Given that only 2% of food and beverage sales currently are generated online and that shipping perishable, fragile and heavy CPGs can take a substantial bite out of already tight margins, it may be tempting to skip ecommerce.
Venture capital funding flooding the food and beverage industries in recent years has helped grease the wheels for many startups, but according to one investor a significant funding gap between pre-seed and subsequent early growth-stage rounds is holding...
Starting or running a business is undeniably hard – for everyone. Even if someone appears to be strolling down easy street, chances are they still wake up panicked in the middle of the night, check their work email on their phones in the bathroom and...
At IFT earlier this month, banana fosters flavor was everywhere – on popcorn, in cookies, even in coffee – but according to the ingredient company Virginia Dare its star power status at the show wasn’t just because it is a traditional dish of the conference’s...
When large food companies began cutting back on in-house R&D in favor of investing in startups’ with promising ideas, some either didn’t factor in or miscalculated the resources and time needed to scale-up their acquisitions before seeing returns...
As the line begins to blur between food and beverage, consumers are looking for more than just hydration from their drinks – they also want function, but according to market research firm Mintel figuring out which benefits resonate with which consumers...
The CBD market is exploding with the ingredient popping up in everything from bars to beverages to confections and everything in between – driving up sales to more than $200 million in 2018 by conservative estimates and an expected $3.8 billion by 2025,...
Members of the Organic Trade Association converged in Washington, DC, last week to celebrate the segment’s continuous improvement, and to brainstorm with each other and legislators potential solutions to ongoing challenges facing the industry.
While the rapid growth of the plant-based market in the US initially may have been fueled by demand for alternatives to animal-protein and -dairy, the trend is quickly evolving as consumers’ tastes become more sophisticated and they begin to embrace plants...
The exponential growth of non-dairy milk sales and variety in the US, in many ways has been a harbinger for the overall plant-based movement, but as demand for the beverages continues to rise – so too are consumers’ standards, which could prompt a shake-out...
Attracted to recent high-dollar acquisitions, consumer demand for healthy and sustainable options, and the opportunities created by a diversifying retail landscape, the number of investors flocking to the food and beverage industry continues to grow exponentially...
Blockchain technology may be best known for its ability to securely move crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin around the word, but the technology can do much more -- especially in the food and beverage industries.
By 2050, the Earth’s population is predicted to reach upwards of 10 billion people who will require significantly more food than is produced today, which many predict is not feasible without drastic changes in the way food is produced, transported and...
In recent years, the healthy eating trend had expanded dramatically beyond a fad for the few to gain a stronghold with mainstream shoppers, but produce is still at a significant disadvantage when it comes to capturing the attention of children and teenagers...
With annual retail sales of cold brew coffee estimated at more than $29 million in 2017 and predicted to grow to $170 million by the end of 2025, it is easy to see why at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim earlier this month so many new players were...
CBD far and away stole the show as the hot new ingredient at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week, but it wasn’t the only notable trend with promising market potential or significant recent development.
With newcomers launching practically every day in the food and beverage industry, the pressure is on for legacy brands to up their innovation game – and according to industry giant Unilever the best way to do this is to start with modern consumers’ core...
Whether through multi-million dollar investments in startups or high dollar mergers and acquisitions of larger, established companies, the food and beverage industry currently is being flooded with funding, and with it many opportunities as well as challenges.
For many food and beverage brands, their product packaging is their first – if not only – touchpoint with consumers, and yet all too often companies treat it as an afterthought or as little more than a protective exterior for what is inside.
Shoppers increasingly are making purchasing decisions based on how sustainable they perceive a product, brand or manufacturer to be, but as recently published research from Nielsen notes the consumers’ definition of sustainability is amorphous – making...
In the last month, the food and beverage industry rallied around the hundreds of thousands of people whose paychecks were unexpectedly stopped during the partial government shutdown, but even though government is back up and running, for now, more than...
After taking a slight hit in 2017 compared to 2016, consumer satisfaction with the food and beverage industry rebounded in 2018 as companies delivered innovative products that both surprised and delighted consumers and met their demands for healthy options.
The idea that a plant-based diet could improve the health of people and the planet was once niche, but is rapidly gaining mainstream momentum with two pivotal developments this week, including an endorsement by the high profile EAT-Lancet Commission and...
While there will always be a place in consumers’ hearts – and cups – for freshly brewed classic teas such as English breakfast and tisans like chamomile, shoppers increasingly are looking for premium, innovative options and formats that allow them to...
The food and beverage industries are undergoing a massive renaissance with fresh ideas continuously entering the market, but with a dismal failure rate for new CPGs of upwards of 85% in the first two years, it can be difficult to identify from the outset...
