Amazon’s decision to tackle Whole Foods ‘whole paycheck’ moniker from day one with a wave of price cuts sends an immediate signal to rivals that “they are now dealing with a competitor that is not afraid to damage profits and margins if it creates long...
At a time when many grocery retailers and food and beverage brands are increasing their ecommerce presence, snack maker NatureBox, which began as an online service, is expanding its distribution in brick and mortar stores, which the company CEO says favors...
Rising sales and household penetration of organic is a double-edged sword for the industry in the US as more Americans have started looking for lower prices, bulk packaging and easier access through direct to consumer channels, according to purchasing...
High prices and the fear of being locked into a recurring subscription are the top two factors deterring Americans from embracing meal kit services, according to a new survey, which found that Millennials are the most receptive to the concept, but only...
How can you make access to fresh produce easier for households in food insecure areas? For a group of young University of Chicago entrepreneurs, community-driven grocery kits may be an answer.
Manufacturers of healthy and better-for-you snacks looking to enter the convenience store channel might find an in with Kwik Trip, which, according to the Partnership for a Healthier America, is looking to increase healthier options in the checkout area.
Being a poor college student unable to afford books or a night out is one thing, but being a poor college student who also is unable to afford groceries or unsure where the next meal will come from is another level – one which researchers argue could...
Americans buy everything online, from books to vacations. But when it comes to groceries, bricks, not clicks, still rule. That was until Amazon struck a deal to buy Whole Foods, and gave everyone a “huge wake up call,” says Door to Door Organics CEO Mike...
The launch of Amazon Instant Pickup and Aldi’s new partnership with Instacart, both announced this week, propel forward online grocery shopping, which according to industry analysts is quickly gaining momentum despite significant lingering challenges.
It’s hard to think of a company where mission and brand are more intertwined than RUNA, which was forged around an ingredient - guayusa - that created a powerful point of difference for an emerging beverage brand, but also generated income for small farmers...
A commonly held perception of the ongoing renaissance in the food and beverage industry is that only small, nimble startups are innovating to meet consumers’ evolving needs, and that large, legacy companies must acquire or incubate new brands to keep...
After years of knocking on the doors of top tier retailers and hearing no, baby and toddler food company NuturMe is finally hearing yes from major players including Target, Kroger and Costco – a change the company’s CEO attributes to the brand’s new “Tummy...
Milk price wars are “compressing the margin of private label retail prices over the Class I milk input cost to abnormally low levels,” say analysts at Bernstein.
Despite Aramark’s ambitious five-year plan to improve the health of Americans 20% by 2020, the public health non-profit Balanced wants the food service giant to do more to improve the nutrition of the meals it serves more quickly.
Sales at farmers’ markets currently may be only a small fraction compared to conventional grocery stores, but the channel is gaining traction – especially among millennials – and offers a unique marketing opportunity for agricultural producers of all...
The partnership with Amazon Prime Now could ultimately expand to almost half of the Sprouts store network, predicts the Phoenix-based retailer, which posted a 1.4% rise in same store sales in the latest quarter while rival Whole Foods Market has continued...
For US-based Indian street snack maker The Chaat Co, $1 million in seed funding including investment from India’s Jain Farm Fresh Foods is about more than just the money -- it is also about securing a supply line for authentic ingredients to make its...
Much of the punditry immediately following the Amazon/Whole Foods announcement focused on how the tie up might impact Whole Foods stores. Will they become test beds for Amazon Go-style technology and fulfilment centers for Amazon's broader grocery...
Looks may not be everything, but they matter a lot – especially in the produce section, which can be a pivotal driver for foot traffic and subsequent sales throughout the entire store, according to new research from the Food Marketing Institute.
Only 9% of US consumers currently buy groceries online, but the Amazon/Whole Foods deal already is generating incremental interest in buying egroceries, according to a new consumer survey.
Amazon is not a threat to brick-and-mortar retailers but an opportunity to be put in front of countless new consumers, says Bob Moran, CEO of GNC in a recent earnings call.
As Facebook Live, Snapchat, and Instagram Stories became embedded into day-to-day routines, market research firm Nailbiter saw an opportunity to elevate consumer surveys to involve real-time videos of the decision making process.
When it comes to eating meat in the US, chicken, without a doubt, is the main attraction with Americans consuming an average of 91 pounds last year – that is nearly double the roughly 50 pounds of pork and 55 pounds of beef consumed in the same period,...
Kroger has lost its bid to gain a preliminary injunction that would immediately bar Lidl from using its 'Preferred Selection' name on its premium private label products.
Among top performing retailers with high sales across the store, 49% of these sales come from the fresh department, according to the latest analysis by market research firm Nielsen.
