Kroger CIO Shares Grocer's Seamless Strategy at Groceryshop 2022

On Wednesday, at the Groceryshop 2022 convening in Las Vegas, Kroger Co. Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President Yael Cosset shared the grocer's seamless strategy and changes in shopping trends.

"We know our customers have different needs based on their daily lives and the question becomes: What, when and how? Our seamless ecosystem brings all of these factors together, without asking the customer to compromise on quality, value or convenience," said Yael Cosset, SVP & Chief Information Officer for Kroger. "Whether our customer shop for a last-minute dinner, their weekly..."

Gen Zs Favor Quick Service Restaurants, Particularly Fast Casual Restaurants

Fast casual menus are more aligned with Gen Z’s food preferences and values

Older Gen Zs, ages 18-24, in the U.S. are discerning when choosing restaurants. Although price matters to this group, their taste preferences and definition of value dictate the type of restaurants they visit, reports The NPD Group. As a result, Gen Zs skew towards quick service restaurants, particularly fast casual, that balance value and focused menu.

In the 12 months ending July 2022, Gen Zs made 5 billion restaurant visits, 4.3 billion visits were to quick...

China’s Pork Market Starts a New Cycle: A Different Cycle in a Transitional Time

China’s pork market started a new cycle around mid-2022. This cycle will be different from previous ones, as market conditions have changed a lot. We expect to see less price volatility, a shorter length, and more government monitoring. Policies, a new industry structure, sustainability concerns, and consumer trends will continue to influence the market’s development.

This cycle will offer market opportunities to both...

Conagra Expects More Consumers to Eat At Home If Recession Hits

Conagra Brands Inc. expects consumers to eat more meals at home if the U.S. economy heads into a downturn, its CEO said, as the food company reported higher sales in its latest quarter.

Sean Connolly, Conagra's chief executive, said it isn't yet clear whether the economy is dropping into a recession, though he said supermarkets and packaged food companies have tended to capture more consumer spending during past periods of economic weakness.

"One of the things that you see happen first when recessions hit is consumers cut back on..."

Technomic Takes a Mid-Year Look at its 2022 Foodservice Trends

As 2021 came to a close, research and insights firm Technomic dubbed 2022, the “Year of the Climb” for the foodservice industry. Six months later, the company released its latest whitepaper which provided a look at its predictions at the halfway point of 2022.

According to Technomic's Lizzy Freier, Director, Menu Research & Insights and Aimee Harvey, Senior Managing Editor the foodservice industry did witness a climb and improve compared to the pandemic-impacted years seen in 2020 and 2021.

However, the pair had much more to say...

Plant-based Meat Market - 40% of Growth to Originate from North America

The plant-based meat market size is expected to increase by USD 7.21 billion from 2020 to 2025, at a CAGR of 25.14% as per the latest market report by Technavio. The plant-based meat market share growth in the plant-based beef segment will be significant during the forecast period. The growing health consciousness among consumers is increasing the demand for plant-based protein products, particularly, plant-based beef. In addition, the increasing number of product launches and innovations will drive the growth of plant-based beef...

4 Major Trends in Food Carryout and Delivery

Many consumers have reported using more food carryout and delivery compared to pre-pandemic behavior. In 2021, U.S. food carryout and delivery sales reached $694 billion due in part to the impact of the pandemic, which helped drive the demand for convenient foods eaten at home, as detailed in Food Carryout and Delivery in the U.S., 2nd Edition by Packaged Facts. The report describes a variety of unique food delivery and carryout trends to watch, including those highlighted below.

1. Continued Elevated Use Of Food Carryout And Delivery
Food carryout and...

Survey: More Than Half of Consumers Are Supporting Local Restaurants Over Chains

More than two years after the initial COVID-19 lockdown measures, many small business restaurants are getting back to business as usual with in-person dining in full swing. According to a new survey by NEXT Insurance, a leading digital insurtech company transforming small business insurance, consumers are eager to cast their delivery apps aside in support of local Main Street restaurants: data shows 64% of consumers have gone out of their way to support local restaurants over larger chain restaurants during the pandemic. Additionally, 29% of consumers...

DoorDash Unveils What -- and How -- Americans Have Been Ordering Online This Year

Today, DoorDash released its second annual Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report which takes a deep dive into consumer online ordering preferences and emerging dining trends as to what Americans are ordering online and eating now.

The restaurant industry has dramatically changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and off-premise dining is now more important than ever for both restaurants and customers. In fact, in Q1, more consumers than ever before were ordering on DoorDash and there are more DashPass members than ever before...

