Over half (52%) of convenience stores are reporting increased grocery sales as consumers seek out pantry items from more retail channels to address their coronavirus shopping needs, reports the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), which...
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued another warning letter on COVID-19 claims. This one was issued to a Nevada company marketing CBD products.
Chobani experienced significant sales uplifts in its core yogurt business in March as shoppers stocked up on dairy items (along with everything else), but the rising star in its portfolio is oatmilk, with new brand Chobani Oat overtaking Oatly and Silk,...
It's too early to say if Big Food’s recent resurgence will last longer than the lockdown, but some legacy brands could benefit from work they’ve put in recently to upgrade/reformulate their wares as new consumers discover them for the first time,...
Spice and flavor giant McCormick & Co. is tweaking its advertising to better support consumers who are new to or unfamiliar with cooking at home, but who have limited options now that many restaurants and foodservice options have shuttered to help...
Kroger started to see a “significant shift in customer behavior” during the last few days of February as shoppers started stocking up, with sales accelerating sharply in March, generating a 30% rise in identical (same store) retail supermarket sales without...
US processor Tyson Foods is pay around $60m in bonuses to its 116,000 domestic frontline staff and truckers for their efforts during the coronavirus situation.
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...
Coronavirus has provoked the food packaging debate, with some using the crisis to hammer home the message that plastic is vital for protecting food from germs and extending its shelf life, while others stress that the pandemic highlights the fact that...
Stevia supplier PureCircle has delayed the publication of its results for the first half of 2020 “in view of the current difficult COVID-19 situation, which has caused some disruption to our working practices,” but belatedly published results for the...
Bolthouse Farms – a fresh food business specializing in packaged carrots and juices & smoothies – is gearing up for a sustained lift in demand as food consumption shifts to the home, potentially for months, beginning a “a huge sociological experiment,”...
Processor JBS USA has temporarily reduced production at its beef facility in Souderton, Pennsylvania following concerns that staff members have become unwell.
Hard-hit e-commerce players, including Amazon, saw a slight reprieve in orders last week, but marketing consultants with the collective Right Side Up predict that there will be a resurgence in sales in the coming weeks that will require brands to re-think...
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2020 annual meeting & expo - scheduled to take place in Chicago July 12-15 - will transition to a virtual event, the organizers confirmed Monday, citing the need to "prioritize the health and safety of...
Americans’ fears about accessing essential products, including food and beverages, during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may be ebbing slightly, even as their concern about the virus generally continues to rise, according to new data from the Consumer...
With consumers approaching every food shopping trip “like SEAL Team Six” (going in, extracting the target, and getting out) new brands and products “are sitting on shelves ignored” as shoppers grab trusted brands and make for the exit, behavior that could...
Canadian pork and poultry processor Olymel has had to close its Yamachiche facility in Quebec due to a growing number of coronavirus cases among employees.
Still smarting from the sting of pivotal trade shows cancelling due to the coronavirus, many natural and better-for-you brands are pivoting to deliver their message of healthy eating straight to shoppers rather than relying on retailers to communicate...
Historically, functional shots have been relegated either to the “dark back corners of the store with the supplements” or by the cash register as an impulse product rather than mindful destination item, but as consumers increasingly seek immunity-boosting...
The Specialty Food Association's (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show is scheduled to take place in June in New York City: but its location - the Javits Center in Manhattan - is currently being converted into a makeshift hospital.
The CEO of the organic dried fruit brand Peeled Snacks is optimistic that challenges related to the coronavirus will not slow the company’s fast growth thanks in part to a suite of new products, channel diversification plans, and an infusion of funds...
7-Eleven has followed similar protective measures of other major retailers (i.e. Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger, and Meijer) and will begin installing plexiglass sneeze guards in its 9,000 US locations to protect customers and cashiers during the COVID-19...
The FDA is providing some temporary flexibility to food manufacturers and restaurants in regards to nutrition labeling so that they can sell certain packaged food products directly to consumers and retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regulatory uncertainty coupled with the fact that retailers are not focused on onboarding new brands right now make this a tough time for new CBD brands. However, e-commerce sales of hemp-derived CBD have spiked, while a new survey from Brightfield Group...
