Retailers

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: ProducePay matches grocers, growers for better supply, price stability

07-Aug-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Offering an abundant selection of fresh, high-quality, diverse fruits and vegetables is a top priority for most grocers given the produce section is often a key driver for overall store foot traffic – but according to a recent survey staying stocked is...

Credit Card Competition Act could save retailers, customers $11b a year in fees, protect against higher grocery prices, trade groups argue

13-Jun-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nearly 2,000 companies and 270 trade groups, including those representing grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that sell packaged food and beverages, are calling for the swift passage of legislation that could lower credit and debit card swipe...

Strength in numbers: Acquiring an empowering network for smaller grocery stores

12-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Due to the rise in grocery prices, consumers have transitioned into value shoppers, prioritizing price sensitivities over brand loyalty. This shift has opened an opportunity for smaller retailers to more efficiently meet consumer needs by leveraging their...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How retailers can enhance impulse purchases in-store and online

31-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

While e-commerce impulse buys are evolving, in-store purchases are still critical in capturing snack and candy consumers—with the self-checkout lane offering tremendous potential growth for both brands and retailers, Kathy Risch, senior vice president,...

Private label products hold their own as retailers leverage brand recognition, shopper loyalty and distribution networks

17-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Private label products have transitioned from price-focused to standalone brands for retailers to cater shifting consumer preferences and trends.

Food Equity Opportunity Map can help CPG brands, retailers and policymakers retell the US food narrative

25-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Partnership for a Healthier America’s Food Equity Opportunity Map uses census, income and health data to determine food accessibility in U.S. communities, and could help CPG companies finetune marketing at the zip code level for a bigger impact.

3 CPG fundamentals to stay on top in retail in uncertain times

24-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

CPG food and beverage brands need to focus on three key business activities to survive the current economic climate, including marketing and innovation basics, cost-cutting measures and capital diversification, a panel of food and beverage experts shared...

NielsenIQ shares how sustainability claims can drive brand loyalty in dairy, deli, bakery

19-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

As the demand for sustainable products grows, CPG food and beverage brands in the dairy, deli, and bakery space could innovate around sustainability claims to boost brand loyalty, Sherry Frey, VP of total wellness at NielsenIQ, shared during an International...

Modern data platform, Crstl, facilitates B2B e-commerce between CPG brands and retailers

17-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The no-code electronic data integration software offers automatic compliance testing, certification services and onboarding amenities to connect food and beverage brands with a network of trading partners.

Consumer perception of inflation, grocery store profits much higher than reality

16-Feb-2023 By Lauren Nardella

U.S. grocery retailers should be more empathetic toward their consumers at a time when shoppers believe both inflation and grocery retailer profits are significantly higher than they are in actuality, according to a new report from London-based dunnhumby.

Frito-Lay standoff with Loblaw expected to change snacking landscape

12-Apr-2022 By Gill Hyslop

The high-profile pricing dispute between the pair has been resolved, but has prompted the need for a code of conduct that would implement new rules of engagement for suppliers and grocers.

Albertsons warns of ‘difficult conversations’ with CPG brands if inflation-related price hikes go too high

27-Apr-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recognizing that risings costs are squeezing food and beverage margins as the pandemic continues, Albertsons will accept – to an extent – price increases that several large CPG players have warned in recent weeks are coming down the pike.

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...

Acosta: Concerns about grocery product availability, price sensitivity increase as COVID-19 fears fall

19-Mar-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Product availability and lower prices will edge out customer safety as top priorities for most grocery shoppers after the threat of COVID-19 subsides thanks to increased access to coronavirus vaccinations and heard immunity, suggests new research from...

Dollar General raises bar for employee welfare by paying workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19

15-Jan-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Most grocery retailers are strongly encouraging employees to vaccinate against the coronavirus as more states expand access to the vaccine to frontline essential workers, but few are mandating it and even fewer are paying their employees to take the preventive...

Amazon tops dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index as consumers prize price, speed & safety during pandemic

14-Jan-2021 By Elizabeth Crawford

Amazon blew past traditional grocers H-E-B and Trader Joe’s to secure the coveted title of best overall grocery retailer in dunnhumby’s fourth annual Retailer Preference Index, which also placed the company at the top of its new “Covid Momentum Metric”...

Pandemic-fueled embrace of e-commerce will accelerate digital transformation beyond basics in 2021

21-Dec-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While e-commerce may be the posterchild for how the pandemic accelerated technology in the food and beverage space in 2020, it is just the tip of the iceberg as activation and adoption of tech-enabled solutions continue to gain importance in 2021, experts...

Retail margins squeezed by COVID-19 related costs may get worse before they get better, FMI warns

16-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite grocery retailer revenues rising amid increased consumer demand during the pandemic, higher costs associated with COVID-19 are squeezing already tight margins in a trend that FMI: The Food Industry Association warns likely will get worse before...

“Innovation still exists in brands that are in market,” retailers are reviewing new products, investor says

18-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the coronavirus outbreak may have initially sidelined new food and beverage launches as retailers scrambled to stock the basics, and stay-at-home orders slowed research & development, one investor predicts “a burst of innovation” from existing...

Building supply chain resilience: ‘Pre-COVID supply chains and post-COVID supply chains are not going to look the same’

13-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While COVID-19 has upended the status quo for the entire food industry from growers and distributors, to retailers and consumers, it has also exposed the lack of resiliency within the food supply chain to handle something as disruptive as a global pandemic,...

Sprouts Farmers Market unveils ‘transformational strategy’ that builds on lessons from pandemic

07-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Many of the changes in consumer behavior and purchasing at grocery stores due to the ongoing pandemic, including preferences for e-commerce, smaller stores and healthier food, are the cornerstones of Sprouts Farmers Market's new “transformational...

