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...
The energy drinks industry is reckoning with recent complaints by consumer group Truth in Advertising (TINA) and the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health over allegations of deceptive and unfair marketing tactics used by numerous brands.
While not a panacea for all the challenges facing the grocery industry, one stakeholder argues a less is more approach in 2023 may help ease the ongoing burdens of inflation, supply chain woes, and labor shortages as well as rapidly shifting shopper preferences...
Between Americans’ hectic on-the-go lifestyles pre-COVID, the pandemic prompting everyone to hit pause followed by hybrid work schedules, inflation rates at 40-year highs, and increased expectations that food not only nourish the body but also the soul,...
Shoppers at Sprouts Farmers Market may be putting fewer items in their cart per visit to manage their budgets as inflation drives up prices but what they are buying tends to be higher margin grab-and-go items illustrating the need for convenience as on-the-go...
Executives at private label specialist TreeHouse Foods are optimistic about the future after several rocky quarters as it celebrates the “strategic milestone” of divesting its meal prep business early last month that will allow it to focus on its more...
Despite efforts to brand fruit ‘as nature’s candy,’ celebrity endorsements by the likes of Jessica Alba designed to make vegetables ‘sexy,’ and many retailers selling fresh produce at a loss to improve access and drive foot traffic – the vast majority...
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...
Childhood hunger is a serious problem in the US, so at first blush it may appear flippant that General Mills created a full-sized slide that extends from a giant cereal box into a bowl of heart-shaped Cheerio pillows to raise awareness and funds for the...
General Mills is gaining market share and driving higher sales despite ongoing supply chain challenges and price hikes thanks in part to strategic investments in brand building and digital consumer engagement, including through a new rewards program,...
Plant-based meat alternatives continue their downward slide with sales, units and volume all dropping in July from a year ago – a trajectory that IRI data crunched by 210 Analytics shows was set in motion months ago, but which doesn't shake at least...
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...
While many CPG companies understandably spent the last three years putting out fires, General Mills simultaneously prioritized introspection – taking on projects that CEO Jeff Harmening acknowledged are “hard to put in a spreadsheet and algorithm,” but...
As Americans continue to adjust to post-pandemic life and mounting economic uncertainty, consumer research from Mintel shows that many believe there is no going ‘back to normal’ and as such are changing the way they think about, budget and shop for, and...
Tweaks to Sprouts Farmers Market’s marketing strategy to focus on competitive produce pricing and product differentiation along with other strategic decisions are paying off as foot traffic and sales begin to rebound after plummeting following the retailer’s...
Viral video-sharing app TikTok may be best known for the seemingly infinite clips of teenagers dancing to catchy songs in inconvenient places like the middle of the street or a department store aisle, but the social media platform is much more – and when...
After being demonized as high-carb and maligned with foggy grain-brains and gluten sensitivities, pasta consumption, which had been flat and declining for years pre-COVID, bounced back during the pandemic with unprecedented growth as consumers looked...
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...
While General Mills was able to roll with the punches, including spiking inflation and supply chain challenges, over the past year to deliver better than expected financial results in fiscal 2022, some wonder if the CPG giant, and its competitors, will...
While some industry players are reining in spending to build-up reserves in case of a recession, General Mills is taking the opposite tack – choosing to double down on investments and explore acquisitions that could help it stay ahead of the competition...
While supermarkets remain the go-to for most grocery shoppers, rising food and gas prices due to inflation are pushing more consumers to mass, club and dollar stores as they look for ways to rein in spending and reduce trips, according to market research...
The US Federal Trade Commission is proposing an updated set of rules that would attempt to rein in the burgeoning use of phony reviews to hawk products online. They would also work to prevent the suppression of negative reviews
Food prices likely will remain stubbornly high as the cost of key ingredients, packaging materials, transportation and warehousing paid by producers continues to rise, albeit at a slightly slower pace – sparking optimism among some that high inflation...
Rising food prices slowed slightly in April over the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics April Consumer Price Index released today, but they continue to climb at a brisk pace that is significantly faster than all items, allowing them...
As higher prices due to inflation continue to squeeze consumers’ budgets, shoppers at Spouts Farmers Market are beginning to pull back on spending, opting for “slightly fewer units in the basket” – prompting the retailer to reconsider its in-store experience...
