Fmi

Parents increasingly worried about grocery prices as back-to-school season begins

30-Aug-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As students return to the classroom, families are adjusting their grocery lists, budgets and how they shop to accommodate busier schedules, changes in where and when children eat and additional expenses associated with back-to-school, according to new...

White House celebrates ‘normalizing’ supply chains, but industry warns of more work

09-Jun-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Critical supply chains are finally “normalizing” after the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted transportation and slowed production, triggering bottlenecks and driving up inflation to 40-year highs, according to a White House report card...

The new ‘value’ shopper considers more than just price when balancing their grocery budget

25-May-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As food prices remain stubbornly high year-over-year, consumers are becoming more sophisticated in how they manage their grocery budgets – allowing them to expand their definition of value beyond the historic combination of price, quantity and quality,...

FMI members to address food industry policies with lawmakers on Capitol Hill

19-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Discussions between FMI – The Food Industry Association’s Government Relations Committee and lawmakers will surround Farm Bill reauthorization, food safety regulations and credit card competition, among others on April 19, 2023.

FMI: FTC proposal to ban non-competes threatens innovation, supply chain resiliency

18-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Federal Trade Commission should withdraw or “at the very least narrow the scope of its proposed ban on non-compete agreements” to exclude those between businesses and executive-level or “highly skilled workers,” urges FMI, The Food Industry Association....

Plant-based seafood market continues to swim upstream, but adds variety to consumer diets

13-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

While plant-based seafood represents only a small fraction of the plant-based realm at $12m in revenue in 2022 versus dairy at $2.7b in the same period, according to NielsenIQ, there is still hope for it to make a splash as inflation pushes consumers...

FMI: Inflation, higher prices didn’t dent produce sales totals in 2022, but impacted volume sold

21-Mar-2023 By Lauren Nardella

Grocery shoppers continued purchasing fresh produce in 2022 as inflation pushed up prices but bought less of it on a volume basis, shifting to more affordable fresh fruit and vegetable options as well as frozen and canned items.

FMI: Climate change, transportation & trade relations will test food inflation in 2023

01-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

While economists predict inflation will ease slightly in the coming quarters, this year could easily become a “groundhog day version of 2022” if the weather takes a turn for the worse and triggers a domino effect that strains transportation, commodity...

Can a rail strike – and by extension food shortages on shelves – be avoided?

29-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle promise to push forward this week legislation to divert a looming national freight rail strike that threatens significant job and financial losses and which could snarl still fragile supply chains, including...

Holiday spending: Grocery budgets hold steady for now, but shoppers seek relief elsewhere

20-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

To keep pantries stocked and food on the table – especially during the upcoming holidays – more Americans are cutting back on spending in other areas and modifying how they buy groceries as well as the types and amount of products they place in their...

FMI: Consumer focus on health claims, diets dip suggesting need for marketing shift

21-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the threat of COVID-19 ebbs so too has the intense emphasis consumers place on product health claims and the number of dietary patterns they follow, which many embraced during the peak of the pandemic as a tool for bolstering their immunity, reveals...

Grocers lean on technology to address ‘extreme obstacles,’ but is the strategy paying off or costing more?

20-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The “extreme obstacles” that food retailers have navigated the last few years will likely become “even more complex” in the coming year as unpredictable inflationary pressures, ongoing supply chain and labor challenges along with global unrest continue...

Why are food prices continuing to go up while inflation eases in other categories?

15-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Notoriously thin operating margins in the food supply chain will likely keep manufacturers and retailers from incrementally lowering prices even as input costs begin to come down – preferring instead to wait until the economic landscape stabilizes and...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What does ‘plant-based’ mean to consumers? FMI investigates

01-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumer interest in ‘plant-based’ products has grown in recent years, so too have products proudly proclaiming their status as such – but what does the term actually mean, and how influential is it really?

Waning interest in cooking at home creates opportunities, challenges for retailers, brands

05-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the enthusiasm for cooking that many discovered early in the pandemic wanes, retailers and CPG brands can protect against lost sales to restaurants and foodservice by offering more fresh prepared and minimal-prep options as well as inspiration that...

Online grocery shopping continues to grow as inflationary concerns replace COVID fears

10-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even as fear of contracting COVID-19 ebbs and consumers feel more comfortable visiting stores, the percentage who order groceries online regularly continues to climb as they seek convenience, and ways to manage their budgets as prices continue to rise,...

Soup-To-Nuts podcast: How are grocery shoppers responding to rising inflation?

18-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite skyrocketing inflation that reached a 40-plus year high of 8.5% for all goods year-over-year in March, and ongoing supply chain challenges that are driving up production costs and out-of-stocks, US consumers continue to spend what it takes to...

FMI: Unexpected pandemic-related expenses suppress retailer margins despite skyrocketing sales

17-Sep-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

While pantry stocking and increased consumer demand for food consumed at home pushed up same store sales 15.8% for most food retailers in 2020, margins remained tight as new pandemic-related expenses and higher credit/debit card, healthcare and new technology...

Food industry falls behind others in diversifying leadership to reflect population – risking employee & consumer retention

26-Aug-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce and advancing equity in the marketplace could give food and beverage companies a competitive edge for recruiting much-needed talent as labor shortages continue, according to new research from Deloitte and...

