While consumer spending remained strong through the holidays despite rising prices, the new year may bring a new level of financial scrutiny as more Americans consider budget limitations and what is essential – altering when, how and where they shop and...
Between the supply chain challenges and product shortages that marked the beginning of the pandemic and rising food prices due to inflation continuing to push some products out of consumers’ financial reach, many Americans are being forced to try new...
CPG companies and retailers should brace for softer sales in 2023 by leaning into the strategies they used during peak-pandemic as the US tiptoes around a recession and the shields protecting consumers from feeling the full brunt of the current economic...
Despite historically enjoying rapid gains during economically challenging periods, like the pandemic, private label growth fell behind branded products in all but a few niche food and beverage categories during the past year – a role reversal that hasn’t...
Big food manufacturers have increasingly recognized that their scale and robust supply chains aren’t enough to stay competitive and turn around years of little to no growth, and are refocusing their efforts on restoring consumer trust, says Rabobank.
The current rollout of national hummus brand Tribe’s new packaging featuring more white space, simplistic designs and fewer claims reflects the manufacturer’s recent commitment to clean label, including a reformulation to remove artificial ingredients,...
Faba Butter uses aquafaba – the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas – to bind water, coconut oil and a plant-based liquid oil to create a vegan buttery spread claimed to blow rivals out of the water. Elaine Watson caught up with brand owner...
What’s your brand story? And if you don’t have one, how can you find one?
Some foods and beverages are unique. But most are not the culinary equivalent of the iPhone or Tesla, which is why developing a brand story that goes beyond product attributes is essential. But how can start-ups build a narrative that really engages today’s...
The ‘free-from’ phenomenon is reaching a tipping point. Originally born out of dietary necessity, it’s now taken a global grip with hyper-health conscious consumers, who love to experiment with new food and drinks that deliver all of the good stuff free...
Hershey took the largest share of Amazon’s candy purchases in October this year compared to Mondelēz-owned Sour Patch Kids, Mars’ Skittles and Starburst, and Perfetti Van Melle’s Airheads, according to a new report from Edison Trends.
The disruptive influence of challenger brands continues to shake up the food sector, not least because agile companies have proven skilled at responding to – and sitting at the forefront of – emerging consumer demands. FoodNavigator looks at how and why...
Nestlé has gained an “immediate entry” into the plant-based foods category via the acquisition of fast-growing California-based brand Sweet Earth for an undisclosed sum.
When you start out, it’s tempting to say yes to everything, observes Banza co-founder Brian Rudolph (who admits ‘shiny object syndrome’ can also kick in once your brand gains traction and you start wondering where it could extend). But one of the reasons...
Plant-based formulations for bars, beverages, and powders made up about 60% of all orders to California-based manufacturer Nellson in 2016, compared to just 25% last year, and a negligible amount in 2014, the company’s SVP of commercial development Bart...
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.
Snack bar company Kind has hired investment banks to advise on the sale of a minority stake, Reuters reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter but who wished to remain anonymous.
The natural channel may have the largest share of Paleo-positioned products, with US retail sales up 123.4% to $76.8m in the year to May 21, but the conventional channel experienced the most growth, with sales up 218% to $55.8m over the same period, says...
The UK fresh prepared food market – in which Bakkavor is a leading player - is dominated by private label products, but there is a clear opportunity for national brands to carve out a significant slice of the rapidly-growing chilled food pie in the US,...
Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss has left the company he created in his basement in Princeton, New Jersey in 2009, five months after selling it to Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) in a $1.7bn deal. He will be replaced as CEO by Lain Hancock, with immediate effect.
The group said it may even sell one of its confectionery businesses by the end of 2017 to boost its efforts in other categories where it has a stronger presence.
It’s no secret that small and medium-sized food & beverage manufacturers are driving much of the growth in food retail. But they are also selling a far lower percentage of their wares on promotion, and generating a higher percentage of sales from...
It’s early days, but SmashMallow snackable marshmallows – launched by food & beverage brand incubator Sonoma Brands in August 2016 – are already in 2,000 stores and growing at an “explosive” pace, claims founder Jon Sebastiani.
'Is your packaging visible, visceral, and memorable? If not, you don’t have a brand'
Whether you’re an established brand hiring a top agency to revamp your packaging, or a penniless entrepreneur with a blank canvas and a Photoshop license, you should always ask yourself three questions, says design guru Simon Thorneycroft.