As a percentage of the overall grocery retail market, Amazon’s $420m in Q2 grocery sales in the US is pretty small fry. But its 50% year-on-year growth is making the whole industry pay attention, says e-commerce data firm One Click Retail.
In an about-face, Blue Apron’s stock is surging on the strength of positive investor ratings published earlier this week, but the meal kit company’s initial rocky start in public trading still could have a negative long-term impact on competitors’ ability...
“Lidl will be a very real threat for small scale grocers that lack differentiation or operational efficiencies," predict analysts at Bernstein. However, its success in the US “is by no means a foregone conclusion,” they caution.
Is Lidl’s ‘Preferred Selection’ private label “confusingly similar” to Kroger’s ‘Private Selection’? Or is Kroger’s recent trademark infringement lawsuit against Lidl merely an opportunistic bid to derail a rival’s US market entry?
For many Americans grilling is more than a means to put dinner on the table – it is a way to celebrate special occasions and everyday joys with friends, family and neighbors – creating an extended marketing opportunity for brands and retailers alike,...
Using a novel nutrition rating system, such as Guiding Stars, could give retailers and food service chains a competitive edge by creating the perception they offer more of the healthy, fresh foods that today’s consumers increasingly want, new research...
There’s a very likely chance that Amazon will come to dominate the meal kit category, according to market research analyst Howard Waxman at Packaged Facts.
Leading trade groups for the retailer and food service industries are suing New York City to stop inspectors from holding their members responsible for posting calorie counts for prepared “restaurant-type food” ahead of a similar federal rule that has...
As consumers continue to seek new flavors and experiences, Coca-Cola is exploring the booming US meal kit market in a new partnership with Chef’d that offers co-branded meal kits with complementary Coca-Cola brands.
Amazon's increased penetration into the grocery sphere will mean computer wizards, molecular biologists and sustainability experts will be developing ultra-intelligent grocerants of the future, predicts 'supermarket guru' Phil Lempert.
The thought of fermenting coffee beans by feeding them to small cat-like civits or large elephants only to collect them again at the other end of the digestive process sounded unappetizing and cruel to Edgar Salgado – even if it produces a less bitter...
The Amazon/Whole Foods deal has “absolutely rattled food retailing and CPG markets in a way I have never seen in my life,” says the founder of organic meal-kit company Green Chef, who says he has been approached by multiple ‘strategic’ suitors as the...
LIFEWTR on track to generate $200m in retail sales on annualized basis
As the lines between channels continue to blur and sales increasingly shift to untracked channels, CPG companies will have to think about growth opportunities in a more holistic manner, the CEO of PepsiCo told analysts and investors this week.
A comparison between Lidl stores in Europe and the first wave of US stores suggests the retailer is moving “away from the hard discount model as we know it in Europe,” according to an analysis by Bernstein.
Adding the massive Chicagoland to its service area, Meijer and Shipt’s grocery delivery partnership now spans all of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Amazon.com offers startups a way to test their products' proof of concept and gain an early, loyal following before approaching large physical retailers. But the website also leaves brands vulnerable to public consumer reviews and can be difficult...
The center of the store may be where growth of online sales and orders thrive, but consumers are getting more comfortable clicking away to buy products from other aisles to. According to 1010DATA, online ice cream orders have grown threefold since 2014...
Consumer demand for products that are authentic and ethnic is not only prompting brand manufacturers to innovate it is also raising the competitive bar at retailers, according to industry experts.
Food price inflation has colored the behavior of shoppers in Canada, with soaring vegetable prices early in 2016 prompting many Canadians to become more conscious about food prices in general, according to food price experts from Dalhousie University.
Part delivery service, part online storefront, by working exclusively with independent retailers, Mercato founder Bobby Brannigan is confident he has carved out a space where his company can thrive in a post Amazon-Whole Foods-acquisition world.
Certifying a product as approved by the popular Whole30 diet is a “pretty intensive” process, according to the diet’s co-creator, but for the few and proud that make the cut, the licensing deal can provide exposure to a fiercely loyal consumer base, boost...
While barely a week goes by without the launch of a new meal kit company, there is room in the market for “many multi-billion dollar players,” provided they carve out a distinct niche, insists the founder of Gobble, which focuses on pre-prepped meals...
Aside from giving Amazon a network of bricks & mortar stores from which to expand Amazon Fresh and other services, acquiring Whole Foods gives the ecommerce giant access to the 365 private label brand, which could become a “focal point of its online...
Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market for $13.7bn will enhance the beverage shopping experience, which depends on a multichannel approach to succeed, according to Charlie Cain executive partner of Building Oz in Seattle.
What foods and beverages do Millennials like to buy online? Why do shoppers buy locally-grown foods, and why don’t more consumers scan QR codes? Here are 10 things that caught our eye in the 2017 US Grocery Shopper Trends report from the Food Marketing...
