Grocery Grit: What’s in the Cart When Money’s Tight?
Nik Modi of RBC Capital Markets breaks down grocery trends and consumer behavior amid inflation, tariffs, and more.
Tag: consumer insights
Open Sesame: Tahini Latte Searches Surge 900% on Yelp
After the Maman Salted Tahini Honeycomb Latte and Edith’s Tahini Frozen Cold Brew went viral on social media, Yelp searches for tahini coffee drinks soared. While the plant-based sesame seed paste has been a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine for centuries, lately tahini has been carving out a space for itself within the coffee category.
Plant-Based Braves the Sales Slump
The plant-based food industry may have found a way through its stagnation. A recent report found consumers increased their plant-based purchases throughout 2024, a signal of a healthy year ahead. Nutpods CMO Patrick Coyle recommended brands in the sector strike the right balance between “value” and “values.”
How Food and Beverage Can Contend with Uncertainty
Lou Biscotti from CBIZ explains how uncertainty, tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and inflation are impacting the food and beverage industry.
Athletic Brewing, AB InBev Wage Battle of the Brews
A recent report from NCS Solutions shows that nearly 50% of Americans are trying to reduce their alcohol consumption in 2025, with Gen Z leading the movement. Bill Shufelt, CEO of Athletic Brewing Company, highlighted the rapid growth of the non-alcoholic sector, driven by health-conscious trends, at the recent UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference.
Charting Natural Grocery Growth with Mother’s Market
City National Bank’s Justin D’Affronte steps in as guest host as he speaks with Mother’s Market CEO Dorothy Carlow about inflation, tariffs, consumer preferences, and more.
Gen Alpha and Gen Z Food Trends to Watch in 2025
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are driving food trends with a focus on health-conscious, yet adventurous eating, according to research by Chartwells Higher Education. Emerging favorites among today’s youth include cottage cheese, as well as miso.
Thanksgiving 2024: Surveys Suggest Consumers Will Feast Frugally
A new survey revealed that substituting store brands for name brands can save consumers $17 on a Thanksgiving dinner for 10. Still, many families weigh cost savings against the sentimental value of using specific ingredients tied to cherished holiday recipes.
Purée Play: Restaurants Boost Profits with Purées
Restaurants are leveraging fruit purées these days as an effective method to adapt to rising food costs. Fruit purées bring versatility to dishes while helping operators reduce food waste.
New Report Envisions ‘Grocery Shopper of the Future’
A new report from 84.51° highlights key shifts shaping the future grocery shopper, including an aging, more diverse population, and the growth of single-person and multigenerational households.
Aloha Protein Bar Brand Riding Wellness Wave to Big Growth
Aloha CEO Brad Charron is bullish on plant-based products. And it’s easy to see why, considering his better-for-you protein bar brand experienced 500% growth from 2020 to 2023.
3 Fall Flavors Poised to Surpass Pumpkin Spice in Popularity
The popularity of pumpkin spice has officially fallen like autumn leaves. According to a recent survey of 2,000 American adults by Talker Research, 58% of respondents reported that they now favor alternative fall flavors over pumpkin spice, and 45% reported fatigue with the once-beloved spice blend.
Down Under Pressure: Outback Steakhouse Fighting to Win Back Diners
Outback Steakhouse has turned to value as its traffic dropped and it reduced locations. Industry experts are confident the 37-year-old chain can bounce back – provided it takes a few careful steps.
A for Effort: Parents, Administrators Improving School Lunches
As a new school year approaches, a survey shows parents are prioritizing nutrients and taste far more than cost when shopping for their kids’ school lunch items.
FI News Review (June 28, 2024) – Takeaways from SFA’s Summer Fancy Food Show 2024
FI News Review (June 21, 2024) – The Buzz Behind the “Skip the Buzz” Generation
FI News Review (June 14, 2024) – The Quest for Experiential Cuisine
Drinks Catering to Gen Z Steal the Show in Chicago
The event’s exhibitors focused on foods, drinks, and equipment designed to help foodservice operators create unique taste experiences. Beyond offering crave-worthy fusion dishes and fun iced beverages, exhibitors offered a wide array of vending machines on the show floor.