New Acosta Report Explores the Rising Impact of Inflation on Consumer Dining Habits

Acosta, a global integrated sales and marketing services provider in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, today released its sixth edition of The Why? Behind the Dine, a research report providing foodservice-specific insight bolstered by the expertise of its CORE Foodservice division.

Acosta's findings show that while most consumers (54%) are dining out less often due to inflation, about one-third are choosing to trade down rather than trade out, opting for less expensive restaurant and meal options to counter rising prices...

Mintel Announces 2022 Global Food and Drink Trends

In Southeast Asia, more than 50% percent of consumers* in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore worry that life will not be the same as it was before the pandemic, according to Mintel Global Consumer research on the holistic consumer.

A period of time that saw lockdowns, food panic buying and homes becoming offices impacted consumer behavior in a multitude of ways, including food becoming more than a source of sustenance, but also a source of reassurance. Mintel’s 2022 Global Consumer Trends explores these behavioral changes, with insight and recommendations for food, drink and...

New Acosta Report Finds 40% of Shoppers Buy Plant-Based Products

Acosta, a global integrated sales and marketing services provider in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, today released its latest research report, Plant-Based Eating: Trend or Fad? The report explores consumers' increased interest in purchasing plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. According to Acosta's research, 40% of today's shoppers buy plant-based meat and/or dairy products, citing health as their key motivating factor.

"Consumers' focus on healthy living increased significantly since the onset of COVID-19," said Kathy Risch, Senior Vice...

Technomic Reports Top 500 Chain Restaurant Sales Recovered Past Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2021

Technomic has released one of its most highly anticipated reports, the 2022 Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, which includes expert findings and insights into the sales performance of U.S. chain restaurants in 2021. The report is built using decades of historical data, providing a detailed analysis of the foodservice industry and overarching trends; annual sales and unit counts by chain and segment; and pandemic-related recovery metrics.  

“2021 was a year like no other for the Top 500 chain restaurants,” said Kevin Schimpf, director, industry research...

As the Director of Commodity Analysis and Strategic Procurement at BJ’s Wholesale Club, Allen Ligon has a full understanding of what consumers are looking for right now in their animal protein products. We took some time to chat with Allen to gain his opinion on the market and learn more about the upcoming All-Star Buyers Panel at the Urner Barry Executive Conference.

Hormel Foods Pizza Expert Talks Toppings Trends

Hormel Foods Corporation, a global branded food company and the maker of the best-selling retail pepperoni in the United States, is talking about pizza trends on the heels of its annual showing at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Brand Manager Anthony Panichelli, who for years has focused on the company's industry-leading pizza-toppings portfolio, offered five trends to watch in the coming months.

Plant-based pizza toppings
The plant-based market is continuing to boom as curious consumers experiment with meat alternatives to add more plant-based protein...

Convenience, Technology and Engagement are the Changing Face of Grocery Shopping in India

Grocery shopping has entered a new era in India, influenced by factors such as the fast-paced changes in technology and evolving consumer behaviour. Here, we explore the key trends that are influencing Indian consumers’ online and in-store grocery shopping habits.

Engaging experiences, convenient delivery
The pandemic has given rise to a number of ordering and delivery services – bringing home-bound consumers everything from medicines to groceries. Two in five Indian consumers find using online grocery shopping apps convenient. At the same time, nearly two-thirds...

Jersey Mike's Subs Appoints SOCi as New Global Platform of Record for Localized Marketing

Today, Jersey Mike's Subs announced it has appointed SOCi, Inc. as its global platform of record for localized marketing. Jersey Mike's, known for its authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, operates more than 2,000 locations nationwide. SOCi, the marketing platform for multi-location brands, will help simplify and streamline Jersey Mike's localized marketing strategy, including local listings, social and reputation management, and social advertising across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profile, and Yelp.

The past 24 months have greatly accelerated the development of new and...

Research Finds More Consumers Weighing Sustainability Claims on Packaged Food Choices

Sustainability considerations now influence the majority of the world’s grocery shoppers when buying packaged foods such as potato chips and cookies, according to Cargill’s most recent global FATitudes™ survey. The proprietary research finds 55% of consumers indicate they’re more likely to purchase a packaged food item if it includes a sustainability claim, a four-point jump since the company last fielded this research in 2019.

“Our latest findings clearly demonstrate that messages surrounding sustainability are having an impact on consumers,” said Nese Tagma, managing...