US meat supply under threat from coronavirus

06-May-2020 By Aidan Fortune

US meat processing plants hit by the coronavirus could lead to empty shelves, a new report has warned.

Investing in the Future of Food: Aloha CEO shares tips for securing shelf space, courting Trader Joe’s

06-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Waiting for a response from cold calls to retail buyers about placing a product on store shelves can feel demoralizing to emerging brands, but Brad Charron, the CEO of the plant-based bar and beverage brand Aloha, advises entrepreneurs not to take it...

Emerging brands with ‘turnkey’ solutions more likely to win shelf space during coronavirus pandemic

05-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Emerging and regional brands with inventory and turnkey solutions could more easily win space on store shelves despite delayed category resets and formal reviews as retailers continue to grapple coronavirus-related disruptions and low fill rates from...

Pod Foods helps retailers, emerging brands more easily connect even during coronavirus pandemic

20-Apr-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The tech-forward distribution and logistics platform Pod Foods is offering a lifeline to emerging brands struggling to get on store shelves at a time when many retailers and traditional distributors are prioritizing more established, high-demand brands...

Extreme buying slows but remains elevated at 23% higher than pre-coronavirus levels, reports NCS

09-Apr-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Now that the 'surge' has calmed down, consumers are entering a new stage of shopping behavior – ‘home-confined buying’ – characterized by higher sales of non-essential food items such as cookies, chocolate, and ice cream, with overall spending...

Mexican meat supply chain urges responsible shopping

25-Mar-2020 By Aidan Fortune

The Mexican meat industry has made a joint appeal to the public to shop responsibly during the coronavirus situation.

Retail Insights

Unlocking category growth: ‘Lead with the shopper in mind,’ says Hershey VP

05-Mar-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The role of category managers is evolving from a game of dominoes to chess, optimizing the retail experience to anticipate the next step in shopper behavior, said David Nolen, VP, category management at Hershey.

Report: Trader's Joe's, Wegmans, H-E-B top the rankings in supermarket customer satisfaction

25-Feb-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Customer supermarket satisfaction is stable after slipping one year ago, with Trader Joe's, Wegmans, and H-E-B all scoring high points for customer service, quality of food, and easy-to-shop store layouts, according to the 2019-2020 American Customer...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Elevated c-stores steal grocery sales as they welcome premium consumers, local brands

07-Feb-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The long-held consumer perception of convenience stores as a last resort for a fast in-and-out trip to grab a six-pack of beer and, if they weren’t too picky, a few staple ingredients, is quickly being replaced by a new class of elevated – and digitally-integrated...

Health & Wellness programming helps retailers drive foot traffic, stand out from competition

06-Feb-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Health and wellness continue to drive consumer purchases and in-store foot traffic, but how shoppers define these terms is evolving quickly – prompting grocery retailers to refine and expand their offerings to focus on prevention and offer more customized...

Consumers increasingly prefer traditional grocers, but a recession could change that, finds dunnhumby

08-Jan-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Traditional regional grocers are enjoying a resurgence of consumer preference thanks in part to improved assortment and private brands, but the growing threat of a recession in the US could compromise their rising status unless they can also prove themselves...

Survey: ALDI shoppers find the retailer simpler and faster to shop

11-Oct-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

More than three-quarters of ALDI shoppers polled in a survey said they find the store “simpler to shop” and at least 20% faster to shop than Kroger and Walmart stores.

Product differentiation, enhanced services set retailers apart, influence stocked products

08-Oct-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

As food retail competition rises with the entrance of more nontraditional formats, omni-channel players, pure play eCommerce and stepped-up conventional supermarkets, some retailers are leveraging product differentiation and services to gain a competitive...

Natural Products Expo East

RangeMe helps brands maximize impact, tailor follow-up efforts from Natural Products Expo East

24-Sep-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Preparing for and attending Natural Product Expo East can be exhausting given the time and energy it takes to create a stand-out booth and marketing materials, pass out hundreds of samples to the more than 29,000 attendees at the show and tell a company's...

‘No longer does the mass channel have to be the last piece of the puzzle,’ vendor rep says

08-Jul-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers increasingly demand natural, organic and innovative products across all retail channels, emerging brands are no longer restricted to the classic route to market that began with independent, natural retailers and slowly expanded to conventional...

GOOD FOOD EXPO

What it takes to win shelf space, according to buyers and brands

29-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Emerging and new-to-market brands are all vying for precious shelf space at retail, so where should founders focus their time and energy to secure a spot in their desired store area?

Where do supermarkets stand on consumer satisfaction? 'Value for money spent' top of mind for shoppers, says RFG

01-Feb-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

'Value for money spent' remains an important consideration for US consumers when choosing where to do their grocery shopping as 73% of shoppers refer to one or more advertising/sales vehicles – traditional, social, mobile and digital – before...

AI-based service from IRI helps retailers keep store shelves stocked to avoid missed sales

10-Jan-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Every year, retailers lose approximately $47.4 billion in sales because products are out-of-stock or improperly shelved, but consumer insights provider IRI has a new solution that uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology to ensure...

Private label gains momentum with much more room to grow in the US, says Euromonitor

07-Dec-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Private label or store brands used to be about delivering price and margins, and while many private label product still do provide that cost advantage, the perception of these items continues to improve as consumers see these products as formidable alternatives...

The rise of fresh snacking: Are consumers ditching the pantry for the fridge?

06-Aug-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Freshness of food has become the top purchase driver for millennials (aged 23-40) and Gen Z (aged 11-22) reflected by a declining conventional snacking category and a rise in fresh perimeter-of-the-store sales.