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Inflation Eating Away at Food Industry Profits

Americans are feeling the effects of the pandemic in their pocketbooks, with inflation rising at its fastest clip in four decades. This morning, the Labor Department reported that the Producer Price Index for final demand …

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 …

Shake Shack’s Premiumization Strategy Setting it Apart

Menu innovations are a key part of Shake Shack’s strategy, as CEO Randy Garutti noted in the chain’s latest earnings call. Though it has become well-known for its ShackBurgers, crinkle-cut fries and milkshakes, the chain …

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 …

Which Consumers Are Driving Food Delivery Growth?

New research on consumers who use food-delivery companies like UberEats, GrubHub and DoorDash indicates that today’s food-delivery customers tend to be young and wealthy. Virtual brand company Nextbite’s white paper revealed that 71% of survey …

Packaging Shortages to Impact Food Manufacturers Into 2022

Packaging shortages are fueling persistent fluctuations in food and beverage product availability ahead of the holidays, as many manufacturers source materials from overseas — and there’s no clear end in sight. “Supply chain disruptions continue …

Consumers Eager to Wine and Dine, According to Restaurant Data

New research shows reason for optimism in the fine-dining space. Merchant Centric, which monitors customer reviews, recently noted that, during the first half of 2021, fine dining had the strongest guest sentiment and star rating …

Frozen Meat Market Appears Poised to Heat Up

This article is written and sponsored by Transparency Market Research. E-commerce trends and consumers’ increasing desire for convenience have helped fuel growth in the frozen food industry. According to a report by the American Frozen Food …

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 …

Retailers May Force Major Changes in Chicken Production

The Global Animal Partnership plans to toughen standards, effectively lowering the number of chicken breeds that meet its animal welfare guidelines, Bloomberg recently reported. The partnership, which has a five-step process for certifying animal welfare, …

Carbonated Beverages Bubbling Over with Innovation

The carbonated beverage category continues to evolve as low – or no-sugar attributes resonate with consumers and manufacturers pivot their traditional soft drink presentation accordingly. “The narrative is changing from ‘diet’ beverages to ‘no sugar,’” …

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What would a Monster-Constellation Merger Mean?

Energy drink-maker Monster Beverage Corp and Constellation Brands Inc., which brews Corona beer, are reportedly in talks for a possible merger. What would a Monster-Constellation mash-up mean? Jameson Sharp, investment group partner and analyst with …

Barbecue Is a Smokin’ Hot Global Taste Trend

Barbecue is red-hot worldwide, according to new research from Irish food company Kerry. “It’s clear that people and cultures intersect on the general topic of open-fire cooking,” said Soumya Nair, Kerry’s global director of consumer …

Acquisitions Driving Autonomous Farming Movement Forward

Acquisitions are quickly changing the face of the so-called “smart farming” landscape. The latest example of that evolution comes via Fieldin, the world’s largest smart farm operations management company, which recently acquired agricultural autonomous driving company …

The Rising Influence of Professional Wine Ratings

Editor’s note: Part 3 of a three-part series analyzing the current state of the wine industry. With the strong increase in online wine sales in recent years has come an equally significant increase in the …

Supply Chain Inspiring Rising Concerns in Wine World

Editor’s note: Part 2 of a three-part series analyzing the current state of the wine industry. The effects of supply chain disruptions in the global food industry are well-known and easy to identify: low inventories, …

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 …

Lunchtime Rush Coming Back for Restaurants

Online and physical restaurant visits during lunch rose 4% in the year ending September 2021 compared to a year ago when visits were down 11%, based on The NPD Group’s U.S. foodservice industry tracking. “Consumers are …