Hershey’s higher-than-expected sales and market share gains in the first quarter is a double-edged sword for the confection and snack company – allowing it to raise its full year guidance but simultaneously straining inventory and increasing the company’s...
Kraft Heinz is reimaging its approach to food production and marketing to help offset inflation and increase value for consumers as they begin to consider their budgets and purchase priorities more carefully as prices across categories rise.
A decade after Blue Apron pioneered the US meal kit market, more than half of Americans have yet to try the service from any vendor, despite dozens of additional players now in the space – a missed opportunity that the company wants to seize with a new...
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...
Consumer spending remains strong – for now – despite historic inflation increases, but new data from the Census Bureau released Thursday suggests the gains in grocery last month may not be as significant as they appear and an overall slowdown could be...
When it comes to eating seaweed, most Americans likely think about snacking on toasted sheets of nori, the wrapper around their sushi, or maybe a bright and briny salad at a restaurant, but a handful of startups cultivating fresh seaweed and kelp at scale...
Recently strengthened self-regulatory efforts to curb marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children still do not go far enough to “meaningfully protect” children, argue public health advocates after new analysis reveals “loopholes” in the Children’s...
After two years of lockdowns and uncertainty during the pandemic, consumers simultaneously are desperate to let loose and enjoy life and to reinstate a sense of self-control – creating a complicated marketing landscape that intelligence experts at Mintel...
Spring is around the corner which means diet food and fitness marketers will soon begin pressuring women to swap favorite foods with low-calorie, low-carb and low-sugar alternatives to help “get their beach bodies back,” and encouraging men hit the gym...
Consumers grappling with skyrocketing grocery prices due to fast-rising inflation may take cold comfort knowing that the increases are not as dramatic as other sectors or as high as in past economically difficult periods in part because of industry’s...
As waves of COVID-19 and its variants ebb and flow they are creating an unpredictable tug-of-war between restaurants and grocery retailers that one industry insider predicts will continue to complicate inventory management long after the current supply...
Mamma Chia, the maker of organic chia-based snacks and beverages, is updating its image to embrace inclusivity and stand out in an increasingly competitive natural foods segment.
With inflation driving up grocery prices and many government assistance programs ending, consumers are looking for deals now more than last year – but according to the marketing solutions company Vericast, they aren’t finding them when and where they...
Flavor and seasoning giant McCormick & Co. is empowering consumers to take the cooking skills they honed during the pandemic to the next level with stepped-up digital marketing and influencer-partnerships featuring more sophisticated herb blends,...
While most consumers are cautiously optimistic that life will return to ‘normal’ this year after the coronavirus outbreak uprooted most aspects of everyday life last year, many remain concerned about the long-term economic impact of the pandemic and are...
Clif Bar & Company is moving forward with its “next stage of purpose-driven growth and expansion” with today’s launch of a fully integrated marketing campaign that reaches beyond the company’s typical consumer base of ultra-athletes to appeal to active...
The coronavirus outbreak fundamentally changed how food and beverage brands are connecting with consumers – from abruptly halting live sampling and in-store promotions to altering the types of messaging consumers want to hear.
Less than a year after taking the helm at Clif Bar & Co., new CEO Sally Grimes is spearheading the company’s first transformation in 30 years with an ambitious goal to double its business to $2 billion and double its positive impact on the world....
As the pandemic nears the one-year mark, food and beverage companies face increased pressure to maintain new consumers gained during the pandemic while also engaging additional shoppers over record household penetration increases in the last year – a...
A limited-supply Palate Training Kits released today from Icelandic skyr brand siggi’s takes an innovative approach to sugar reduction, which has gained prominence among consumers during the pandemic, but which continues to be stymied by taste and convenience...
Despite category-leading velocities and strong heritage branding, sales of King Juice Company’s flavored lemonade brand Calypso were declining mid-single digits when David Klavsons became the new CEO in 2017 -- months after the original founder sold the...
Decisions made during the early days of the pandemic to ease supply chain pressure likely will have unintended consequences for product development, retail shelf space negotiations, and marketing strategies long after the coronavirus vaccine is broadly...
After discovering a “staggering level of exposure” of fast food, candy, soda and other unhealthy branded foods and beverages on YouTube videos featuring and targeting young children, researchers from New York University are calling on the Federal Trade...