Investing in the Future of Food: Retailers, manufacturers struggle to recruit, retain talent as the pandemic reshapes labor demands

18-Aug-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recruiting and maintaining top talent in the food industry was difficult long before the coronavirus outbreak, but for many retailers and manufacturers labor challenges have intensified during the pandemic as the type of work, where it takes place and...

FMI: Supermarkets’ prominence slips as online sales boost consumer preference for mass, club

06-Jul-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

While supermarkets remain the go-to for most Americans stocking their pantries or picking up last minute items, the channel’s dominance eroded during the pandemic when the rapid adoption of online shopping pushed many consumers to try – and sometimes...

Higher retails sales during the pandemic didn’t translate to ‘commensurate’ profit increases, FMI finds

01-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite a double-digit increase in retail sales during the pandemic, most grocery retailers continue to grapple with tight profit margins which could be squeezed further as restaurants and the foodservice industry reopen but many coronavirus-related expenses...

Meat sales at retail surge despite rise of plant-based options and fewer consumers identifying as meat-eaters

30-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sales and the amount of meat consumed at retail in the US increased double digits in 2020 over the prior year while household penetration held steady at 98.4%, despite an increase in flexitarians and a drop in meat-eaters, according to recently released...

Popularity of frozen food rises as brands improve ingredient decks, consumers seek convenience, long-shelf life

26-Feb-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

After languishing for years, frozen food is emerging as a powerful growth driver for retailers and CPG brands in part because its long shelf life and convenience fit well with pandemic living, but also because companies like ConAgra have proactively reimagined...

‘Strong contingent’ of shoppers will use ecommerce after pandemic, but for different reasons

16-Feb-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

The number of Americans buying groceries online nearly doubled in 2020 as they looked for ways to safely stock their pantries during the pandemic, and while some will return to in-store shopping when it is safe, “a strong contingent” say they will continue...

FMI research reveals effectively recruiting, maintaining Gen Z staff starts with value-based incentives & a clear path for promotion

01-Feb-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

As Generation Z enters the workforce, they bring a keen competitive spirit and a desire to contribute significantly – making them desirable employees, but because they also are unafraid to job hop if they do not feel appreciated, employers need to rethink...

Rising food prices push consumers to consider alternative proteins, DIY sourcing and locally grown

02-Dec-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Faced with rising food prices and stagnant or reduced income during the pandemic, Americans are embracing a more DIY-approach to sourcing and cooking food to save money, and are less tolerant of waste that they believe could help feed the hungry, according...

Consumers seek transparency online and in-store: FMI and Label Insight study

26-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A majority (81%) of consumers say transparency is ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’ to them when shopping online and in-store, according to a new report by The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Chicago-based Label Insight.

Do food & beverage firms need a liability shield to protect them against a torrent of COVID-19 related litigation?

13-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Do essential businesses such as food manufacturers and retailers need some kind of liability shield to protect themselves from an anticipated wave of COVID-19-related personal injury litigation, or would this only encourage bad actors and deprive people...

IRI and FMI: What can past crises teach us about grocery shopping behavior during the coronavirus pandemic?

01-Apr-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Looking at shopping behavior during previous recessions and natural disasters may provide some insight into how consumer purchasing habits could change during a global health pandemic, although there are several factors that make the coronavirus situation...

Industry trade groups work together to fill gaps, create economic stability as COVID-19 spreads

23-Mar-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

An ad-hoc partnership between FMI-Food Industry Association, the International Foodservice Distributors Association, United Produce Association and National Fisheries Institute aims to help overwhelmed grocery retailers keep shelves stocked, stores clean...

FMI rebrands as 'The Food Industry Association’ to reflect rapid industry changes, expanded membership

22-Jan-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

To better reflect the rapidly evolving grocery retail landscape – and the increasingly complex and interconnected supply chain – FMI is adopting a more inclusive position and rebranding with the new tagline ‘The Food Industry Association.’

A strong economy & technological advances have pros and cons for food retailers, brands

07-Oct-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

A strong economy and technological advances often are good for business, but a recent study conducted by the Food Marketing Institute suggests that these factors also can have negative repercussions on food retailers’ bottom line and as an extension the...

FMI: US grocery shoppers frequent more stores per month

19-Jul-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers visit at least four different retail banners to grocery shop in a typical month, an increase from last year, according to the Food Marketing Institute's US Grocery Shopper Trends report.

Indulgence is a 'clear sales driver' of the bakery department, report finds

12-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The bakery category, which falls between produce and frozen in terms of dollar sales, is a huge driver of in-store trips, bringing shoppers to the store at least once a week, yet there are some untapped opportunities for retailers to increase consumption...

Merchandising fresh produce: Shoppers seek more snack-sized and local options

27-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

How brick-and-mortar retailers merchandise and present their fresh produce selection plays an important role in driving sales, shares the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in its 2019 Power of Produce report.

Is frozen food staging a comeback? 'Frozen meals are the original meal kit,' says AFFI

25-Feb-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The frozen food category has been a core grocery purchase for nearly all consumers. However, the frozen food aisle can benefit from an image overhaul, leaving behind its reputation as back-up food stockpiled in the home freezer for weeks, to a quality...