Hoping to overcome sales-limiting stereotypes about prunes and expand when and how people consume them, the California Dried Plum Board is teaming with the meal kit provider Chef’d to showcase the dried fruit’s diverse uses and benefits in three new meals...
The global financial crisis that began with the housing market crash in 2008 may technically be over, but its long-term impact will continue to influence how consumers spend their money in 2018 and beyond and which companies and brand they support, according...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
While some commentators say Trader Joe's is most at risk of losing customers to a resurgent Whole Foods, the chain's curated product selections, superior customer service, and creative private label items have helped propel it to the top of...
Most food and beverage startups dream of expanding from a local brand serving only a handful of stores to one that is nationally distributed to hundreds or thousands of retailers, but the logistics of getting there can be a nightmare if not carefully...
Lidl’s entrance last summer into the highly competitive US retail market already is placing significant pricing pressure on nearby major retailers, which likely will need to drop prices even further and offer more convenient shopping services in order...
Catering to consumer demand for “experiences,” food and beverage manufacturers in 2018 will make their products more “tactile” in a way that goes beyond Instagramable unicorn colors and unexpected black, predicts Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert.
Food and beverage companies must do more than just follow the money as consumers shift spending away from eating at home and towards eating out – they also must consider the eating occasion and experience on a meal-by-meal basis to excel, new research...
With the help of industry professionals and consumers who were inspired by The Soulfull Project’s mission to donate a serving of hot cereal to a food bank for each serving it sells, the young company has reached milestones in first year that most startups...
Despite US adults spending more than three hours a day online, print is not dead – at least when it comes to advertising fast-moving consumer goods like groceries, according to a recent Nielsen research.
Blockchain technology, which has been in the news of late for its role in secreting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin around the Internet, is being hyped as the next big thing to revolutionize not just the banking industry – but all business, including...
Achieving sustained profitability is a basic business goal that has eluded many in the highly competitive meal kit category, but a top executive of Home Chef says the company may be the first to achieve it in 2018 in part by following the lead of the...
Vegetarian and vegan diets – actively recast in recent years by stakeholders as ‘plant-based’ in a bid to shake off negative baggage – are quickly gaining traction among America’s youngest consumers and are predicted to become a breakout trend in 2018,...
By going “beyond a typical licensing deal” that only places popular movie characters on packaging to include thematic custom shapes in the bag, shareable 4-ounce pouches of popchips’ Star Wars themed Galaxy Puffs’ are out-stripping the dollar velocity...
2017 has been a rollercoaster ride for the food industry, with Amazon coughing up a cool $13.7bn for Whole Foods, a flurry of M&A activity from Nestlé, Hershey, Campbell Soup and Kellogg, and an exodus from the industry’s biggest trade association,...
Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value private label range has already generated an estimated $10m in sales via Amazon in just over three months, reveals a new report from e-commerce data firm One Click Retail, which "can pretty much guarantee that Whole...
From entrepreneurs pioneering new farming methods and food technologies, to big brands adjusting to the changing landscape, FOOD VISION USA 2017 brought together a wide cross-section of industry players to explore how the industry is facing the challenges...
With hindsight, we can all pretend we saw it coming, but in reality, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market – announced on June 16 – caught most of the industry by surprise, says Rabobank, which polled 200+ food execs from entrepreneurs to CEOs of...
Ecommerce may account for only a small portion of food and beverage sales for now, but that is changing quickly and manufacturers and retailers need to develop a game plan now for how they will leverage the change to their advantage, suggests an analyst...
Target’s $550m plan to acquire Shipt - which like Instacart, deploys hordes of personal shoppers to pick online orders from stores and deliver them directly to customers in their own vehicles – is a logical move that will help it capture a larger slice...
Increasingly savvy shoppers who are well-versed in food production and nutrition are turning the tables on the farm-to-fork marketing model that once educated them and influenced what they consumed to create a fork-to-farm model that requires producers,...
When Anne Laraway takes the reins of the fastest growing baby food brand in the country in January as the new CEO of Happy Family Organics, she plans to expand its reach into new markets with new products while remaining “laser focused on our mission...
Many of the tried-and-true tactics, contracts, marketing strategies and business decisions that fueled growth for most successful businesses to date, will not take companies to the next level or guarantee their survival in the next ten years, suggests...
