The market for bottled water has a promising future. As consumers continue to reject carbonated soft drinks and embrace bottled water, many beverage industry analysts and marketers are convinced that the category will soon become the dominant non-alcoholic beverage. Health and wellness concerns, the fitness fad and the perennial struggle of many consumers with overweight and obesity have combined to make bottled water the zero-calorie/ultra-low calorie beverage of choice for growing millions of ...
May 20, 2014Our hat is off to coffee innovation, which continues to help a very mature market grow new usage occasions and higher price points. Threading this needle translates to continuing to push the variety envelope while leveraging hot coffee’s dominant position. In the end, it’s largely about raising the price of coffee-or at least getting more money per ounce. Across restaurant menus, flavors that have universal appeal, such as mocha, chocolate, vanilla, and caramel, have the strongest penetration....
May 14, 2014I’m holding in my hands a package of chips that carries the following information on it: “Certified Organic, Certified Gluten-Free, Peanut Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan, Non-GMO, No Synthetic Pesticides or Chemical Fertilizers, No Trans Fats or High Fructose Corn Syrup, No Artificial Flavors, Colors or Preservatives.” I’m in food avoidance heaven. The product is from the gourmet snack foods section of my supermarket. I’m guessing your supermarket has a similar section. Of course, if you don’t s...
March 7, 2014Unlike conventional supermarkets, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s are destinations: places consumers seek out and travel to over long distances. The two chains’ retail strengths echo similar market strategies as they seek to capitalize on growing consumer interest in natural and organic products. In many ways, they also have very similar-and actually often the same-customers. Yet, the striking differences between the two chains are what keep the same consumers shopping at both. At Whole Food...
March 5, 2014In the world of snacks, crackers are fast becoming the next big thing for snackers and the final frontier for food marketers. As harried, on-the-go Americans increasingly turn to snacks to satisfy their cravings and replace sit-down meals, they are discovering that crackers can offer an exciting and healthy alternative to traditional salty snacks such as chips, popcorn and pretzels. In a virtuous circle that promises to provide a significant boost to the market for crackers, major marketers in t...
January 28, 2014The dynamics of the kids’ food business have changed dramatically in recent years. In a nutshell, typical macaroni and cheese isn’t going to cut it when a kid can have noodles shaped like their favorite cartoon character. Or, what fun is using a spoon to eat yogurt or applesauce when you can squeeze it? Taste is no longer the only qualification needed to be a kid-friendly food. In fact, it’s become quite a juggling act for any company or brand that tries to break into this growing market. Shif...
January 16, 2014Nearly everybody eats salty snacks at one time or another. More than 90% of households in the country report using a salty snack in the past 30 days. Potato chips are eaten by 85% of American households. Corn/tortilla chips/cheese snacks rank next in popularity (72% of households), followed by popcorn products (71%) and pretzels (55%). Although salty snacks are a ubiquitous part of American diets, some of us crave salty snacks much more than others do. There are 50 million Americans who say th...
November 27, 2013Food from Italy, Spain, Morocco, Greece, Turkey and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea have long been popular in the U.S., but today’s curious eaters are digging deeper to find new dishes and turning to new outlets for fresh and healthful meals. At the National Restaurant Association Show in 2013, the popularity of this fare was on display in everything from tapas-centric heat-n-serve foods, flatbreads and wraps, to Mediterranean-inspired stuffed meat and cheese items. Newly p...
October 16, 2013American consumers have permanently changed their eating habits. The era of three square meals a day has gone the way of the typewriter and vacuum tube. More and more Americans eat smaller portions of food more frequently throughout the day, and there is universal agreement in the food industry that this megatrend is here to stay. Another cultural shift fueling the healthy-ingredient snacks market is the high priority placed by many consumers on making sure that the food they-and their kids-eat ...
October 11, 2013Why are many retail groceries stressing that the fresh fish on display in their seafood departments is from sustainable sources? After all, according to Packaged Facts’ June 2013 National Consumer Survey, less than 20% of consumers make a seafood purchasing decision factoring in the sustainability of the catch. Partly it goes to show the power of the interplay between leading edge shoppers, seafood suppliers, and retailers. The issue is already reaching critical mass in consumer consciousness,...
October 3, 2013