Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: American Families Plan, restaurant reservations, McDonald’s (MCD), Archers-Daniel-Midland Company (ADM), Kraft Heinz Company …
Most consumers recognize the importance of addressing climate change. What may not be top of mind, however, is food waste’s impact on climate change. When food is wasted, so is the water, fuel and other resources that were used …
Competition for workers is intensifying with President Biden raising the federal contractor minimum wage to $15 an hour, Amazon, which already pays a minimum wage of $15 an hour, awarding increases of as much as …
The days of companies keeping “quiet” about social issues appear to be long gone. In the past, companies were never expected to comment on social causes, but times have certainly changed. In 2021, consumers of …
The food delivery app industry is facing a potentially drastic slump in sales, according to a new study by the Social Sciences Research Network, which tracked 27 delivery apps, including Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. …
The days of a wallet stuffed with cents-off coupons is coming to a close with research indicating digital coupons have overtaken print circulars as a more direct way of reaching consumers. An analysis by Inmar …
Millennials’ favorite food and beverage brands in 2021 highlight a taste for convenience, comfort, and quality with a focus on affordability. The popularity of private labels and non-traditional retailer formats are also on the rise. …
Restaurants are struggling to win back employees so far in 2021. The Food Institute reported on this issue back in early April when QSRs were finding hiring new workers particularly challenging, and the issue has …
Here are trending economic and food industry data points, as well as major economic and company earnings releases for the coming week: unemployment benefits, global debt, surging commodities, restaurant reservations, Coca-Cola (COKE), and more Trending …
While COVID-19 has kept celebrities off the red carpet, a number of product collaborations, endorsements and corporate finance endeavors have kept them in the spotlight. And while star power has certainly proven to be a …
The demand for private label grocery products remained strong throughout the pandemic, with higher-end premium lines driving sales for traditional grocers, clubs, and mass merchandisers. Now, Kroger plans to add 660 items to its private …
Amazon-owned grocery stores are poised for a technology upgrade, specifically in checkout. AUTOMATION Amazon is bringing automated checkout technology to full-size supermarkets, reported Bloomberg (April 22). Planning documents for a store under construction in Brookfield, …
As sustainable practices become increasingly important to today’s consumers, food brands are making their environmental goals and initiatives clear. In honor of Earth Day, here’s a closer look at companies taking steps to become more …
Food is Gen Z’s No. 1 wallet priority at 23%, according to Piper Sandler’s annual Taking Stock with Teens survey. The survey highlights discretionary spending trends and brand preferences from 7,000 teens across 47 U.S. …
Many food companies are raising prices to offset higher costs. Higher commodity costs are pressuring companies’ profits, while some are also starting to lap their surging sales sparked by stockpiling in 2020, reported CNBC (March …
Grilling season started early this year – or maybe it never ended, statistics from market research company NPD Group indicate. NPD reported consumers spent more than $4.9 billion on grills, smokers, camping stoves, accessories, and …
While the concept of “food as medicine” has been around for centuries, the philosophy is gaining momentum of late. So much so, in fact, that The Food Institute will highlight the concept and the growing …
Online grocery usage has skyrocketed in recent years: 73% of consumers had purchased grocery items online within the last three months, compared to 17% in 2017, according to a survey by Power Reviews. Of course, …
A vegan diet is essentially the strictest form of vegetarianism. That is, in addition to avoiding animal flesh, vegans also cut out dairy, eggs and animal-derived ingredients, such as gelatin whey and casein. And as …
In many ways, the pandemic has been a boom time for third-party delivery platforms, which have benefited from consumers largely hunkering down at home and summoning dinners to their doorstep. But business is rapidly changing …
A persistent kink in the global supply chain is getting straightened out – slowly, but relatively surely. The backlog at southern California ports appears to finally be easing, even as imports continue to flood into …
While grocery store owners benefited from a rush of customers throughout much of the past year as the pandemic raged, owners now have growing concern that their bottom line will look far less rosy in …
Breaking up is hard to do, but Walmart and McDonald’s seem to have made the split on decent terms. McDonald’s recently announced plans to shutter hundreds of its locations positioned within Walmart stores. After the …
Impossible Foods is reportedly planning for a $10 billion public listing within the next year, either through an IPO or a SPAC. The valuation would be substantially higher than the $4 billion the company was worth …
The push for the Raise the Wage Act, which would increase the minimum wage to $15, is pressuring U.S. businesses like restaurants that depend on keeping labor costs in check to survive. QSRs are finding …
On April 1, the USDA announced that it will provide $1 billion per month in additional SNAP food assistance to an estimated 25 million people in low-income households. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack echoed …
Lamb sales are surging. While shoppers used to be wary due to its higher price tag, store sales of lamb jumped 28% year-over-year as of last month, according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, beef sales rose 25.6% …
While the fast-food “chicken wars” have been going on for some time, Taco Bell and Chipotle are now headed for battle on another front. The two largest Mexican-food chains are testing new items and jockeying …
Unilever plans to introduce carbon-footprint details for all 70,000 of its products and is researching best methods for gathering and presenting the information. A key motivator for the company is that brands perceived as sustainable …
Big foodmakers are taking advantage of a pandemic-driven rise in online shopping to track consumer analytics. “For a food brand it’s really no longer about who has the biggest factory, or who has the biggest …
Some 5,800 Amazon employees at the company’s Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse voted in the last two months on whether to unionize in a move that could energize the labor movement and mean higher prices for those …
Some coffee purveyors say they’re not too worried – at least in the short term – about the shipping container shortage that is pressuring already tight coffee supplies, the result of a South American drought …
As the pandemic continues and vaccines become more readily available in the U.S., here are some insights into how consumers feel about dining out and shopping in stores: Dining Out A significant number of Americans …
During the pandemic, restaurants have had to find new ways of winning over consumers. Those who are innovating seem to be recovering well from pandemic-related losses. “300 million people wake up hungry each day, and …
Fast-food restaurant chains are turning their attention to food trucks as a way to give pandemic-beleaguered franchisees an alternative channel to boost sales damaged by restrictions on the number of customers who can dine in …
On March 17, The Food Institute hosted a webinar on the prospects for mergers and acquisitions activity in the food industry. The event provided a deep dive into M&A trends, with analysis from Lech Czerski, …