Falling Stars: Inflation Cuts Into Retailers’ Ratings
The most recent rising trend in retail is lowering one’s expectations of retail. This year, clothing companies tended to fall the worst, followed closely by QSRs, big box stores, and grocers, in that order.
Ask an Athlete: Building Strength with Plant-Based Protein
Olympic cyclist Dotsie Bausch wants to set the record straight: Building strength with plant-based protein is a very accessible goal. Consuming plenty of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains is sufficient — the key is eating enough to fuel the body.
States Are Banning Cultivated Meat; Do Consumers Want Novel Proteins?
Novel proteins including cultivated meat, mycelium, and dairy bioidenticals are advancing further into the market, and some state governments are pushing back. A new survey by McKinsey & Company explores how consumers perceive these ingredients—and their willingness to trial them.
Frozen Plant-Based Meals Gaining Loyalty
Shoppers seeking convenience are in the market for readymade plant-based meals — and the frozen food aisle is a prime target for innovation.
How Much Does Sustainability Influence Consumer Shopping Habits?
Consumers in the U.S. and Canada say that they are willing to pay more for products that practice eco-friendly sustainability and ethics in their development, packaging, and sale of products, particularly around animal cruelty and ocean pollution.
Beef. It’s Still What’s for Dinner
“A lot of people see beef as a premium meat and associate it with things like prosperity and masculinity. Beef is also incredibly rich in fat and protein, so our bodies are primed to crave it,” Rall said, noting federal subsidies, restaurant menus, and advertising all reinforce beef’s place “in our grocery stores and on our table.”
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$85 Million to the Clearance Bin – Is Magic Spoon Done?
Magic Spoon cereal is twice as expensive as most other name brands. Many regard its flavor as questionable and its better-for-you status isn’t as rock solid as consumers would like to believe.
Candy Crush: Confectionery Producing Record Sales
“Consumers seek out chocolate and candy to help enhance holiday seasons, family celebrations, and those important ‘treat yourself’ moments,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, in a statement.
A New AI Era for Foodservice Distributors
As more distributors move to online ordering, organizing data is essential to providing operators with info like analytics. AI can help.
Consumers Award Better-for-You in New Product Survey
Despite some titans of the pantry and cookie jar winning in their categories (Keebler’s Chips Deluxe Fudgy in the Cookie category; Dr. Pepper Strawberries & Cream in Soft Drink), better-for-you offerings not only abounded but won several snacking categories.
Milk Wars: Labeling Battles Escalate
Dairy producers are ramping up their efforts to scrub ‘milk’ from the labels of alternatives. How critical is the term in plant-based marketing? Could waging “milk wars” significantly improve traditional dairy’s bottom line?
Ascending Italian Cuisine: Restaurants Swim in Revenue with Pescaria Sandwiches
The Pescaria’s signature dish is a fish sandwich composed of one thick slice of partially hollowed-out round bread, two pestos/oils/mayonnaises, a cheese, a fish, some vegetables (raw and cooked), and a smaller slice of bread on top with a tortoiseshell pattern. The bread’s texture is crispy on the outside and pleasantly chewy on the inside.
Lead with Delicious: How Plant-Based Thrives
How will plant-based evolve in the year ahead? In this industry outlook, analysts weigh in on economic challenges, the financial landscape, and consumer adoption strategies for 2024.
FI News Review (February 2, 2024) – Why Consumers Aren’t Holding Back on Spending
The Fungi: Mushroom Varieties Captivating Consumers
Things keep looking up for mushrooms. The versatile fungi continue to proliferate across meals-at-home, CPG, restaurant menus, and food tech.
Walmart Defines Adaptive Retail, the Next Evolution in Shopping
“Choose a future that puts people first – if we keep doing that, we can help people around the world live a better life. That’s what we want to do – that’s the world we want to help create.”
What’s Ahead in 2024?
Get Real! How to Achieve Authenticity & ‘Rizz’ in FoodBev
And that’s OK. In many ways, being authentic isn’t about the best product or service or value or lifestyle; it’s about being human, which is being vulnerable. Vulnerability is the heartbeat of authenticity, the subtle brand drumbeat that brand advocates and consumers can hear. Without a heartbeat – without being occasionally vulnerable – it will be hard to resonate and grow the brand in a way that feels organic, fresh, and authentic.