China’s Foodservice Industry Recovers After Experiencing Sharp Declines in 2020

Western-style quick service restaurants outperformed Chinese-style counterparts in 2021

According to The NPD Group, China’s foodservice industry ended 2021 showing signs of recovery after a tumultuous two-year period full of uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 and stringent lockdown measures throughout the country.

Thanks to vaccination rollouts and easing restrictions across the country, China reported a recovery in the first half of the year across the 22 Chinese cities tracked by NPD for the foodservice industry.

There was growth for both foot traffic and spend over the...

NRF Responds to Stay Granted for OSHA Vaccine Mandate

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement regarding the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to extend a stay for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s COVID-19 employer-based vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard.

“We are pleased with the decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals preventing the Biden administration from doing anything to enforce the OSHA ETS unless and until an appeal is made or another court says otherwise. The court agrees that this is neither a workplace hazard nor an emergency..."

NRF Joins Trade Associations in Petition to Review OSHA Mandate

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay regarding the organization’s involvement in a multi-trade association lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for its COVID-19 employer-based vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS).

“We are deeply concerned about the timing for implementing the OSHA vaccine mandate during the most important season of the year for retailers and customers. Our members are already facing workforce shortages and supply chain disruptions, in addition to the legal and practical challenges..."

OpenTable And CLEAR Partner to Help Restaurants Streamline Proof Of Vaccination Across The US 

As the Delta variant spreads and more cities require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings Inc., and CLEAR, the secure identity company, are partnering to offer diners a simple way to show proof of vaccination at a restaurant through CLEAR's digital vaccine card.

"Our partnership with CLEAR furthers our commitment to help both restaurants and diners navigate dining out in the next chapter of the pandemic," said Debby Soo, CEO...

Statement from Michael McCain, President and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods on Vaccinations

Keeping our people safe is Maple Leaf Foods’ priority. Public health experts in Canada and the U.S. have affirmed the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and their importance in protecting people as they return to their offices.

This virus has taken millions of lives in North America and globally, devastating families and communities. It is our moral obligation to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our Team Members, and in turn our communities. That is why we will be requiring Maple Leaf Team...

OpenTable Launches New Safety Tools for Diners and Restaurants

In this next chapter of the pandemic, restaurants and diners are facing new hurdles as they look to navigate changing restrictions, masking and vaccination requirements and more. While in NYC the rules are clear - as of August 16 you must show proof of vaccination to dine indoors - in other cities the rules vary. To help, OpenTable, the world's leading provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings Inc., rolled out updated safety precautions, which now include details on COVID-19 vaccine requirements, and Direct Messaging to streamline communication between restaurants and diners.

"Dining demand in the U.S. is down 13% compared to just one month earlier with cities like Minneapolis, Seattle and New York showing significant declines. Just as restaurants were starting to rebound from...

NRF Chief Economist Says Vaccination is ‘Key to Further Economic Recovery’

The economy is growing quickly but its future still depends on slowing the coronavirus pandemic as consumers worry about new variants of the virus, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today. Meanwhile, a labor shortage and supply chain disruptions are setting the stage for increased inflation.

“We are now in the second half of 2021 and the economy has heated up along with the summer temperatures,” Kleinhenz said. “Gross domestic product surpassed its pre-crisis peak during the second quarter and...

Tyson Foods to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Its U.S. Workforce

To protect team members, their families and their communities, Tyson Foods, is requiring its team members at U.S. office locations to be fully vaccinated by October 1, 2021. All other team members are required to be fully vaccinated by November 1, 2021, subject to ongoing discussions with locations represented by unions.

This action makes Tyson Foods the largest U.S. food company to require COVID-19 vaccinations for its entire workforce. Almost half of Tyson Foods’ U.S. workforce has been vaccinated and coronavirus infection rates among team members...

Poultry Quarterly Q3 2021: Improving Local Industry Performance, Shifting Trade Flows

The outlook for the global poultry industry continues to improve. This is mainly driven by the reopening of economies as vaccination levels accelerate in developed countries and increase in emerging markets. This will help the recovery of global, regional, and especially foodservice demand, which, on average, makes up one-third of global poultry demand. As supply usually responds slowly to such increases, significant price inflation in 2H 2021 is possible, especially as feed prices remain high and avian influenza has disrupted...