Billed as a “product sampling community” and influencer marketing company, Social Nature wants to take the time-honored and go-to strategy of in-store demonstrations into the digital age for a “better, cheaper and more direct way to target and acquire...
Gluten-free brand Simple Mills, known for its baking mixes, enjoyed triple-digit growth year-over-year after dipping its toes in the finished snack category last year.
Give peas a chance? It's tough breaking into the ultra-competitive snacks market with a brand that resonates across all retail channels, but Hippeas - one of three winners in this year's trailblazers challenge at Food Vision USA - has managed...
Pinnacle Foods has liquidated the UK operations of its gluten-free subsidiary Boulder Brands according to UK government records, and is now auctioning off the assets.
As widely rumored, two major players in the functional beverages space are to change hands, with PepsiCo to acquire KeVita for an undisclosed sum and Dr Pepper Snapple Group to acquire Bai Brands – in which it already has a small stake – for $1.7bn. And...
From purveyors of ostrich meat and Kenyan purple tea to fruit- and vegetable-infused whey protein, lupini bean snacks and pizza crusts packed with veggies, the entrepreneurs entering our 2016 trailblazers challenge are at the cutting edge of food &...
Drinkable soup ZÜPA NOMA has been flying off shelves in the west coast, according to owner Sonoma Brands, which has just recruited ex-PepsiCo exec Jennifer Berliner as director of marketing for the new brand.
Most new food & beverage brands quietly disappear after their creators run out of cash or patience; while those that do make it often slog away for years before the major retailers pay them any attention. A rarefied few – such as Hippeas - hit the...
SMASHMALLOW – the latest innovation from food & beverage brand incubator Sonoma Brands – could herald the launch of a new confectionery category: gourmet snackable marshmallows, says founder Jon Sebastiani.
What’s the next Just Mayo, KRAVE, or Sparkling ICE? If you’re looking for some entrepreneurs to watch over the next couple of years, check out CircleUp’s 2016 list of the 25 most innovative consumer brands of 2016, 15 of which are in food/beverage.
It's too early to assess its impact on sales, but one food & beverage design guru says Kashi's 'disruptive' new look is just what the Kellogg-owned brand needs.
Ontario-based Shah Trading Company has served the South Asian diaspora community in North America for 40 plus years. With its new sub-brand, it hopes to serve a wider audience with packaged organic grains and pulses.
In 2015, the top 25 food and beverage companies generated 45% of category sales in the US but drove just 3% of total category growth from 2011 to 2015, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 0.1%, according to Nielsen data. So if they are not...
It’s very early days, but initial signs suggests that Sparkling ICE could be a hit in the UK and Ireland, says Kevin Klock, president and CEO at brand owner Talking Rain.
If you spot a hot guy handing out samples in a Whole Foods store that looks kind of familiar (if you’re a fan of Jane the Virgin, Cougar Town or Veronica Mars, that is), it could be a case of wishful thinking. Conversely you might just have stumbled across...
Ditching deep discounts on Banquet is a "recipe for disaster," warns CPG analytics expert
ConAgra is adopting a “zero loss mindset” when it comes to analyzing trade spending, CEO Sean Connolly told analysts on the firm’s Q3 earnings call on Thursday, much of which was devoted to ensuring that not a single dollar is wasted on promotions that...
When Nada Moo frozen coconut desserts first hit shelves at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, in 2005, the target audience was vegans and people with food intolerances. Today, it’s sharing real estate with Ben & Jerry’s and enjoyed by consumers across...
Consumers are more likely to trust iconic brands from large corporations with long track records of consistent performance, but younger, smaller companies can edge out Big Food with meaningful innovation and positive, direct consumer engagement online,...
Overall sales of Post ready-to-eat cereals were impacted by a decline in the performance of the MOM brands acquired last year, the company has reported in its results for Q1 2016.
For flavor giant McCormick & Co. Inc., 2016 promises strong growth driven by innovative product launches, consumer inspired reformulations, a brand building campaign and potential acquisitions, according to company executives.
Just weeks after announcing its intention to sell its private label business to TreeHouse Foods, ConAgra Foods has unveiled plans to re-engineer itself again, this time by separating into independent public companies: one comprising its consumer brands...
Mobile shopping tech company Grability is reinventing online grocery shopping to make the experience more user-friendly, enhance manufacturers’ marketing results and increase overall basket size for retailers, according to the firm’s CEO.