Americans Projected to Eat 1.42 Billion Chicken Wings for Super Bowl LVI

Football fans might be surprised at the matchup, but one thing is not surprising: America’s love for chicken wings. This is never more apparent than on Super Bowl weekend, when wings are at their hottest. Americans are anticipated to devour 1.42 billion wings while watching the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams battle for the Lombardi Trophy, according the National Chicken Council’s (NCC) 2022 Wing Report.

“There will be no wing shortage,” said NCC spokesperson Tom Super. “Like almost anything else you buy right now, wings might be..."

Packaged Facts Reports Children's Food and Beverage Market Rises to $70 Billion

The U.S. food and beverage industry has been impacted heavily by COVID-19. In 2020 and 2021, retail sales of children's food and beverage products expanded faster than average due to increased spending at food stores and growing desires for healthy products for the whole family.

In 2021, sales reached $70 billion on the strength of pandemic trends as reported by Packaged Facts' new report Children's Food and Beverage Market: Trends and Opportunities. Products marketed for children are primarily purchased by their parents/guardians...

Wholesale Plant-Based Protein Producers Seizing Upon Market's Insatiable Appetite for Vegan Options

The market for plant-based protein supplies is set to grow at a near-double-digit pace over the next 6-7 years, according to a new report from Meticulous Research. Accelerated by a CAGR of 9.7%, the plant-based protein market is expected to hit $23.4 billion by 2028. Another report from Market Research Future goes even further, predicting the market will grow by 10.2% CAGR through to close to $38 billion by 2027. While much of the media attention has focused on product...

Kroger Announces 10 Food Trend Predictions for 2022

The Kroger Co., America's largest grocery retailer, today announced its 2022 Food Trends Report, which predicts emerging food trends, consumer behaviors and popular items for the year ahead. This fourth-annual report centers on the continued dominance of at-home meals, powered by convenience, affordability, social gatherings, and the desire for sustainable and nutrient-rich food items.

Kroger's 2022 Food Trends Report is thoughtfully curated by Kroger's food experts – from Our Brands product developers to culinary specialists. The report contains 10 top trends that will influence consumer food purchases in 2022...

The Rise of Low-Carb, Keto, and Paleo Snack Trends

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of consumer behavior and daily life. The grocery market experienced much faster than average growth in 2020 since people were staying at home more than usual due to remote work and schooling. Consumers are also snacking more when home more during the pandemic, and some have gained weight.

Interest in low-carb eating plans has increased as consumers are making efforts to improve their health or shed pandemic pounds. The keto and paleo diet both feature lower carb content and have a...

People Love New Food Ordering and Pick-Up Tech, but it's Making Them Impatient

A new survey shows that Americans love new tech-driven options for ordering and retrieving food, but the flipside is that it is making them more impatient. Of those surveyed, 64% don't want to wait more than five minutes to order at the counter or drive-thru window, while 71% of in-house diners were upset if they had to wait more than 10 minutes. More than half (55%) said they were fed up after five minutes of waiting for food in a drive-thru...

Hopdoddy Burger Bar Predicts 2022 Restaurant Trends

After a rebuilding year for many restaurant brands, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a leader in the better burger space, is predicting a new year filled with opportunities and challenges brought on by greater consumer expectations, supply chain issues and the next step in the craft beer movement.

"The past year has been all about recovery from the pandemic and looking at every facet of our business — especially when it comes to top-notch suppliers — to determine where to go from here," said Hopdoddy Vice President of Culinary Operations Matt Schweitzer. "Looking forward, we are..."

Grubhub Releases Annual Year in Food Report Detailing the Top Trends of 2021

The end of the year is near, but before we say goodbye to 2021, we're rewinding to see how we ate and drank our way through another year of change. Grubhub, a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace, today released findings from its annual "Year in Food" report. Grubhub analyzed orders from over 32 million diners to see what rose in popularity throughout the year while highlighting Grubhub diners' generosity and how they gave back to communities and restaurants in need. In addition...

Technomic: 2022 Global Restaurant Trends Forecast

The world has faced nearly two years of disruption and uncertainty, cautious optimism and unexpected challenges. As we enter another year, the pandemic continues to loom large, informing operations, planning, decision-making and forecasting for operators and suppliers alike. And yet, with so much uncertainty still in the air, it finally seems as though the steady recovery many had expected to make 2021 the bounce-back year may actually have a good chance at materializing in 2022. Vaccinations are rolling out; people are continuing to return to offices, schools and global travel...

Foodservice Industry Performance in October Slightly Declined from the Month Before

According to Technomic’s latest TIndex, its index on foodservice industry health, performance in October declined slightly compared to September, dropping to 97.8 from 98.9. The decline could be due to a few key factors, including softness in the travel and leisure segments as well as slight traffic moderation among independent restaurants.

