Rebellyous Foods – a Seattle-based startup that has been targeting high-volume foodservice accounts with plant-based chicken nuggets – has made a dramatic pivot to retail with the launch of family-packs at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers have taken their grocery shopping online in the months of March and April 2020 compared to 6% in 2019 highlighting the need for retailers to provide a seamless shopper experience between in-store, pickup, and delivery...
Hormel Foods saw organic net sales increase 20% for its grocery products (SPAM, SKIPPY, Hormel chili, and Hormel Compleats microwave meals) and registered a 12% rise in net sales for Jennie-O Turkey products offsetting a decline in foodservice sales in...
The economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus has pushed many investors into a protective mode that precludes new deals, but raising capital during the pandemic still is possible – it just requires entrepreneurs to more clearly define their value...
As news continues to break about more workers at grocery stores and meat and poultry packing plants contracting coronavirus, consumer concern about employee health and their access to food and beverage during the pandemic is on the rise again after a...
The FDA, USDA and EPA have launched ‘Feed Your Mind’, a new Agricultural Biotechnology Education and Outreach Initiative that aims to increase consumer awareness and understanding of genetically engineered foods (GMOs).
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused brands to look at their direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses with fresh eyes, including emerging brand PeaTos, which launched its own DTC site, BetterSnacks.com, to fulfill Americans' at-home snacking needs and desire...
Children’s brands that previously relied on “the nag factor,” impulse purchases or being the reward parents give children to behave in stores are pivoting their marketing to target adults now that most families send only one adult to the grocery store...
The middle of a global pandemic when many consumers are filling their grocery carts virtually may seem like a strange time to expand distribution in brick-and-mortar stores, but for the vitamin enhanced water brand KidsLuv the timing of its current rollout...
Walmart US e-commerce sales grew 74% in the first quarter (13 weeks to May 1), driven by strong demand for its expanded grocery pickup and delivery services offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JUST (Eat JUST, Inc.) has partnered with Michael Foods, a subsidiary of Post Holdings and one of the largest egg processors and suppliers, to bring plant-based JUST Egg to millions more consumers in the US.
While consumer interest in where food comes from and how it is produced has been growing in recent years, an organic industry leader says the coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged shoppers’ interest in local, organic and sustainably produced products...
The number of US households who reported shopping online for groceries rose dramatically in March when the pandemic hit, and stayed consistently high for the month of April, reveals new data from Brick Meets Click.
Califia Farms is moving into new territory with the launch of plant-based butters - its first foray into the fats & oils category - and Protein Oat, a line of plant-based milks with a comparable level of protein to dairy milk per serving.
Crop improvement company Benson Hill has contracted 30,000 acres of land in the US to grow its non-GMO ultra-high protein soybeans, which it claims deliver high nutrient density while maintaining competitive yields.
While COVID-19 has upended the status quo for the entire food industry from growers and distributors, to retailers and consumers, it has also exposed the lack of resiliency within the food supply chain to handle something as disruptive as a global pandemic,...
After weeks of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, some companies are rethinking the value of central offices, but for the founder of Seed + Mill sharing space with other entrepreneurs at WeWork’s Food Labs in New York City before the outbreak...
Compared to the same period last year, fresh produce has generated an additional $205m in sales for the week ending May 3* with fresh vegetables leading sales, according to a report by 210 Analytics, IRI, and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA).
Following recent high-profile claims that the food supply chain is buckling under pressure from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Consumer Brands Association is teaming with more than 35 trade associations to address long- and short-term challenges...
Continued uncertainty over the regulatory status of hemp-derived CBD is a bigger roadblock for food and beverage brands than COVID-19 to market growth this year, say startups, but there are still opportunities to grow while they wait for the FDA to weigh...
As at-home food consumption remains at elevated levels, PepsiCo has launched two direct-to-consumer websites – PantryShop.com and Snacks.com – to meet the shift in demand where shoppers can order PepsiCo and Frito Lay products directly from the company.
Once relegated to the dusty back corners of kitchen cupboards or quickly swigged by only the most devote health-conscious consumers, apple cider vinegar has been thrust into the limelight by the coronavirus pandemic for its claimed immunity, beauty-enhancing...
Just as shelf-stable pantry items have experienced surging sales in recent months, frozen food sales have exploded since the onset of COVID-19 with new consumers entering the category, finds a recent survey commissioned by the American Frozen Food Institute.
With the typical consumer managing an average of 3.3 individual dietary preferences and 64% of the world’s population following some sort of exclusion diet (Nielsen), grocery retailers will need to adapt their online and physical stores to provide a hyper-personalized...
Many of the changes in consumer behavior and purchasing at grocery stores due to the ongoing pandemic, including preferences for e-commerce, smaller stores and healthier food, are the cornerstones of Sprouts Farmers Market's new “transformational...
Global ingredient supplier Ingredion expects continued strong demand for ingredients that go into packaged foods through the first half of the year, partially offsetting volume declines the company is experiencing in foodservice, which represents between...