When meal kits first launched in the US, Americans were fast to embrace the idea of pre-planned, pre-portioned, ready-to-prepare dinners delivered to their doors, but according to new research from Packaged Facts that love quickly faded for many who became...
For years, Millennials have held the spotlight as the main focus for product development and marketing efforts, but members of Gen Z are now ready in the wings and manufacturers are starting to shift some attention to them before they come into their...
It has been ten years since the last recession first shook Americans’ confidence and caused them to pull their purse strings tighter, but according to industry insiders, consumers finally are feeling more comfortable spending again – which is good news...
The beverage industry is booming with Grand View Research predicting that sales will grow at a 5.8% compound annual rate from $967.3 billion in 2016 through 2025 thanks to rising disposable incomes, a growing population and changing lifestyles centered...
When Amazon first acquired Whole Foods Market it sent a tremor of fear throughout the industry that brick and mortar soon would be dead, and triggered a flurry of investment in online shopping technology – but a year and a half and millions of dollars...
The bottled water category is nearing an inflection point as consumer awareness grows around the negative impact single-use plastic containers have on the planet, and the oceans in particular, and when the tide finally turns on the issue manufacturers...
New consumer research suggests that targeting so-called ‘foodies’ to leverage their influence for expanded brand awareness may not be as effective as appealing to an emerging, much larger and potentially more powerful segment known as the ‘food connected...
Transparency into how products are made, what is in them and how they impact society is no longer simply ‘nice to have’ – rather a new report from the Food Marketing Institute made possible with help from Label Insight shows that it is a ‘must-have’ for...
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and instinctual experiences shared by a baby and mother, but that doesn’t mean it is easy – and many women could use help not just from healthcare professionals and family, but also from the food and beverage industry...
Ready or not: It is pumpkin spice season, and according to data from Nielsen which show sales of pumpkin flavored products in the last week of August were up 10% from the prior year – this could be a blockbuster season for the trend
At the start of the year, industry experts predicted 2018 would be the year of the plant-based diet, and as we enter the fourth quarter sales and growth data suggest that the prediction is coming to fruition – but does it also mean that the end of animal...
Since America was founded – no matter who has been at the helm – we have celebrated a proud ethos as the land of opportunity and abundance: A place where if people are willing to work they can find jobs, build homes and feed their families.
For generations Americans have raised glasses of wine, pints of beer or flutes of champagne to toast to their health and that of their loved ones – only to wake up the next morning to find themselves, and their wallets, in completely the opposite state.
Snacking on cheese is nothing new – whether it be on crackers, as part of a fancy pairing with cured meat and wine or pulled apart as ‘string’ – but consumers’ rising demand for higher protein and their fading fear of fat is taking the trend – and cheese...
Food is undeniably a central force of life, giving us the fuel we need to go about our days, but unfortunately, food also is the number one cause of poor health in America and a leading driver of death and disability.
One of the best places to spot emerging trends is at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City where earlier this month more than 2,400 manufacturers and suppliers showcased more than 180,000 products ranging from innovative sweets, better-for-you snacks...
Americans’ obsession with dieting is nothing new, but which diets are in and which ones are out is constantly shifting – creating a marketing nightmare for food and beverage brands that want to link their products to consumers’ desired outcomes.
The baby food aisle is undergoing a renaissance with new packaging, processing and flavor combinations aimed at presenting better-for-you options that promise to help children grow up healthy – and yet, childhood obesity remains a huge problem in the...
Whether it is trying to raise money, build brand awareness or convince a buyer to stock your product on store shelves, knowing how to successfully pitch your company, and yourself, to potential business partners and consumers is essential.
Images of mom preparing dinner alone in the kitchen for her busy family have been a staple in food and beverage marketing for decades, but new consumer research from the Benenson Strategy Group suggests brands that continue to recycle this theme are missing...
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,...
Ethical claims on food and beverages sold in the US are almost as ubiquitous as the Nutrition Facts panel and while they are not legally mandated by FDA like nutritional information, some manufacturers might feel like they are just as obligatory given...
Breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day, but when people are eating it and what they are reaching for is quickly evolving and as such creating both challenges and opportunities for manufacturers of packaged products, according...
Despite significant headwinds generated by the escalating war on sugar and increasing consumer preferences for healthy products, the confectionery industry is holding its own with sales climbing 1.2% in the last year to reach a whopping $25 billion, according...
The number of class action cases filed against food and beverage companies continues to surge with the number of cases brought last year alone reaching a staggering 170, compared to a mere 20 cases in 2008, according to new research released earlier this...