Game the System: Gamification in Grocery & Retail
Gamification refers to the idea of point scoring and applying competitive techniques to encourage consumer engagement.
Gamification refers to the idea of point scoring and applying competitive techniques to encourage consumer engagement.
With summer solidly here, a recent trend in coffee may leave many caffeine junkies wondering what happened to a classic cup of joe.
The origins of kombucha are shrouded in legend, and the drink’s murky beginnings remained in relative obscurity—at least to western palates—until its rediscovery in the 20th century in something of a cultural phenomenon.
Among CPG energy drink brands, Celsius over-indexes with teens, with 17% citing it as their favorite energy drink brand (vs. ~12% market share) while Monster and Red Bull under-index. Among snack brands, Campbell’s Goldfish are still most preferred. Teens report highest intentions to eat more or the same amount of Mondelez’s Clif Bar and Hershey’s products.
Major fast-food restaurants have raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. McDonald’s is the worst offender with average menu prices increasing more than three times the national rate of inflation over the past decade.
They say when one door closes, another opens. That may very well be true, but for restaurant brands and their clientele, the wrong door can sometimes lead down a disastrous path – just look at …
One great benefit of loyalty programs is that they help businesses, like restaurant chains, build a relationship with a customer. To inspire consumers to join your program you can use price or other incentives.
America is overflowing with beverage restaurant concepts of late, especially those targeting the breakfast daypart. Utah-based Swig is growing rapidly. Dutch Bros Coffee, founded in Oregon, saw 27% sales growth in 2022. Kung Fu Tea, …
In terms of the beverage industry overall, this is a very smart play for McDonald’s and other brands will follow.
McDonald’s has nearly as much brand magnetism with Gen Z as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Ariana Grande. And in 2023, the purple-hued force of attraction that connected the burger giant with young consumers was …
Teens are trendsetters. They are typically early to the next big thing and most of their spending is discretionary, making them a lucrative demographic to study.
The latest Fast Break Food Institute news podcast touches on the notable dip in grocery-store coffee sales of late.
While 40% of India’s residents are vegetarian, there’s still a large addressable market open to omnivore cuisine. Plus, much of the country is infatuated with western culture – a fact QSRs are taking note of.
Web 3.0 could revolutionize business practices, including the food industry, but how does it differ from the versions that came before it?
The latest Food Institute news podcast touches on unfortunate news for a pair of alt-meat startups.
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) …
Despite major restaurant chains enjoying increased spending from consumers, a spate of closures have hit smaller restaurants.
As the days get shorter and the sound of each crisp breeze rustling through the trees seems to whisper, “pumpkin spice,” it’s time to shine a light on the other fall flavors that consumers crave. …
Starbucks appears poised to overtake Subway as America’s most prolific QSR. Smalltown locations could be key in helping the coffee chain reach its goals.
While the mid-pandemic rush around curbside pickup has cooled off, the potential benefits for consumers and retailers alike are still shaping the grocery landscape. The number of shoppers opting in for the convenience of in-car …
Though McDonald’s McCafé Bakery concept worked to an extent, it didn’t translate to more snack and coffee sales between mealtimes.
Three things remain constant in life: death, taxes, and Chick-fil-A. In Piper-Sandler’s recent survey of teen spending in the U.S., the Georgia-based restaurant chain still struts its stuff above Starbucks and Chipotle and accounts for …
Welcome to the FI Newscast! Each week, we note the latest industry trends and consumer insights, with guest appearances by the foremost industry experts. This week’s guest was Hunter Thurman, President of Alpha-Diver – one …
Precision fermentation technology makes it possible to create alternative egg and milk proteins identical in taste, texture, and functionality to the traditional stuff—without using any animals.
Now that Walmart has joined Target and Costco by raising their minimum pay to about double the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, fast-food outlets may have to consider boosting their minimum to $20 to …
Technomic polled consumers to rank their top coffee chains, finding consumers valued taste, specialty flavors, and high-quality beans.
Food and beverage companies are finding water and energy conservation practices are not only good for the planet, but good for the bottom line. Intense drought is making finding fresh water more difficult while Russia’s …
Here are key stats on what, and where, Gen Z is eating these days, according to Piper Sandler’s Fall Taking Stock with Teens survey.
Much like remote working and zoom conferencing, long waits at the drive-thru line are a pandemic vestige that just won’t go away. And that’s causing line balk among consumers. As COVID-19 took hold in the …
Almost as ubiquitous as the changing colors of the leaves or a crisp chill in the air, the arrival of pumpkin-spice-flavored everything signals that fall is here. Ever since Starbucks introduced the pumpkin spice latte …
A wave of unionization efforts spurred by frustrated workers and outdated systems are signs that Starbucks must plot a revival. At this pivotal moment for the coffee giant, what exactly needs to change? Let’s take …
During a dark economic time, coffee shops seem to be doing just fine, with sales actually rising as the rest of the industry stalls.
Consumer concerns about discretionary spending pushed Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks traffic lower in June, new data show.
This week, in The Food Institute’s quick-hitting, audio news podcast, we examine inflation’s global impact, and Smucker’s costly recall. The Food Institute Podcast · FI Fast Break News – June 8, 2022 The FI Fast …
While leadership changes are nothing new for restaurant chains, CEOs have been resigning in spades over the past two months, including departures from prominent brands like Starbucks, Dominos, Denny’s, Red Lobster, and Wingstop. What’s behind …
Newsweek recently released its America’s Best Loyalty Programs 2022 list and several food brands stood out. In the grocery category, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market and Publix Super Markets landed the top spots, while Jersey Mike’s …