COLUMN: Resilient Consumers Aren’t Going Anywhere – Yet

With price hikes easing and food company earnings strong, it appears resilient consumers aren’t going anywhere – yet.

The Future of Food Retail

Grocers continue to be challenged by the emergence of competitive C-stores, inflation, and a looming global recession.

Dollar Stores Are Becoming Problem for Grocers

Shoppers flock to dollar stores, attracted by their low prices and convenience, but opponents say they harm a community more than help by taking sales from traditional grocery stores. In some cases, they can lead …

Survey: 88% of Shoppers Willing to Switch Brands to Save

Consumer research platform Attest found that 88% of American adults are willing to ditch their preferred brands to save money in 2023.

Boosting the Better-for-You Beverage Offer in Foodservice

Better-for-you beverages are booming, but major foodservice players have been slow to diversify their fountain offerings. Can consumer demand for healthier alternatives turn the tides?

How to Reduce Waste While Monetizing Your Side Streams

This article is sponsored and written by GTF Technologies. By now, everyone in the food industry knows that 30-40% of food produced1 and almost half of all fruits and vegetables grown worldwide2 go to waste. …

Why Indian Food is Gaining Momentum in America

Indian food is gaining momentum globally. One restauranteur said it’s due to adventurous Gen Z consumers and bolstered by the cuisine’s health halo.

Nestlé Professional and The Food Institute Join Forces at National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show 2023 to Offer Unique Livestream Experience

The Food Institute (FI) is pleased to announce that it’ll partner with Nestlé Professional in providing livestream content at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show at McCormick Place in Chicago on May 20 and May 21.

Report: ‘Shrinkflation’ Top of Mind for Consumers

Shrinkflation is hitting Americans – hard. Almost three out of four consumers are concerned about the trend of shrinkflation – when companies keep their prices the same, yet give customers less of their products – …

The State of Wagyu in America

Wagyu often tops restaurateurs’ dinner menus as the cut de la creme, the luxurious and bougie beef, the apex protein for the apex predator armed with a sharp knife, a crisp vegetable, and an appetite for the sublime.

Analysts: Global Rice Shortage Likely to Last for Months

The ramifications of weather and war have resulted in a global rice shortage, which could be among the worst in nearly a quarter century. Rice production for 2023 appears destined for a severe shortfall. “The …

Free-Range Eggs to Return Soon

Free-range eggs returned to store shelves in the U.K., a sign that the bird flu outbreak has abated enough for the government to reduce the risk level to medium.

Shoplifting Has Become a $100B Problem for Retailers

The good news is the waning pandemic has allowed consumers to return to in-person shopping; the bad news is the return has been coupled with a sharp rise in retail shoplifting theft, a $100 billion …

The Inflationary Consumer: Fewer Trips but Bigger Carts

Consumers’ grocery shopping habits are changing as they grapple with inflation, leading to fewer trips but spending more during each visit. Between November 2022 and January 2023, average basket size rose 6% while number of …

What Convenience Means to Each Generation of Shoppers

Convenience is a high priority for most grocery shoppers regardless of demographic, but is especially high for millennials.

Taking Sustainable Snacks “Beyond the Plant”

Plant-based snacks can be a confusing category for consumers to navigate. The Food Institute spoke with Nora Witt, VP of Marketing at Dole Packaged Foods, about the evolution and key elements of plant-forward snacks across the supply chain.

8 Common Food Sickness Culprits

Most consumers are aware that products like deli meat trigger occasional foodborne illness outbreaks. Those same people might be surprised, however, to find that items like onions, peaches, and flour are also common culprits of …

What the Health Star Rating (HSR) System Reveals

Nestle SA recently announced that only 30% of its portfolio is considered healthy after conducting a self-assessment using the Health Star Rating (HSR) system. The rating test also showed that a third of Nestle’s sales …

Study: Italian Cuisine Most Popular Worldwide, Edging Japanese

Restaurant customers appear to be as intrigued as ever by exploring foreign flavors – with a specific focus on Italian cuisine. A new study confirms as much; The Picky Eater website analyzed the world’s most …

Food & Beverage Manufacturing M&A Quarterly Report: Q1 2023

This article is sponsored and written by CohnReznick. Following broader market trends, food and beverage M&A slowed during Q1 while external forces like inflation, rising interest rates, recessionary fears, and a banking crisis all took center ...