The search for the best price on food, product variety, quality and convenience are prompting consumers to hop from retailer to retailer and in doing so conventional grocery stores are losing out, according to recent data from Acosta.
The reinvention and rising popularity of cauliflower over the past year illustrates how consumer grocery shopping styles are evolving along with their focus on specific ingredients, and the opportunities this change creates for manufacturers and retailers...
Every 21 seconds someone in the US discovers they have diabetes, setting a breakneck pace that is fueling a 6% annual increase in the number of Americans diagnosed with the chronic disease for which there is no cure, but which can be managed in part through...
On-shelf nutritional rating systems, such as Guiding Stars, not only help consumers make healthier purchases, but they can boost retail sales by encouraging larger baskets with more expensive items, according to new research.
The ease of buying food online may diminish the sense of psychological ownership, which may ultimately make it easier for people to discard food, suggests a new analysis with implications for retailers.
Thanksgiving historically is a time for friends and family to over-indulge on hearty meals filled with butter-soaked sides, marshmallow-topped vegetables and decadent desserts, but data from market-insights firm Nielsen reveals that Americans increasingly...
Americans may say they want to eat at home more in order to save money, improve their health and waste less, but the reality is restaurant spending is up – revealing a paradox and an opportunity for retailers and CPG manufacturers, according to a top...
Held at the W hotel in Chicago Nov 13-15, FOOD VISION USA brought together a glittering array of speakers from big and small food brands, spanning topics from food e-commerce and meal kits to clean-label trends, clean meat, hydroponics and whether the...
Hispanic shoppers buy significantly more natural, organic and better-for-you items than the overall US population, which suggests manufacturers in the space could generate even higher sales by targeting the demographic, according to new research from...
Against the vast majority of stakeholders’ wishes, the US Department of Agriculture once again is delaying the widely supported Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices because the department believes the final rule oversteps Congress’ mandate ‘for the...
Early predictions from Whole Foods Market about what will be hot suggests 2018 will be a year of contradictions with consumers balancing health and indulgence, while at the same time pursuing both bold and subtle new flavors.
For all the hub-bub around bold and exotic flavors, the success of Jolly Time’s Blast O Butter microwave popcorn for the past 20 years is a good reminder of the power nostalgia and familiarity can play in driving ongoing sales.
Compared to other retail categories, brick-and-mortar for groceries still prevails, but companies like Ahold USA are upping their digital game anyways, as consumers spend their daily lives equally off and online.
The US team behind the coconut-based yogurt COYO hopes slashing its suggested retail price will help the brand jump from the natural to the conventional channel and that its creamy texture will keep it there by captivating mainstream shoppers who place...
A 'Marlboro Friday' moment* (a huge overnight price cut) is not something most big US food manufacturers will contemplate as they seek to claw back the initiative in a rapidly evolving food retail market, say Bernstein analysts. Instead, we...
New research revealing a dramatic increase in the number of insurance claims related to severe allergic reactions to food reinforces other evidence indicating that food allergies are on the rise, and bolsters the marketing opportunity and potential longevity...
After 10 successful years focused on making unique wafer-thin savory and sweet crackers, snack company 34 Degrees is ready to try something new and thanks to a $3.4 million investment from its long-time supply chain manager Fresca Foods it has the means...
With growth of coffee consumption in the US and Europe stagnating, manufacturers are pursuing increase opportunity in emerging markets, such as Brazil, “despite several macro-economic road bumps,” according to new research from Rabobank.
From the makers of the better-for-you snack subscription box Love With Food, which builds brand awareness and gathers consumer feedback for finished products, comes a new product testing and insights platform that promises to do what traditional focus...
Trader Joe’s is the most at-risk retailer in the US, not because of price reduction but simply because so many of its consumers cross shop at both Amazon and Whole Foods, says an industry consultant.
High inflation in many Latin American countries is pushing consumers to shop based on value, but whether they define this as higher quality or larger quantity varies on their age, goals and specific country, according to recent research from Nielsen....
Convenience retailers are very positive about Coca-Cola’s recently launched Coke Zero Sugar, with one analyst predicting it could bring the company’s carbonated soft drink portfolio back to the black in a couple of years.
Setting up a fresh food ecommerce operation from scratch is not for the faint hearted, as the eye-watering sums spent by some meal-kit/meal delivery brands have proved. But for retailers, lifestyle brands, CPG brands or others interested in a slice of...