Technomic's Take: Roadblock to Recovery for Restaurants

By all accounts, the restaurant industry is roaring back to life as vaccination distribution spreads, dine-in restrictions are lifted and improved weather throughout most of the country sends consumers flocking to restaurants to dine with friends and family. Operators are reporting same-store sales approaching, and in some cases exceeding, pre-pandemic levels as pent-up demand drives the dine-in surge and off-premise orders remain strong.

For restaurant operators eager to return to full capacity, however, significant headwinds remain as the restaurant industry struggles to fill jobs to meet this booming demand. The biggest challenge facing operators in this current recovery period is finding staff willing to work. There are numerous other factors that are impacting...

JBS and Pilgrim's Announce Free Meat For a Year Sweepstakes to Promote Vaccination Efforts 

JBS USA and Pilgrim’s announced the “Your Shot at Free Meat for a Year” program to encourage the vaccination of Americans in the rural communities where the company operates. In partnership with local health authorities, the company will sponsor a series of free vaccination clinics and vaccine promotion events across more than 40 JBS USA and Pilgrim’s communities in the coming weeks. During the events, at least one newly-vaccinated participant per location will be eligible to win free, delicious beef, pork and poultry to feed a family of four for the next year. The company will also donate more than 1 million pounds of free beef, pork and poultry to support local communities hosting vaccine clinics.

“Since the onset of the pandemic, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s have been focused on protecting our team members and supporting our communities,” said Andre Nogueira, JBS USA CEO. “Most recently, our focus has been on... 

Retail Cargo Continues Setting Records as Supply Chains Struggle to Keep Up with Consumer Demand

Imports at the nation’s largest retail container ports saw their busiest April on record and May could turn out to have set a new all-time record as vaccines allowed consumers to return to normal shopping patterns, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Vaccine rates are increasing, shoppers are back in stores and retail supply chains are working overtime,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “There’s no shortage of demand from consumers, but there continue to be shortages of labor, equipment and shipping capacity to...

Most British Online Grocery Shoppers Plan to Continue Online Grocery Shopping After the Pandemic 

The great online grocery shopping boom is here to stay as 90% of current online grocery shoppers plan to keep shopping for their groceries online once the peak of COVID-19 passes. Meanwhile, just 5% of these shoppers say they are planning to stop doing so.

An impressive three in five (59%) Brits are online grocery shoppers, up from 50% in 2019 – this represents the highest level of growth recorded in the past decade. In addition to user growth, the category is experiencing increased usage from existing users, with over half (53%) of online grocery shoppers doing...

Beef Quarterly Q2 2021: Record Prices, but Will They Last?

Many key beef production and consumption areas across the world are currently experiencing high or record prices for beef or cattle. We explore what is driving this and whether it will last. There are also several other issues affecting global beef markets at present.

Covid-19

The rollout of vaccines, the transition to robust economic growth, and the advance of the northern hemisphere summer see many areas experiencing lower Covid case numbers and higher economic activity. With restrictions being eased, foodservice sales are also...

Kroger to Launch $5 Million Giveaway to Encourage Vaccinations

Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., is launching a new effort to incentivize more Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The #CommunityImmunity giveaway campaign will start next week and provide individuals, including customers and associates, the opportunity to win life-changing prizes like one of five $1 million payouts and 50 chances to win free groceries for a year.

The program comes after a collaboration with the Biden Administration to encourage increased vaccinations as part of the national push to have at least 70% of U.S. adults with at least their first dose by...

A Strong but Changed Retail Industry Looks to the Future

The retail industry is now doing better than many retailers expected last year as stores, offices, and schools shut down across the country. In fact, compared to last year, discretionary retail sales revenue in the U.S grew 17% from January 1 through May 8, 2021, according to The NPD Group. Even more strikingly, retail sales increased 18% over 2019. Growth in the U.S. economy continues to rise as vaccination rates increase and as more consumers, as well as businesses and schools, begin to map their post-pandemic paths forward.

A recent “Future of Style” event, hosted by The NPD group, explored the major trends affecting global industries, including...

Consumer Confidence Holds Steady in May

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® held steady in May, following a gain in April. The Index now stands at 117.2 (1985=100), down marginally from 117.5 in April. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—increased from 131.9 to 144.3. However, the Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—fell to 99.1 in May, down from 107.9 last month.

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on an online sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Toluna, a technology company that delivers real-time consumer insights and market research through...