Mergers, Acquisitions, Startups & Layoffs: What to Expect in 2023 

Inflation is ebbing and the economy is weathering the rate hikes well. Unemployment is at a 50-year low, and recent tech layoffs are minimal compared to the volume of employees hired by those same companies the past several years.

The Teens Have Spoken: Chick-fil-A Remains Favorite Restaurant

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 …

Frozen Pizza’s Popularity Spikes Amid Inflation

A new report by Vericast illustrated the lengths consumers are going to save amid inflation. More than anything, many consumers are bypassing restaurants in favor of cooking frozen pizza at home. Vericast’s 2023 Restaurant TrendWatch …

The Food Institute Launches FI Latam Content Platform

NEW YORK, April 13, 2023/FINewswire/– The Food Institute, the leading source for food industry news, data, and trends, announced today the official launch of “FI Latam” – The Food Institute’s Latin America-focused content platform. Elements …

Treat Yourself: 2023 is the Year of Record-setting Candy Consumption

Even amid inflation, candy consumption is occurring at a record-setting pace. Confectionery shoppers are looking for deals, but they remain committed to their candy consumption. According to the National Confectioners Association’s recently released 2023 State …

How to Use Automation & Tech to Profit From Markdowns

For grocers, surplus food can lead to panic because they know that the longer products stay on the shelves, the less profit they yield. Many grocers still treat markdowns as an afterthought, however, which leaves …

Report: Food Prices Surge in Urban Areas

The pain of high food prices is especially acute in some major metropolitan areas, with August 2021 to August 2022 seeing the largest annual increase since the 1980s, a U.S. Government Accountability Office report found. …

Survey: Boosting Alt-Meat Adoption

A new survey by Sweet Earth explores the decline in alt-meat adoption to source potential solutions to reignite consumer interest.

5 Food Trends Displayed at CHFA NOW Event

VANCOUVER – Canada has, historically, been a follower when it comes to food industry innovation. Clearly, however, times are starting to change. In recent years we have seen many innovative brands, product concepts, and progressive …

Vietnamese Cuisine is Exploding, Flavorfully, in America

If the U.S. is truly a melting pot, sandwiches like the banh mi could be considered quintessential American fare. It also makes sense that another menu item of Vietnamese origin – pho (soup featuring rice …

5 Secrets to Winning Over ‘Zoomer’ Consumers

At the recent Future Menus 2023 – a gathering of menu innovators from around the world – emerging food trends were discussed. This year, it was all about offering “arm candy”, as well as appealing …

California Strawberry Crop “at the Mercy of Mother Nature”

The California strawberry crop is “at the mercy of Mother Nature” this year, but production should reach normal levels by the summer. That’s according to Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Sector Manager Brad Rubin, who noted …

Webinar Shows ‘Healthy’ Top of Mind for Consumers

The Food Institute was recently joined by two registered dieticians to discuss the state of wellness for the Food Industry. Marie Molde (MBA, RD) from Datassential and Barbara Ruhs (MS, RDN, RD) from Avocados from …

Social Media Holds Untapped Marketing Potential for Grocers

A new grocery insights report by MikMak noted key ways retailers can improve their social media marketing strategies – especially by utilizing YouTube.

Basket Case: Consumers’ Top 10 Easter Candies

Easter is right around the corner on April 9, and with that comes baskets and egg hunts filled with oodles of candy. Roughly 85% of consumers plan to celebrate Easter this year, and 50% of …

FI First Look: Plant-Based Whole-Cut Loin

European brand Juicy Marbles aims to disrupt the alt-meat category by focusing on whole cuts. Will its competitors follow suit?