Hot Topics. Top Stories.
We comb the media for interesting news affecting all aspects of the industries we serve: food & beverage marketing, consumer product goods, hospitality and foodservice. Now you can read the top stories without digging for them, right here. Check out recent trends, industry forecasts and more.
Got an opinion or insight you’d like to share? Contact us here.
 |
Despite manufacturers’ strong efforts to reformulate products with lower sodium, America’s sodium intake increased from 2001 to 2010. Read More Food Navigator, 5/17/2013 |
 |
“Duck Dynasty” Gets Twitter Quacking The premiere of the third season of A&E Network’s hit show, “Duck Dynasty,” reached 8.6 million viewers, making it A&E’s most watched telecast of all time. How did it become so successful? Read More Advertising Age, 4/10/2013 |
||||
 |
Restaurants adding more nutritious options and shrinking portion sizes is paying off financially. Read More The Hudson Institute, 2/1/2013 |
 |
Technomic revised its U.S. Foodservice Industry Forecast in January. Read More Technomic, 1/15/2013 |
||||
 |
After dominating the coffee market, Starbucks needed to find its next platform for growth. Acquiring Teavana, a specialty retailer of tea, was a natural fit with its beverage strategy. Read More Zacks Equity Research, 1/2/2013 |
 |
Upscale Drugstore Hits the Road Early last year, Walgreens opened a pilot upscale drugstore in Chicago to better compete with other retail outlets providing more customized and full-service offerings. To promote the expanding fresh food offerings, they launched the “Up Market: Fresh” food truck. Read More Eater National, 12/6/2012 |
||||
 |
New Demands for a Changing Food World Forces shaping the food world are driven by consumer groups with rapidly diverging tastes, making it nearly impossible to appeal to a mass market. Read More Advertising Age, 11/11/2012 |
 |
Upcoming foodservice and hospitality trends for 2013 are predicted to include supplier-launched restaurants, fast-casual dining, automated food kiosks and more. Read More Restaurant Hospitality, 10/15/2012 |
||||
 |
Chefs are using this platform to share photos of dishes, engage in professional and playful back-and-forths and comment on what’s going on in the world of food. Read More Eater National, 6/25/2012 |
 |
Struggling to keep up with the latest social media trends? Read More Mashable, 4/19/2012 |
||||
 |
The "Re-Generation" population, those born after 1995, are the first group of "unconscious participants in an era when everyone has access to everything, everywhere, at every time." Read More Harvard Business Review, 4/18/2012 |
 |
Redefining Our Relationship with Food Social/digital media is replacing Mom as the go-to culinary source of knowledge for many people, according to a recent Hartman Group study. Read More The Hartman Group, 2/23/2012 |
||||
 |
Notable food and restaurant trends for 2012 reported by Baum & Whiteman include more mom-and-pop closings due to the economy, global fusion gone wild, and more. Read More Baum & Whiteman LLC, 2/15/2012 |
 |
Chefs predict the top ten menu trends for next year will be local, sustainable and health (especially children's). Read More National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot 2012", 2/15/2012 |
||||
 |
As the lives of Americans continue to evolve, our view of traditional eating goes out the window and next year's trends reflect it. Read More Media Post News, Marketing Daily, 1/3/2012 |
 |
Supermarket News believes some of the top 2012 trends to be cost-conscious consumers trying to cut costs, community and connection through food, the boomer culture, farm to fork, more ethnic food, extreme home cooking and the rise of the male shopper. Read More Supermarket News, 12/5/2011 |
||||
 |
It's confirmed. We’re more connected than 6 degrees of separation, thanks to a recent study by Facebook. Read More The Next Web, 11/22/2011 |
 |
Andrew Freeman & Company believes that 2012's leading trends are unusual twists on old favorites, or updated comfort foods. Read More Media Post News, Marketing Daily, 11/14/2011 |
||||
 |
Technomic predicts the economy and social networking will continue to drive trends. Read More Fast Casual, 11/8/2011 |
 |
Succeeding in QSR requires hitting it right with Gen Y. A recent study shows that 20% of Gen Y consumers eat almost daily at a QSR. Read More CS News, 8/10/2011 |
||||
 |
Younger adults are the most spontaneous about dinner decisions. Read More Supermarket News, 7/25/2011 |
 |
Hispanic food and brand preferences are unique and notable. Family dining options and Hispanic menu authenticity are important to them. Read More CS News, 7/21/2011 |
||||
 |
Millennials have grown up with restaurants more integrated in their daily lives than previous generations. Read More NRN, 7/12/2011 |
 |
It’s here-the menu on a tablet. The initial investment makes an operator gulp, but what a marketing opportunity. Read More Fast Casual, 7/5/2011 |
||||
 |
We all know how important the local trend is. Interestingly, “Made in the U.S.A.” is also an attribute among American shoppers, according to a new study. Read More Progressive Grocer, 6/22/2011 |
 |
Does Spending Less Mean Less Healthy? Many consumers believe eating healthy while dining out is more costly, says Mintel. And on top of that, some are more likely to choose the lowest-priced items over any other criteria. Read More Fast Casual, 6/20/2011 |
||||
 |
Meatless Monday awareness has reached 50% among U.S. consumers, according to FGI. And research shows 18% actually follow Meatless Mondays. Read More HuffPost Food, 5/31/2011 |
 |
Stereotypes portray females as the thrifty, savvy shoppers and men as impulse buyers. A recent Symphony IRI study dispels this myth, reporting 54% of men engage in money-saving behavior such as eating out less and more than one-third go to multiple stores to get the best price. Read More Supermarket News, 5/23/2011 |
||||
 |
