How Much Inflation Can Consumers Handle?

Inflation at the grocery store continues to rise — and consumers are noticing. In fact, the CPI food at home index rose 7.4 percent over the last 12 months, according to The Bureau of Labor …

Inaugural Protein & Plant Evolution™ Conference Announced

Interactive & Educational Conference Designed to Meet the Needs of Retailers, Foodservice Operators, Food Manufacturers, Investors, Financial Services and Policy Makers, Scheduled for June 1-3 February 16, 2022/FI Newswire/ – The Food Institute and The Lempert …

Functional Ingredients Move to the Forefront

Editor’s note: This article is a free, one-time preview of The Food Institute’s new Premium articles, which will be available to members. To join FI, click here.  Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, a New York Times best-selling …

Why Consumers are Still Buying in Bulk

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are still buying in bulk. Following over 20 years of steady but slow sales growth, sales at bulk retailers Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club, rose 26.6% …

Hot Wings Hotter than Ever as Super Bowl Approaches

The Los Angeles Rams have won eight of their last nine games, the Cincinnati Bengals six of their last seven. As impressive as that is, the teams aren’t nearly as hot as one Super Bowl …

Amazon Reports Higher Sales and Prime Membership Price Hike

Amazon sales continue to rise, with the e-commerce giant reporting fourth-quarter sales grew 9.4% to $137.4 billion. Notably, Amazon had its biggest-ever Black Friday to Cyber Monday holiday shopping weekend. Further, during the holiday season, …

Exclusive Interview: What Are the Latest Developments in Online Grocery Delivery and Pick-Up?

While the food delivery market has garnered its fair share of headlines in recent months, pick-up remains a powerhouse for grocery e-commerce. That’s according to Brick Meets Click partner David Bishop, who recently joined The Food …

FDA: Blockchain-Based Food Tracking Bound for Widespread Adoption

A new rule could boost blockchain-based food tracking. The rule, expected next November, would require the food industry to maintain records associated with the critical tracking events on the supply chain, according to Frank Yiannas, …

Poll: Americans Bracing for More Inflation as CPG Prices Rise

Nearly eight in 10 Americans expect inflation to persist over the next six months—and they’re probably right. Half even anticipate it to increase “a lot,” while 78% expect interest rates to rise, according to a …

Coffee Chains Expected to Continue Thriving in 2022

Demand for coffee outside the home increased substantially in 2021, while traction at the grocery store remained strong – further solidifying the category’s overall appeal and adaptability to shifting consumer behaviors. According to a recent …

Fresh Bakery Positioned for Growth Through Differentiation

The bakery department bounced back in 2021, with the fresh perimeter making a full recovery and overtaking aisle bakery as the sales growth leader. Furthermore, perimeters that faired best were those that didn’t just try …

What Does Gopuff’s Move Into Private Label Signal for Rapid Delivery?

Gopuff is launching its very own line of private label products. Bottled water will kick off the “Basically” brand, followed by other household items like cleaning products, paper products, and food storage, reported CNBC (Jan. …

Gotham Greens CEO Sees Big Growth Ahead for Indoor Farming

Indoor farming company Gotham Greens is growing at an eye-opening rate. CEO Viraj Puri recently told The Food Institute that his company “has grown from a single rooftop greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York, to over …

Kroger’s Top Food Trend Predictions for 2022 Include Umami, Tequila, Plant-Based

The Kroger Co. released its 2022 Food Trends Report, which predicts emerging food trends, consumer behaviors, and popular items for the year ahead. The Food Institute took a deeper dive into some of the most …

Deli Department Slices Way Toward Growth in 2022

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 …

Latest Issue Amid Great Resignation: Businesses Considering ‘Boomerang’ Hires

The so-called Great Resignation is only picking up speed, it seems. LinkedIn data show millions of baby boomers are retiring early, and millions of Gen Z workers in their 20s are quitting and re-evaluating life …

Retail Rankings: Value, Digital Strategies Key Factors in Winning Customers

The past year has been hugely impactful on the world of grocery. Dunnhumby’s latest Retailer Preference Index (RPI) dives into who saw success this year and how they got there, as well as the effects …

Convenience Store Growth Poised to Continue Amid Pandemic

Convenience stores have been reaping the benefits of pandemic-induced shifts in consumer behavior and many chains across the U.S. are targeting expansion, according to a Retail Tenant Expansion Report by real estate firm Stan Johnson …