IT and operational technology (OT) cybersecurity is even more critical in the ‘new normal’ of remote workforces, which create an additional burden on chief information security officers to remotely secure their production environments, according to Claroty...
Consumers are getting back to basics with their online grocery shopping as they use their extended periods of time at home to learn basic cooking skills and recipes such as how to bake a potato, make homemade bread, and how to cook rice, according to...
Businesses across the country are adapting with lightning speed to adjust business plans, and in some cases, change their business model overnight, in order to adapt and survive as large swathes of the population go into lockdown.
Last week, FoodNavigator-USA held its Beverage Trends webinar where we quizzed a panel of beverage industry insiders on what the future holds for the beverage market, especially amid a public health crisis such as coronavirus, which has no firm end date...
While many packaged food firms have enjoyed soaring sales this month, startups that had planned to launch new brands, ramp up bricks & mortar distribution, and raise money this year are adjusting plans rapidly, while access to capital will get more...
With the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis only likely to worsen, the federal government is announcing different forms of aid packages. US alcohol associations are now asking for assistance.
Staying true to its mission to “find people where they are in the daytime,” RISE Brewing Co. is pivoting from distributing its nitro infused cold brew coffee in offices and at events to reach people instead in their homes as more Americans practice social...
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...
Inventory planning is the name of the game right now in packaged staples as brands dealing with sudden surges in demand owing to COVID-19 try to predict how long current buying patterns might last.
In a teleconference held last night the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is scaling back GMP inspections and is waiving certain FSMA requirements in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
Should prolonged social distancing measures generate mass unemployment, premium priced natural and organic products will likely not be top of most people’s shopping lists, while private label sales will likely rise, although packaged foods will continue...
Keeping the supply chain moving while protecting employees and projecting a calming tone for consumers is top of mind for executives at General Mills, which has seen a significant sales boost since the beginning of March from panicked US shoppers stocking...
While many packaged food brands are enjoying surging sales as shoppers stock up and hunker down as COVID-19 control measures kick in, emerging brands are having to rewrite business plans, modify marketing messaging, and reconsider go-to-market strategies...
The Canadian red meat industry has made a $50,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross to support work with the Red Cross Society of China and its efforts in responding to the coronavirus outbreak.
With instore demos and sampling events off the table; consumers not in the mood for trying new things; and retailers more focused on keeping shelves stocked than discovering new brands; this isn’t a great time for food startups to raise awareness – or...
The bare grocery shelves that many consumers have encountered over the last few days due to Covid-19-related stockpiling are not a harbinger of long-term shortages or a precursor to store closures, but they could signal a shift in the types of products...
INX International, which produces inks and coatings for commercial packaging and digital applications, has spoken out about the impact of COVID-19 coronavirus, saying 'the potential supply chain impact of this pandemic is immense and unpredictable’.
Mobile ordering, mobile pay, and third party delivery food delivery services are expected to accelerate as consumers shift to off-premise dining and contactless modes of ordering their food amid restaurants closures related to COVID-19, according to NPD...
‘In some cases, retailers have simply canceled the meetings and not rescheduled them as phone calls’
Coronavirus is creating significant challenges and opportunities for the food and beverage industry, with panic buying prompting mayhem in stores and a surge in online sales, while instore demo companies have seen business fall off a cliff and smaller...
In an announcement that will not likely surprise many stakeholders, New Hope has decided to cancel (rather than postpone) the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim and focus its attention on Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26).
Before the threat of COVID-19 prompted Washington, DC, and other US cities to ban large gatherings, nearly 900 school nutritional professionals from across the country converged on the Nation’s capital to brainstorm how vulnerable children can continue...
As shoppers load pantries amid COVID-19 fears, sales over the past two weeks at leading natural products distributor UNFI “resembled our prior year's Thanksgiving holiday week—with the difference being we, our suppliers, and our customers, did not...