As consumers wish for better spring weather, recent data shows that floral flavors are growing in popularity, particularly among Gen Z and younger consumers. FI spoke with an industry expert about these nascent trends and their deeper implications.
As traditional post-pandemic headwinds subside, retailers are ready to meet today’s savvy consumers to inspire growth. To succeed in today’s market, it’s prudent to understand how cautious optimism shapes buying habits.
Inflation is reshaping indulgence habits, with consumers swapping pricey restaurant desserts for store-bought or homemade options, causing a notable decline in dessert sales across dining segments. Meanwhile, alcohol consumption is shifting toward affordable options in a similar fashion.
An estimated 157.2 million consumers plan to shop Super Saturday this year, up from last year’s 141.9 million, according to a recent report. These shoppers present retailers a key opportunity to win beyond the season.
Buy-now-pay-later services are surging in popularity, with Adobe projecting $18.5 billion in holiday purchases this year. While retailers benefit from increased sales and lower fees compared to credit cards, experts warn that BNPL poses risks if not carefully regulated.
Consumers are reshaping retail by prioritizing convenience, with Millennials driving trends like smaller store formats. Meanwhile, shifts in spending patterns reveal a preference for luxury or value over mid-priced options.
Circana’s annual F&B industry report highlights growing consumer demand for value, with e-commerce and private label brands driving significant sales growth. However, economic uncertainty will challenge the industry to balance affordability with innovative offerings in 2025.
As consumers buckle under the weight of financial pressures, this holiday shopping season will look a bit different than its predecessors.
Shrinkflation, the practice of reducing product sizes while maintaining prices, has become a common cost-management strategy for manufacturers amid rising costs. Experts predict the tactic is here to stay, for multiple reasons.
The rise in home cooking among consumers is driven by better access to diverse ingredients and a more adventurous generation of eaters, according to renowned food columnist Eric Kim. He feels Americans’ appetite for authentic, global flavors will continue to grow.
Roughly 86% of shoppers report consumer frustration when shopping for groceries. A new report sheds light on the woes that plague the shopper journey, while also offering advice to manufacturers and retailers looking to retain their consumer base.
Economists warn of a potential recession in 2025. As a result, food and beverage companies must focus on innovation and sustainability as they navigate economic challenges and interest rate cuts.
Retailers have ramped up their merchandise deliveries amid a threatened strike by U.S. dockworkers that could disrupt the imminent holiday shopping season. 45,000 dockworkers are poised to walk out at 36 ports along the East and Gulf coasts following the expiration of the longshoremen’s six-year master contract, which expires on October 1.
The promotion, which started in mid-May, saw visits on Monday, May 27 increase nearly 56% compared to the average number of Monday visitors from the four months prior.
For many major retailers, the latest quarterly results tell a familiar tale: consumers are fed up with high prices, spending less, and commodifying their loyalty by taking the best deal right now, regardless of whose logo adorns their grocery bag or shopping cart.
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.
Food prices are up; consumer confidence is down. Many QSRs and retail outlets reported losses in the last quarter. The Value Wars are here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Demand for frozen chicken nuggets is strong, giving alternative varieties a significant runway for lift off — but sales remain grounded.
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.
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.
“Tomorrow’s winners will vary how they generate demand across their portfolios, with mass activation for their biggest brands and more targeted treatment for niche and insurgent brands,” Kyle Weza, global co-lead and brand accelerator for Bain & Company, said in the report.
Grocery shoppers are adapting their buying patterns in response to economic uncertainties and external influences in 2024.
Americans are turning away from breakfast cereal, and that’s got cereal manufacturers seeking fresh innovation to bring consumers back to their bowls and the breakfast table.
The other day, I took my son to Five Guys and he got a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. It was almost $20 … yet there was a line all the way to the door. …
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.
Cocoa prices are nearly 65% higher than they were one year ago, and New York futures prices have hit a 46-year high.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Regardless of when costs come down, consumer behavior has been altered and shoppers will continue to look for the best savings in 2024.
Looking ahead, Zimmerman noted that prices would likely increase in the new year, but the magnitude of that increase would likely be more subtle in 2024.
