The Retail Rundown: Grocers Vie with Foodservice During Peak Travel Season

Summer is usually the peak demand period for foodservice, as warmer weather encourages vacation plans and out-and-about activities. As more consumers embark on trips, spending is typically increased at restaurants and bars.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday showed that restaurant business rose 0.3 percent last month, likely supported by the summer travel season. Overall retail sales in June remained unchanged from May, outpacing expectations for a decline. Stock futures climbed following the stronger-than-expected data, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average to... 

Consumers Remain ‘Willing to Spend’ Even as Growth Slows

Shoppers are still willing to buy even as smaller job and wage gains and high interest rates are slowing the growth of consumer spending, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“U.S. economic growth for the remainder of this year will depend on several factors but particularly the pace of job growth, inflation and what actions will be taken by the Federal Reserve,” Kleinhenz said. “The good news is that the economy is growing, inflation is moderating, and overall fundamentals look fine as increased consumer spending supports underlying momentum.”...

The Retail Rundown: Memorial Day Promotions; Latest CPI Data

Spring is in the air… and the first inklings of summer are making a reappearance too. Memorial Day is less than two weeks out and grocers are enthusiastically preparing for the official start of the grilling season.

Cookout staples like charcoal, outdoor serving ware, grilling cuts, and all things barbeque are migrating toward the front page of circulars, bringing increased visibility to the meat case, deli counter, and prepared foods sections of the store. 

In the week leading up to Memorial Day weekend last year, 78-84% lean ground beef was...

Shoppers Believe Government Policies and Actions Most Responsible for Higher Prices in Supermarkets 

The Feedback Group, a leader in providing actionable stakeholder feedback, today released new findings from national research conducted with 1,150 consumers about their experience shopping in supermarkets for food and groceries.

Government Policies and Actions Top List of Factors Responsible for Higher Prices at Supermarkets
Supermarket shoppers rated a variety of entities and factors, on a five-point scale where five is "highly responsible" and one "not at all responsible", as to their degree of responsibility for higher prices in supermarkets. Viewed as most responsible, government policies and actions received the highest mean score (3.86). Product manufacturers and suppliers scored second most responsible (3.75), followed more distantly by wars and worldwide political conflicts (3.42), supermarket retailers (3.40), and labor supply shor

Circana Report Reveals Private Brands Surge Amidst Inflation 

Supporting shoppers by investing in innovation and promotions is key for retailers.

Circana™, the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, ​​today released a new report on the state of private brands (also referred to as store brands or private labels). Despite high inflation, private brands have experienced growth, surpassing $217 billion in sales in the United States market. The report, “CPG Private Brands Update,” provides an update on the store brand landscape, and identifies retailer opportunities to increase demand for their own brand and private brand...

Biden Calls on Snack Companies to Stop 'Shrinkflation" Rip-Offs

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday called on snack companies to stop shrinkflation, which is when businesses cut product sizes but keep prices the same, describing the practice as "a rip-off."

"Some companies are trying to pull a fast one by shrinking the products little by little and hoping you won't notice," Biden said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

"Give me a break. The American public is tired of being played for...

Holiday Food Prices Projected Up 7% from Last Year, 18% from Two Years Ago

National supermarket data confirms slower food price inflation with consumers seeing smaller price increases when shopping for 2023 Christmas meals. According to a data analysis and forecast prepared by Category Partners, the price of purchasing Christmas dinner at a supermarket will be approximately 7% higher than in 2022. The forecast was derived using supermarket sales data provided by NielsenIQ collected from more than 35,000 food stores in the United States.

The data analysis shows that a basic Christmas dinner in 2023 purchased from a supermarket...

Consumer Spending in U.S. Restaurants Continued to Rise in November

Household spending is being supported by consumers' positive sentiment about their local economies.

Restaurant sales rose steadily in recent months, as resilient consumers maintained their willingness to spend on experiences.

Eating and drinking places* registered total sales of $94.7 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in November, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up a solid 1.6% from October’s upward-revised volume of $93.2 and represented the ninth consecutive month of sales growth...

U.S. Stocks Trade Mixed Following Latest CPI Report

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for November Tuesday morning, showing the index up 3.1% on the year.

The latest data matched expectations and was down from 3.2% the month prior. Inflation gained 0.1% on a monthly basis in November after holding steady last month, slightly outpacing expectations.

The core CPI, which strips out food and energy, increased by 0.3% last month after rising by 0.2% in October. Over the last 12 months, the all items minus food and energy index gained 4.0%...

Holiday Meals Simplified

(Family Features) With holiday entertaining on the minds of many this time of year, it's important to take steps to make setting the table stress-free and keep focus on what really matters – spending time with loved ones.

With 92% of customers expressing some level of concern about inflation, according to Walmart's Holidays 2023 Seasonal Survey, it's important to take steps to save time and money during an expensive time of year.

To help combat inflation, the retailer – which has saved customers more than $1 billion on seasonal baskets and rollbacks during the past year...

Circana’s 2024 Food and Beverage Outlook Predicts Modest Volume Growth Following Three-Year Decline

Beverage and deli categories expected to outperform total food and beverage unit sales

Circana™, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, today released its 2024 food and beverage outlook, revealing that modest food and beverage volume growth is expected next year after three consecutive years of volume declines. The forward-looking outlook provides insight into the anticipated performance of the food and beverage industry throughout 2024, pointing to a more favorable landscape as several headwinds that weighed down 2023 are expected to recede...

Consumers Experienced Increase in Purchasing Power in September with Slowing Inflation

Primerica, Inc. (NYSE: PRI), a leading provider of financial services in the United States and Canada, announced today the release of the Primerica Household Budget Index™ (HBI™), a monthly index illustrating the purchasing power of middle-income households with incomes between $30,000 and $130,000. In September 2023, the average purchasing power for middle-income households was 99.3%, up from 97.4% in August. In September 2022, the index stood at 89.3%.

“Wage growth outpaced the increased cost of necessities in September 2023...