FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 24, 2024

The latest FI Fast Break news podcast notes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s reported plans to disqualify soda from programs like SNAP. 

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 18, 2024

The latest FI Fast Break news podcast examines Walmart’s plans to equip employees with body cameras at some U.S. locations.

FI Fast Break audio news: Dec. 11, 2024

The latest FI Fast Break news podcast touches on the recent rise in buy-now-pay-later purchases by consumers.

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.

Value, Value, Value: Cash-Strapped Holiday Shoppers Get Creative

As consumers buckle under the weight of financial pressures, this holiday shopping season will look a bit different than its predecessors.

FI Fast Break audio news: Nov. 26, 2024

The latest Food Institute Fast Break news podcast touches on PepsiCo’s latest noteworthy industry acquisition.

Column: Walmart, Amazon in High-Tech Food Fight

Amazon’s chief engineer used to have a dog named Rufus who ran up and down the halls fetching tennis balls. That doesn’t seem like a big deal for a multibillion-dollar business. But recently, Amazon brought …

Circana: Consumers Increasingly Spending on Health and Wellness

The idea of health and wellness is evolving, as shown by a report that noted ways people are tapping into products to harmonize their lives.

Raising the Bar: How MadeGood and Bobo’s Snack Bars Became ‘Killer Products’

Two brands winning this back-to-school season are MadeGood and Bobo’s, according to a prominent CEO. The snacks’ allergen-free ingredients have won over Millennial parents.

From Aisles to Apps: The Keys to Crafting Omnichannel Excellence

Retail insights company 84.51° feels it’s crucial that retailers provide a cohesive shopping experience both online and in-store. Because hybrid shoppers expect to have access to the same prices and brands regardless of how they shop.

Navigating Choppy Waters: Retailers Import Early to Tackle Shipping Challenges

Ongoing port congestion has reached a “boiling point” according to one global shipping expert. Retailers are suffering stress brought on by swings in consumer demand, fear of both gluts and shortages, and spiraling freight costs.

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.

‘Rufus, Fetch My Next Outfit’: Amazon Unveils AI Shopping Assistant

Critics and analysts alike are keen to understand who stands to benefit most from this technology – whether it will primarily serve Amazon’s interests by increasing sales and customer retention, or genuinely improve the consumer experience by offering more personalized and convenient shopping solutions.

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.

Stories of the Year: Can Bud Light Survive Its Marketing Controversy?

Anheuser-Busch InBev is trying to win back customers as major retailers like Walmart and 7-Eleven are poised to reduce the amount of space.

Small But Powerful: Retailers Turning to Smaller Formats

When it comes to the food industry, Kohen said food and restaurant retailers can take advantage of smaller formats in neighborhoods and lifestyle centers, providing a dining experience to the shopping journey.

In-Store Shopper Traffic Visibility Fuels New Growth Opportunities at Retail

SIRL’s mission is to build the most scalable, robust, accurate, and feature-rich Real-Time Location System (RTLS), and to broadly take this technology to a multitude of markets.​

FI Fast Break audio news: June 7, 2023

The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on recent warehouse employment concerns for retailers like Walmart.

Column: Kroger-Albertsons Merger Spells Doom, Gloom and Boom

Kroger and Albertsons are planning a merger that would create a superstore second in scale only to Walmart. The combination of the two U.S. supermarket giants could have a three-pronged effect, resulting in doom for …

Grocers Taking In-Store Experience to Next Level

Grocers can enable greater media partnerships by improving their in-store experience, according to one top industry executive.

Survey: Retailers Must Strategize to Maximize Potential Amid Inflation

If inflation continues to rise, 57% of retailers will continue to boost everyday prices, according to a new survey. Should this occur, retailers need to take care as they chart their path forward.

UPDATE: What Kroger, Albertsons’ Merger Means for Grocery Industry

Kroger Co. will merge with rival U.S. grocer Albertsons Cos. – a move that will create a grocery giant.

IRI: 5 Keys to Drive CPG Growth in 2023

As inflation continues, consumers are responding by shopping value channels more and buying fewer premium meals and snacks, according to IRI.

Discount Stores Continue to Dominate Amid Inflation

Dollar General has increased its sales forecast as Americans have increasingly turned to discount chains amid inflation.

Feds Look to Address U.S. Supply Chain Woes

The Federal Reserve reported that supply chain disruptions and labor shortages plagued many parts of the country in November, leading to rising prices across most of the nation, reported The Associated Press (Dec. 1). With …

Retailers Charter Vessels in Next Chapter of “Containergeddon”

Port congestion continues on both U.S. coasts and the situation won’t be resolved any time soon. To deal with the pandemic-driven slowdown of sea networks — or, as Steve Ferreira of shipping consultancy Ocean Audit describes …

STUDY: Consumers Growing Increasingly Cautious and Price Sensitive

A newly released study conducted by Vericast indicates consumers are leaving brands that aren’t perceived to offer value. The 2021 Deals & Coupons Report conducted by the marketing solutions company reveals that consumers are increasingly …

Walmart, Kroger and Other Retailers Continue to Innovate

Walmart is tapping automation to help its store fleet handle last-mile grocery delivery, adding local fulfillment centers (LFCs) that will turn parts of them into mini warehouses and speed up fulfillment for local customers. The …

Retailers Face Their Future

Food Institute Focus – Retailers Face Their Future

Retailers Shuttering and Stockpiling

Food Institute Focus – Retailers Shuttering and Stockpiling