Dollar Stores Have Reached An Inflection Point
The performance of dollar store stocks suggested investors believed Walmart’s best days were behind it. They were wrong.
Tag: inflation
Feeling the Squeeze: Orange Juice Prices Continue to Climb
Orange juice futures are up more than 400% since 2020, and the rising prices have consumers wondering if the juice is truly worth the squeeze.
Fast-Food Chains Racing to the Bottom to Attract Inflation-Weary Consumers
All of a sudden, $5 value meals are everywhere, from fast-food chains to major retailers. Industry insiders say the deals are simply a short-term solution, however.
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.
In Today’s Market, What Defines Value?
Many consumers feel they can’t win on cost alone – they also need an experience, or at least a decent reason to visit a brick-and-mortar store.
To Many Americans, Eating Fast Food is Now a Luxury
According to a new survey from Lending Tree, a staggering 80% of consumers now consider fast food a luxury because it’s so expensive.
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.
FI News Review (May 3, 2024) – Signals for a Summer Spending Slowdown
Consumer Shift: Private-Label Snacks See Unprecedented Popularity
For the first time in the report’s history, the top six brands – all of them – are store brands, from retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target.
Peeling Apart the Complex History (and Future) of the Banana
A regular feature in shopping carts from coast to coast, the humble banana has long been a reliable source of nutrition, convenience, and affordability. Yet beneath its cheerful exterior lies a complex tale of botanical intrigue, economic uncertainty, and environmental peril.
FI Exclusive: Chef Robert Irvine Provides Guide for Restaurants to Survive Wage Hikes
The celebrity chef, who appeared on Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible show between 2011 and 2023, fears that as many as one-fifth of all American “mom-and-pop” restaurants could be forced to close by year’s end due to rising labor costs.
$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.
Food Producers, WIC Officers Recalibrate Offerings as Food Insecurity Hobbles Consumer Spending
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.
Easter Sticker Shock: Cocoa Prices Still Skyrocketing
How much money is the Easter candy market worth? Hold onto your Easter baskets – in the United States alone, 2024 Easter candy sales are expected to exceed $3.3 billion (Statista)
How Hormel and JM Smucker Are Beating the Market
It’s not hard to understand why these companies have found success in a challenging environment. These are comfort food manufacturers (among other things!) whose identities, infrastructure, and revenue are built upon foods people reach for when they’re feeling down, feeling squeezed, or both.
What’s on the Horizon for CPG Companies in 2024?
In 2023, we also saw a growing trend among consumers to adapt their buying habits to save money by trading down and prioritizing cost savings over quality, with 66% of consumers seeking out less expensive goods in 2023.
FI News Review (March 1, 2024) – Why Are Consumers Are Less Confident?
The Fiercest Battle in Retail: Foot Traffic, Trips, and Loyalty
EV charging stations outside, stores within stores inside, sprawling beauty sections, niche products, reimagined loyalty programs – the battle for foot traffic is cutthroat as the economy roars to life.
Dark Chocolate Outlook: Soaring Cost of Cocoa Challenges Candy Makers
Cocoa prices are nearly 65% higher than they were one year ago, and New York futures prices have hit a 46-year high.
PepsiCo Execs Express Optimism in Earnings Call
PepsiCo’s latest earnings call revealed net revenue of $91.5 billion for the fiscal year and $27.9 billion in Q4.
Poultry Power Meets Global Flavor
Chicken listings on restaurant menus have grown 6.4% in the past five years, outpacing the 4.7% of burgers and other beef-based items.
Unilever is a Cautionary Tale for U.S. Food Companies
On July 1, Hein Schumacher took over as chief executive officer of Unilever. His appointment followed a long search that brought him into the company from Dutch dairy co-op Royal FrieslandCampina, and his immediate mandate …
Grocery Prices, But Not Restaurant Meals, Predicted Lower in 2024
Beleaguered consumers received some good news last week with the USDA predicting reductions in grocery prices in 2024 and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization announcing its food price index is at the lowest level …
Is Self-Checkout a Consumer Terminator? Retail, Robots, and More in 2024
There’s also an interesting feedback loop occurring in American consumerism – the tighter the budget becomes, and the more stressed people feel, the more demands they have regarding how they’d like to be accommodated while shopping.
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Burgernomics: Fast Food Inflation and an $18 Big Mac Combo
The recent uproar over a McDonald’s in Darien, Connecticut, that charged a whopping $17.59 for a Big Mac combo meal is more than just local news; it’s a snapshot of the changing economic landscape.
FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 24, 2024
The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on a potential revival for virtual restaurant brands and ghost kitchens.
Analysis: What Argentina’s Raging Inflation Means for Latin America
Argentina is suffering its worst bout of inflation in more than three decades as citizens look to the nascent government of President Javier Milei to fix the problems created by decades of economic crisis. INDEC, …
FI Fast Break audio news: Jan. 17, 2024
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast recaps the CES 2024 show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and more.
The Struggle is Real: Affording Groceries in America
Regardless of when costs come down, consumer behavior has been altered and shoppers will continue to look for the best savings in 2024.
FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 22, 2023
The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on PepsiCo’s bold plans for its convenient foods items.
Cash-Strapped Gen Z Faces Tough Holidays
In a telling report from Qualtrics, 28% of Gen Z and millennials say student loan repayments will make the holidays unaffordable this year.
Walmart Commits to Reducing Food Waste
In an era of increased greenwashing and many companies abandoning once-ambitious ESG plans altogether, Walmart appears to be making real strides toward helping reduce food waste, solve food deserts, and burnishing its worldwide brand a little more.
Consumers Are Changing How They Grocery Shop… Again
It’s no secret that consumers are dealing with a lot right now—emergency SNAP benefits ended, student loan payments restarted, and food inflation has persisted—putting many grocery consumers in a bind and ultimately changing how they …
Thanksgiving 2023: Expect Expensive Meals
Food manufacturers have seen their profits fall in the past year, forcing them to pass along increases for raw materials, energy, transportation, and packaging.
Three Consumer Mindsets Driving Fresh Grocery Sales
Despite easing inflation concerns, consumers are still preparing 85% of meals at home, which presents significant sales opportunities. In a recent webinar, Circana and FMI unpacked the three major mindsets driving today’s fresh grocery shoppers.
FI Fast Break audio news: August 30, 2023
The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on big changes in the seafood industry around the world of late.