Mintel Announces Four U.S. Foodservice Trends for 2020 

Mintel has announced four trends set to impact the US restaurant industry in 2020, bringing new opportunities to appeal to diners based on specific dietary and lifestyle needs.

Amanda Topper, Associate Director, Foodservice Research at Mintel, outlines the trends and what they mean for restaurants in the year ahead:

Battleground: Foodservice

With more options for buying food and drink than ever, restaurants will lean into their ability to be a social gathering place, in addition to a place to refuel. To remain competitive, they will modify existing operations to...

REPORTER: Artificial Intelligence: Paving the Way Towards More Efficient Poultry Production

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) can best be defined as a computer or system of computers used to replicate human intelligence. This includes visual perception, vocabulary, analytical decisionmaking processes, and translation between languages. A.I. technology is far-reaching. It is currently utilized in a variety of forms and functions around the world, which range from spam email filters up to commercial aircraft autopilot systems. The enhanced capabilities of machine vision, neural networks, and deep learning, however, have begun to carry us into a new realm in which computer technology can...

Mintel: Nearly Three in 10 Americans say Technology is Ruining the Hospitality Industry

Technology plays a prominent role in nearly every aspect of US consumers’ lives and the dining out experience is no exception. But it seems that for some Americans, the spread of mobile, digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technology is unwanted as new research from Mintel reveals that 28% of US consumers agree that technology is ruining hospitality.

However, it may be the fear of the unknown that’s influencing these perceptions as a large minority of Americans have not only never used certain types of technology when dining out, but they are not interested in trying them. For example, two in five consumers have not used and are not interested in trying a restaurant mobile app (44%) or kiosk (40%) to pay. Nearly half (48%) of diners have not used and are not interested in trying...

Glencore Agriculture Joins Initiative to Modernize Global Agriculture Commodity Trade Operations

The industry-wide initiative to modernize global agricultural commodity trade operations announced today that another major partner, Glencore Agriculture Limited, has joined the effort.

“We’ve been interested in the initiative from the very early days and we’re excited now to join as a full partner,” said Glencore Agriculture Limited CEO David Mattiske. “The digital platform this group intends to develop will leverage the newest technologies and has the potential to revolutionize our industry, making contract execution processes more efficient, more accurate and more transparent. These advances are necessary for our industry to continue serving...

Walmart’s New Intelligent Retail Lab Shows a Glimpse into the Future of Retail

Over the past few months, a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Levittown, New York, has been quietly transforming. With artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, interactive displays and a massive data center, this store suggests a retail future that seems like science fiction.

But this store isn’t just a shiny new object, equipped with tech for the sake of tech. It’s a unique real-world shopping environment designed to explore the possibilities artificial intelligence can contribute to the store experience. It’s Walmart’s new Intelligent Retail Lab – or “IRL” for short.

While the application of AI in e-commerce is now table stakes, there haven’t been many physical explorations of its potential. But IRL is designed...