At the 2025 NACS Show, protein-packed innovation and caffeine reinvention stole the spotlight, catering to health-conscious and novelty-seeking consumers alike. More than anything, convenience retail is getting a functional facelift.
Elliott Management just invested $4 billion in PepsiCo, betting it can fix what fizzled. The activist investor envisions a turnaround – assuming legacy brands can still thrive in a GLP-1 world.
Gen Z’s brand loyalty hinges on authentic user-generated content, not legacy clout. Food giants like Oreo and McDonald’s are losing steam – while Disney thrives by treating fans like community, not consumers.
At Groceryshop 2025, leaders tackled topics such as value-driven shoppers, evolving retail media, and AI’s seismic impact on grocery. From TikTok disruption to digital twins, the future of food retail is already knocking.
From prebiotic sodas to clean-label meat sticks, 2025’s fastest-growing F&B brands are rewriting the rules of consumer engagement. Authenticity, health-forward innovation, and bold storytelling are fueling the brands’ momentum.
Energy drinks are thriving as price-conscious consumers pivot from costly coffee to functional, flavorful alternatives. With wellness claims and nostalgic flavors, the category is stealing share from traditional caffeine formats.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on Kellanova’s pledge to remove synthetic food dyes from its retail food products by 2028.
When asked which foods and drinks Gen Zers wanted to experience in sauce form, 10% of survey respondents referenced a soda – some by its brand name; others by its flavor profile. Here are their top flavor choices.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast notes how Alimentation Couche-Tard rescinded its $46 billion offer to purchase 7-Eleven’s parent.
Beverage giants appear to be losing their buzz. Investors are signaling deeper concerns despite steady profits. As GLP-1s and shifting health sentiments rise, the sector’s long-term resilience may be entering a new taste test.
Food and beverage businesses have begun to feel the impact of tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Some have absorbed the blow. Others were left staggering. When the U.S. raised steel and aluminum tariffs to …
7-Eleven is redefining experiential marketing by embedding its brand into live music culture as it works to appeal to to younger consumers.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on Starbucks’ big plans to boost afternoon traffic, an uptick in cyberattacks, and more.
The latest Taking Stock with Teens survey by Piper Sandler reveals a generation of U.S. teenagers with rising annual spending (up 6% from last year). Chick-fil-A and energy drinks currently dominate teen preferences, highlighting opportunities for targeted marketing strategies.
Companies like PepsiCo face long-term challenges, particularly with the declining consumption of soda. PepsiCo is attempting to get ahead of competitors with its acquisition of prebiotic soda brand Poppi. Still, obstacles line its path, according to one financial analyst.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast discusses PepsiCo and Coca-Cola’s pending forays into the fast-growing prebiotic soda market.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast discusses Coca-Cola’s apparent pivot away from sugar, along with other industry news.
The latest FI Fast Break news podcast offers experts’ tips for restaurants and bars for Super Bowl Sunday.
Dr. Pepper: call it soda or call it pop, but either way, there’s a new no. 2 soda in America, and it isn’t Pepsi.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are transforming dieting culture, offering a relatively easy solution to weight loss. While these drugs may disrupt food consumption patterns, their long-term impact hinges on overcoming high dropout rates and premium pricing, one industry insider says.
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on consumers’ growing demand for not just value, but also luxury offerings.
The FDA issued a significant ruling for beverage manufacturers, saying brominated vegetable oil is no longer considered safe.
Iced tea has enjoyed sweet success of late, and a new survey suggests the drink poses a serious threat to carbonated soft drinks.
Many industry experts believe prebiotic sodas represent a gut-health trend with real staying power as major soda brands appear poised to respond.
The food-away-from home industry gathered in Chicago between May 18 and May 21 for the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show (NRA 2024).
Could a zero-sugar energy drink be the future of the heavily saturated beverage market? Possibly. KEY, an energy drink start-up, recently emerged with $4 million in funding, according to an article by AFN. The start-up, …
Across the US, inflation-weary consumers continue to push back on years of price hikes, cooking from home or simply buying less to save more.
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast discusses the demise of a noteworthy plant-based seafood brand.
Food preferences are a complex interplay of taste, health, value, and convenience. While these factors are universally important, the way they manifest can vary across generations due to differences in life stage, culture, macro-economic conditions, …
Mountain Dew, Simply Orange, and SunnyD have all launched alcohol products recently which have drawn the ire of consumer advocates.
When was the last time you heard “controversy” and “Coca-Cola” in the same sentence? Not in recent months. The venerable company has made a concerted effort to avoid culture wars and political stances while also …
The heck is an NFT? Their precursors in the ‘90s were called pogs – often cheap and of limited variety for the average consumer, easily tradable and without much long-term staying power. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) …
According to a recent Kantar report, Latin America is home to nearly 40% of the global CPG and FMCG brands that are growing. Here’s a look at the most popular CPG brands in Latin America, …
The recent Digital Food and Beverage conference illustrated that first-party data and AI are fast becoming transformative tech drivers of industry evolution.
For Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, 2022 seems like it should have been a difficult year. As we discussed just a couple months ago, the challenges facing the food and beverage industry are numerous. Inflation continues to …
When the Coca-Cola Co. announced it was discontinuing Honest Tea, co-founder Seth Goldman jumped into action. In a recent episode of The Food Institute Podcast, Goldman discussed his decision to launch Just Ice Tea and …