Life Amid Omicron Rife with Frustration for Retailers, Restaurants

The omicron coronavirus variant is causing headaches for American businesses. With the daily COVID case count surging above the half-million mark in the U.S., governments and businesses are imposing vaccine requirements on both employees and …

Consumers Expecting 2022 Grocery Price Surge

With grocery prices at a 10-year high, a recent survey by KPMG finds consumers expect prices to rise even more in 2022, with everything from mac-and-cheese to mustard and produce logging hefty increases. The KPMG …

IRI: Snacking at Home Trend Destined to Continue

Snacking behavior continues to evolve as more consumers return to work and resume activities outside the home. In the months ahead, companies should anticipate demand for on-the-go items —including snack bars and single-serve packaging — …

What Are the Prospects for California’s New Animal Welfare Rules?

New rules on animal welfare are slated to take effect Jan. 1 in California, but a coalition of restaurants and grocery stores have filed suit to block implementation for more than two years, arguing they …

What Google’s Top Trending Food Searches Signal for the Food Industry

As another year comes to a close, Google revealed its annual list of top trending food searches. Here’s what consumers were looking for in 2021: TikTok pasta Bacon jam Birria tacos Crockpot chicken Hamantaschen Squid …

Which Technologies Will Push the Food Industry Forward?

Propelled by the pandemic, robotic innovations are still making food-industry headlines. A few of the latest developments include: 7-Eleven partnered with Nuro to pilot a commercial delivery service using autonomous vehicles in the Silicon Valley …

Are Autonomous Vehicles the Next Big Thing in Delivery?

Third-party delivery services like Instacart, UberEats and DoorDash have taken the world of grocery, retail and restaurants by storm. So, what’s the next great innovation for these segments? It could be autonomous delivery, using vehicles …

Report: Convenience Store Growth in Q3 Boosted by Edible Products

The convenience store channel grew 7.7% in the 13 weeks ending September 26, outperforming the broader market for the third consecutive quarter, according to a new report from data analytics firm IRI. Stronger growth in …

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 …

Holiday Shopping Update: ‘Turkey Wednesday’ a Boon for Grocers 

Last-minute Thanksgiving shopping led to major gains for the nation’s top grocery stores this year. A new report by analytics firm Placer.ai shows the nation’s top grocery store chains saw a big jump in foot …

What’s Driving Retail Alcohol Sales?

Retail alcohol sales are significantly higher than 2019 levels. According to a report recently published by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, during the worst months of the COVID pandemic (March-September 2020), U.S. alcohol …

Survey: Consumers Now Choosing to Live with Less

A recent global survey conducted by EY (Ernst & Young) illustrates consumers are re-evaluating big purchases these days. That said, consumers certainly aren’t shying away from spending on groceries. “Online grocery shopping is a clear …

Kroger, Kellogg part of ‘Strikesgiving’ wave

With the pandemic threatening to intrude on a second holiday season and the nation’s workers rethinking what they want out of their jobs and careers, labor unrest has been sweeping through U.S. companies of late. …

Delivery Innovation Hitting Higher Gear, Especially in U.S.

Chicago residents in need of last-minute ingredients are in luck. Getir, the Turkish provider of ultrafast, 10-minute grocery delivery, started operations in the Windy City this week. The company, which was founded in Istanbul in …

Grocers, CPG Companies Meet Rising Demand for Gluten-Free Products

Demand for gluten-free products continues to rise as more consumers adopt special dietary lifestyles – and grocery retailers and CPG companies are responding accordingly. The global gluten-free packaged food market, estimated to reach $9.6 million …

Dearth of Rural Drug Stores Creates Opportunity for Chains

Where have all the corner drug stores gone? Those of a certain age remember the traditional corner drug store – the place you went after school, nickels clutched in hand, to buy a piece of …

Food Brands Cut TV Advertising as Supply Chain Crisis Persists

Consumers may be seeing less food and retail advertisements on their TV screens this holiday season. Department stores, such as Macy’s and Nordstrom, spent 8% less on TV commercials from July 30 to October 30 …

Industry Expert: Delivery Customers Now Expect Speed, Accuracy

By most accounts, post-pandemic life will involve lots of online shopping for consumers. Coronavirus lockdowns nudged most consumers in that direction, and innovation is pushing them further toward adoption of extensive online shopping for purchases …