Beyond Meat is taking a series of “offensive measures” to chart a course through the coronavirus pandemic, including switching some foodservice production lines over to retail products, developing value packs, offering more aggressive pricing, and building...
As Americans staying at home to slow the spread of the coronavirus flock to meal kits, both HelloFresh and Blue Apron saw sales lift near the end of their first quarters, but whether the companies can sustain the increase beyond the pandemic depends on...
Waiting for a response from cold calls to retail buyers about placing a product on store shelves can feel demoralizing to emerging brands, but Brad Charron, the CEO of the plant-based bar and beverage brand Aloha, advises entrepreneurs not to take it...
Online grocery sales and store pickup orders reached $5.3bn in April, a record 30-day high and 37% sales increase from March, according to the Brick Meets Click/Symphony RetailAI Online Grocery Survey conducted in late April.
Plant-based technology company Calyxt has launched a direct-to-consumer site for its high oleic soybean cooking oil, Calyno, which is claimed to have 20% less saturated fat and lower oil absorption (i.e. less greasy finish) than commodity soybean oil.
Emerging and regional brands with inventory and turnkey solutions could more easily win space on store shelves despite delayed category resets and formal reviews as retailers continue to grapple coronavirus-related disruptions and low fill rates from...
Over the last month, online food marketplace BUBBLE has seen dollar sales grow 800% (vs the previous month), cart sizes quadruple, and a surge of interest from prospective vendors as new and emerging natural food brands without the bandwidth to set up...
The day any entrepreneur decides to sell his or her business is “always bittersweet” observed Jonathan Sebastiani after selling KRAVE Jerky to Hershey for $218m in January 2015. So how does it feel - five years later - to be back at the helm after buying...
By Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Navigating coronavirus’ uneven impact to chart a path forward for groceries
While some food and beverage brands have enjoyed tremendous growth following the coronavirus outbreak, others have been completely "pummeled" by government and consumer response to the virus – revealing a division that could provide a road map...
Kroger is purchasing 200,000 gallons of fluid milk from dairy farmers who have struggled to find new buyers to purchase their excess supply (much of which was originally destined for foodservice and schools before the pandemic hit). The milk will be redirected...
Echoing recent comments from the CEOs of Coca-Cola and Mondelēz International, Kraft Heinz CEO Miguel Patricio told analysts Thursday that he is focusing on core SKUs to deliver supply chain efficiencies and delaying new product launches, although it’s...
Baby foods that mask the taste of vegetables may be doing children a disservice in the long run who never learn to like the taste of broccoli, spinach, or brussel sprouts later in childhood and even, adulthood, according to Penn State researchers.
Driven by strong demand for its snacks products in North America, Mondelēz International reported 2.6% growth in net revenue to $6.7bn for Q1 2020, offsetting sales downturns in other areas of the business including world travel retail and away-from-home...
Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is teaming up with baby and kids food manufacturers, early childhood educators, and other key stakeholders under its 'Shaping Early Palates Initiative', which aims to disrupt the marketplace of childhood...
WeWork is helping to level the playing field between emerging and established brands in the competitive food and beverage space with the recent unveiling of its flagship Food Labs in New York City and the graduation of its first food and ag focused accelerator...
The convenience, practicality and comfort of offering food as tokens of recognition, appreciation and affection could help insulate the US food gifting market during the coronavirus pandemic, but it may not be enough to fully offset losses in 2020 from...
Just over half of food & beverage professionals surveyed by product innovation firm Mattson this month say projects and launches have been delayed due to coronavirus, but two thirds are still working on new concepts and products and 50% believe COVID-19...
While "banana bread is having a moment" during the lockdown, most consumers that didn't previously have great cooking skills are "not turning into gourmet chefs," and when it comes to dinnertime, they're looking for 'heat-and-eat'...
The US Department of Agriculture is making it easier for low-income participants in the Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program to fill their grocery carts despite lingering shortages of program-eligible food staples due to panicked...
As the pandemic unfolds, many investors are hitting pause on cash injections into early-stage brands. But for VC funds BFG Partners and BIGR Ventures, the crisis has made investment decisions more clear in terms of what separates an 'OK' brand...
As measures designed to flatten the curve of the coronavirus pandemic continue to flatten the economy simultaneously, many companies are making tough decisions to survive, including whether to pull-back on expansion plans, lay off employees, rationalize...
Unlike many emerging brands, which have had to ramp up - on in some cases create from scratch - e-commerce capabilities during this pandemic, Magic Spoon has been a direct-to-consumer business from the outset, and sales are going through the roof, say...
As extensions and new inclusions have been made to many government-mandated social distancing policies, a majority of North American consumers indicate they expect the impact of COVID-19 will persist for up to six months, according to Nielsen.
Synapse, a ready-to-drink, stimulant-free, nootropic beverage brand which gained an early following with gamers and e-sports competitors, is now growing within a mainstream consumer audience who are looking for an alternative to caffeinated energy drinks...