“Based on this data, the industry is down 2.2% over a two-year basis,” explains Joe Pawlak, managing principal at Technomic. “With that being said, however, foodservice has grown by 18.5% compared to the same..."

Maple Leaf Foods Announces National Bacon Month in December 

Maple Leaf Foods today declared December as National Bacon Month, a time to celebrate what Canadians have made clear in new polling: bacon is unquestionably one of Canada's favourite foods. The Canadian producer of top-quality natural pork bacon products released an array of sizzling new facts and statistics to mark the beginning of National Bacon Month and the leadup to National Bacon Day on December 30.

The results are in: Canadians are 'hog wild' over bacon!

Bacon's story dates back to 1500 B.C in China, where pork belly was...

Jackson & Partners Innovative Food Products Scoring Big with Retailers, Consumers and Inves

Jackson & Partners, a U.S.-based multinational food and beverage manufacturing and marketing company with nine distinct brands that include beef, seafood, appetizers and plant-based products, announced today that sales for 4th Quarter 2021 are expected to exceed forecasts by 40% due to a large influx in retail and food service contracts, according to Alexander Cook, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Founded by former MLB and NFL superstar and longtime food entrepreneur Vincent “Bo” Jackson in July 2020, Jackson & Partners’ explosive growth during the pandemic, when...

Survey Says Americans Want Chicken on their Friendsgiving Plates

Please pass the…chicken! As Americans kick-off the holiday season, many are also gearing up for Friendsgiving – a moment to appreciate our friends that matter most. And this year, friends are choosing chicken as their Friendsgiving centerpiece.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 people across America revealed 65% of people who celebrate Friendsgiving want chicken during the holidays and 77% want to create new traditions, which may include anything from who is at the table to decorations to games played. More than two thirds want...

A Record Percentage of Americans to Host Thanksgiving Dinner This Year, Spending $392 on Average

Thanksgiving 2020 is a blur for many families who decided to scale things back or cancel the holiday altogether because of the coronavirus pandemic. But this year, Turkey Day is poised to make a comeback — a record percentage of Americans plan to host the holiday, according to LendingTree's latest survey of more than 2,000 Americans.

Key findings

- A record percentage of Americans plan to host Thanksgiving dinner this year. Nearly half — 47% — expect guests, up from 41% in 2020 and 33% in 2019... 

Restaurant and More Convenient Lunch Meals Are Returning After A Pandemic Induced Hiatus

Before the pandemic, grabbing lunch from a restaurant or prepared foods from a grocery store was frequent because consumers were at work, school, or out and about. Restaurant lunch visits experienced steep declines early in the pandemic when 78% of lunches were prepared and eaten at home, but with more consumers returning to worksites, schools, and regular midday routines, restaurant and other convenient lunches are recovering, reports The NPD Group.

Online and physical restaurant visits during lunch increased by 4% in the year ending September 2021...

IRI Releases New Grocery Trends Data Ahead of Thanksgiving Holiday

IRI®, a global leader in innovative solutions and services for consumer, retail and media companies, today announced new insights on Thanksgiving-related grocery trends. As the holiday season approaches and widespread supply chain challenges continue to impact industries across the economy, IRI has been tracking a variety of holiday-related items to gauge their availability, demand, price and promotion for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The resulting important insights will enable retailers and manufacturers to make better decisions about merchandising, promotional activity, and other variables to drive growth and profitability...

2022: The Year of the Climb

If 2020 and 2021 were the years that emphasized uncertainty, 2022 will be the year the foodservice industry focuses on new, ingenious solutions to head off challenges on multiple fronts. As operators across channels essentially do more with fewer resources, they’ll seek out strategies and partnerships that will help them innovate around menu shortages, labor constraints and the ever-shifting expectations and needs of the consumer.

What are some of the trends on the horizon for 2022, from the state of the industry and operations to menu optimization and enhancing the guest experience...

Technomic Reveals Global Opportunities for the Burger Menu Category

Technomic released the 2021 Burger Global Menu Category Report exploring an in-depth look into global sales, consumer preferences, menu trends, operator insights and brands to watch related to the burger category.

“Burger is one of the largest and most dynamic menu categories on the global stage, and restaurant operators have significant opportunities as recovery scenarios begin to set in across international markets” explains Aaron Jourden, senior research manager of global at Technomic. “The new Global Burger Menu Category Report allows operators and suppliers alike to..."