It’s been four decades since consumers were slapped with a double whammy of rapidly rising food and gas prices. In the 1970s and early 1980s consumers coped by switching to generics, changing their diets, and …
Beverage companies looking to recapture consumers who have rejected sweet sodas are turning to sparkling waters to up their bottom lines. Market research firm Euromonitor International reported flavored sparkling water is outpacing bottled still water …
Nearly half of consumers are buying plant-based products in 2022. A new report from Acosta found that 40 percent of consumers surveyed in March purchased plant-based protein and/or dairy alternatives within the last six months, …
The pandemic era has seen a significant rise in the sales of plant-based milks and cheeses, experts said, attributing the upward trend to consumers developing more healthful habits after having eaten indulgently at the beginning …
(Editor’s Note 6/15/2022: For updated coverage on the shell egg market, please read “Analysts: Expect Continued Demand for Eggs Despite High Prices“) Egg buyers may have found some relief in March as prices moderated, but …
During the Great Recession, consumers spent less, traded down, and cut back on many CPG purchases. A recent report from the IRI Recession-Proof Your Business series explored these behaviors to glean strategies for success in …
As a broader variety of plant-based protein alternatives enter the market, health-conscious flexitarians are turning a more critical eye towards ingredients and production methods. In 2021, consumer interest in clean label grew by 86% within …
Call it a perfect storm: COVID led to labor shortages and supply chain issues and to fuel shortages, all of which contributed to inflation. Factor in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and unpredictable weather, and food …
As consumers continue to blur the line between snacks and meals, the plant-based category is playing an active role in the space between. Seventy-eight percent of global consumers say their definition of snacks has evolved …
As rampant inflation tightens its grip across the food industry, many consumers are cutting back on grocery staples and trading down to cheaper items. All the while, higher-ticket prepared food sales are soaring. Comparative unit …
Retailers are digging up new ways to boost fresh mushrooms sales in the produce department and beyond, as consumer interest in fungi functionality continues to thrive. The global mushroom market size is expected to reach …
Investors appear to have soured on Beyond Meat, sending its stock price from a $160.28 to as low as $35.74 in the last year, as competition in the alternative-meat sector has increased and the company’s …
When U.S. delivery startup Zero Grocery abruptly closed recently, it stunned northern California businesses that sold its products. Many were owed money and questioned what went wrong with the fast-growing startup, reported San Francisco Chronicle (March …
Seemingly any product you can think of has a plant-based alternative these days. When The Food Institute attended this years’ Natural Products Expo West, we found a plethora of plant-based brands with items like alt-chicken …
On the heels of a stagnant sales year for store brands, Amazon and Kroger are bulking up their private label portfolios with plant-based products. Is category innovation on the horizon? The Food Institute Podcast · …
Alternative meat sales continue to plateau at retail following strong performance in recent years. Has plant-based meat reached its peak, or is this just a lengthy chapter in the emerging category’s evolutionary process? According to …
More major CPG companies are playing in plant-based, flagging the alt-protein category as a potential catalyst for growth. But industrywide, the depth of that value is not easily measured in broad strokes. “When you factor …
Cheese is pegged as the next growth category for plant-based dairy at retail, as quality innovations flourish and big players start to make inroads. Globally, the vegan cheese market is expected to expand at a …
The 10th annual Growth Leaders study from IRI and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) explores the top performing consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies of 2021 and strategies that enabled their growth. The total U.S. CPG industry …
The deli department was a grocery hotspot in 2021 and retailers are anticipating continued popularity in the year ahead. According to IRI data, deli department sales totaled $40.8 billion in the 52-week period ending December …
Vericast recently released a report to help CPG brands better understand consumer buying habits amid the pandemic. “As shoppers have settled into new buying habits, brand loyalty has taken a hit overall,” Aimee Englert, Vericast’s …
The cost of ingredients for breakfast staples continues to rise as global food production, processing and transportation challenges collide with higher demand from the pandemic rebound. According to the Financial Times breakfast indicator, futures prices …
Since the first Amazon Fresh opened in September 2020, Amazon has expanded the number of brick-and-mortar grocery store concepts to 19 stores nationwide — and foot traffic has been increasing. Physical store sales were a …
Although the frozen food aisle showcased a 3% increase in dollar sales for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 17, a 0.5% drop in unit sales indicates demand in the red-hot frozen sector could be cooling, …
Seafood sales continue to trend upward at the grocery store as health and environmental benefits sway more consumers towards so-called “blue foods” and restaurant accessibility remains in flux. Overall sales for the category totaled $16.8 …
Plant-based meat sales in restaurants and retail are beginning to plateau following a meteoric rise throughout the pandemic period, while traditional meat engagement remains strong. Data and supporting analyst insights from IRI suggest that this …
This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the projected uptick in holiday spending, the rise in seafood consumption, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – …
Coffee consumption is going strong throughout the U.S., with drinks away from home on the rise and younger consumers driving the popularity of specialty, refrigerated, and ready-to-drink brews. According to the National Coffee Data Trends …
This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the increasing attractiveness of restaurant stocks with investors, Barstool Sports’ expansion into the food industry, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI …
This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine the latest in e-grocery platforms, update African swine fever concerns, and more. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – Sept. …
Hy-Vee, the Midwest grocery chain with more than 280 stores across eight states, feels it has “reimagined” the traditional supermarket. The chain recently opened a nearly 93,000-square-foot store in Grimes, Iowa, that features a few …
As competition intensifies across the media advertising landscape, major retail players are differentiating themselves with technologically-optimized content that advances the omnichannel purchasing experience. The recent partnership between Walmart and media corporation Meredith has upped the …
Higher pay. Flexible work hours. A retirement account. What more do workers want? The answer is: plenty. The pandemic changed the way a lot of people think about work, and employers are not only scrambling …
Ahead of Labor Day Weekend, the labor situation for grocers and restaurants is anything but rosy. Although both the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and ADP showed a net gain in jobs for August, hiring …
Loyalty programs continue to gain traction across the food industry as restaurants and retailers implement new offerings to capitalize on customer allegiance. The increase is widely tied to pandemic-induced spikes in digital commerce along with …
