supply Chain Resilience: A Farm-to-Fork Approach
Recent supply chain disruptions further prove that operators need to consider ways to integrate resilience into their approach. One key method is through integrating flexibility into shipment processes.
3 Key Takeaways From NRF 2025 – Retail’s Big Show
At the recent Retail’s Big Show event by the NRF, technology took center stage, showing the need for businesses to transform their operations with a digital future in mind. Here’s a look at three themes slated to take over retail in the new year.
The Great CPG Shakeup: Brands Are Getting Smarter in 2025
The CPG category is undergoing a significant transformation, blending AI, retail media networks, and social shopping to create deeply personalized experiences. These innovations are reshaping shopping into a seamless experience for consumers.
Innovation in Food: The Evolution of an Industry at a Crossroads
The F&B industry is at a transformative crossroads, where AI-driven advancements, and the rise of functional foods, are reshaping how we think about nutrition. In 2025, the challenge will be balancing innovation with preserving the cultural essence of food.
Navigating Food Supply Chain Challenges: Key Strategies for 2025
The global food supply chain faces mounting challenges, with 30% of food lost or wasted annually. To combat these hurdles, industry leaders are leveraging real-time tracking, sustainable logistics, and AI-driven automation.
Grocers Leverage AI, Retail Media to Enhance Membership Perks
Grocers are upgrading their membership programs by combining retail media strategies with AI-driven personalization, offering targeted ads and perks based on shopping behaviors. This evolution integrates elements like first-party data to maximize ad value.
FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 4, 2024
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on consumers’ growing demand for not just value, but also luxury offerings.
AI Beyond the Buzz: 3 Invaluable Food Industry Applications
Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday ads sparked backlash for prioritizing spectacle over substance, highlighting a key lesson for food industry players: AI must deliver real-world value to resonate.
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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.
Report Reveals ‘Digital Divide’ in F&B Supply Chains
A new industry study suggests food and beverage suppliers simply can’t afford to ignore supply chain modernization.
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.
FI News Review (August 2, 2024) – The Ins and Outs of AI Drive Thru Chatbots
Analysis: Why Has Adoption of AI Been So Slow in F&B?
While restaurant chains like McDonald’s have had notable swings and misses regarding AI, business leaders insist the technology offers invaluable uses to food companies, aiding personalized offers, sales forecasting, and more.
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.
The Plight of the Hourly Employee: Low Morale, Long Hours and AI Fears
A new study shows that hourly employees are demanding more recognition from their employers along with increasingly flexible schedules.
How Nestlé Professional Solutions Brings The Customer Experience to Life
How do you sustain a business where customers are taken care of every step of the way? How do you deliver an end-to-end seamless and value-added experience for your customers, both direct and via digital …
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.
Survey Shows Retail Workers Prefer Practical Tools over AI
Today’s retail workers are most eager to be equipped with tools that help them tackle inefficient tasks, particularly when interacting with customers.
How Raydiant Provides Digital Solutions for Restaurants
Join The Food Institute at NRA’s 2024 Restaurant Show as we investigate the innovations of Raydiant, a company that provides digital tools for Restaurants. From digital menu boards to point-of-sale integration and even AI-triggered promotional …
How Avocados From Mexico Strategizes for Success
Avocados From Mexico has made itself into a recognizable brand through things like numerous distribution deals to creative marketing. Join The Food Institute – on the ground at the National Restaurant Association’s 2024 restaurant show …