It’s always fun to see what’s out there, like far out there, with food trends. Here are five: Read More Budget Travel, 5/11/2011 |
 |
The numbers show it; local isn’t going away. Over half of restaurant patrons want to see more local items on the menu. Read More QSR Magazine, 5/5/2011 |
||||
 |
Increasing restaurant frequency isn’t just about discounts and pricing these days. According to research from Q1 2011, 2/3 of patrons would eat out more if their suggestions were followed. Read More NACS Online, 4/25/2011 |
 |
Boomers’ golden years may be more challenging than they thought. Read More Adage.com, Ad Age Insights/AARP White paper, 4/4/2011 |
||||
 |
A recent MarketPulse survey showed that consumers are not only planning ahead when they go grocery shopping, they are reverting back to their favorite brands over private label. Previous reports only recently have suggested that private label continues to flourish. Read More Drug Store News, 3/31/2011 |
 |
Consumers think more of non-burger restaurants, even in QSR. Subway beat out McDonald’s as "Quickservice Restaurant Brand of the Year." Read More MediaPost News Marketing Daily, 3/29/2011 |
||||
 |
Technomic projects the restaurant industry will grow 3.7% in 2011. Although a modest gain, a big reversal from recent years. Read More Monkeydish.com, 3/28/2011 |
 |
According to research, attributes that most strongly affect the consumers’ experience have most increased in terms of purchase driver importance. In short, they’re looking for delight. Read More Progressivegrocer.com, 3/28/2011 |
||||
 |
According to the 2010 Census Bureau, Hispanics now account for 1 in every 6 Americans. They hold about 10% of the buying power, and are predicted to grow increasingly affluent. Read More Csnews.com, 3/28/2011 |
 |
During the recession, value almost always meant bargains and discounts. Research presented in the Restaurant Leadership Conference suggests that now consumers increasingly define value as worth the money they spent versus their expectations. Read More Monkeydish.com, 3/28/2011 |
||||
 |
Grocery retailers' store-brand products are expected to double their share of the global packaged food market over the next 15 years to make up half the market. Read More Reuters.com, 3/24/2011 |
 |
Groupon, Chewpon, Living Social, Gilt Groupies and many more daily deal sites are creating overload. Even though the buzz is still rising, Groupon site traffic is down 13% and Gilt is down 22%. Read More CNNMoney.com, 3/23/2011 |
||||
 |
Remember when paying by phone meant paying a bill over the phone instead of online or snail mail? Starbucks reports that 3 million people have paid via the phone app since January of this year. Read More Mashable.com, 3/23/2011 |
 |
Three stats converge: 1) Seafood demand is surging; 2) The U.S. imports 83% of its seafood; 3) the USDA has recommended doubling fish consumption. Read More AFP News, 3/22/2011 |
||||
 |
America’s palate for heat has expanded into the bar. Since bartender’s new toy is heat, perhaps this is an opportunity for food manufacturers to get ahead of the curve. Read More Nation’s Restaurant News, 3/9/2011 |
 |
Wholesome. Fresh. Natural. Local. Premium. Those aren’t the words foodies are using to describe the latest offerings from a hot new chef, those are the food-marketing buzzwords used by fast food chains instead of phrases like low-fat, low-carb and low-calorie. Read More Advertising Age, 3/7/2011 |
||||
 |
Chain Restaurants Not out of the Woods If the recession wasn’t enough, now restaurants have rising gas prices to worry about. Historically, chain sales decline when gas prices increase. Read More New York Times, 3/3/2011 |
 |
Shot glasses and cupcakes have been all the rage in desserts recently, but what’s next? Some say push-up desserts, ice cream cakes, grab and go, local, more savory ingredients and ethic spices. Read More Monkeydish.com, 3/1/2011 |
||||
 |
Research shows that “kind,” “human” brands will thrive in a connected economy. Read More Trendwatching.com, 3/1/2011 |
 |
Healthy Breakfasts Help Rebound Breakfast sales are projected to grow over 4% this year according to Mintel, with locations offering healthy breakfast having an advantage. Read More MediaPost News, 3/1/2011 |
||||
 |
Mexican, Chinese and Italian are more mainstream than exotic today. Thai, Japanese and Caribbean are fast becoming the new ethnic food. Read More QSRMagazine.com, 2/17/2011 |
 |
Consumers value simplicity and will pay more for it, even for brands. Read More MediaPost News, Marketing Daily, 2/17/2011 |
||||
 |
Old and new compete for college food favorites. Old standbys with a healthy twist, dubbed “stealth health,” and world cuisine, especially Mediterranean, top the list of college food trends. Read More Food Management, News Briefs, 2/11/2011 |
 |
Food prices increased globally seven months in a row, hitting record levels worldwide. Read More New York Times, 2/3/2011 |
||||
 |
Men and women desire different brands but it’s not exactly sports cars vs. make up. Women most desire Johnson & Johnson, and men…Crest! Read More Forbes, 2/2/2011 |
 |
Less sodium and processed foods, more whole grains, fish and seafood are a few of the specific recommendations in the new USDA Dietary Guidelines. Read More MedPage Today, 1/31/2011 |
||||
 |
Recent product launches reflect the latest consumer desire like “simplify my life,” “look younger, cheaper,” “fast scratch,” and “flexitarian.” Read More USA Today, 1/24/2011 |
 |
One of the ways history defines a generation is by their drinks of choice. Mad Men-era cocktails include the Manhattan, Tom Collins and the classic martini. Read More Media Post News, Marketing Daily, 1/14/2011 |
||||
 |
Not only is fresh still important, consumers will increasingly choose their grocery stores based on their perceived fresh offerings. Shopping healthy and, surprisingly, having more personal energy are also important. Read More Progressive Grocer, 1/6/2011 |
 |
While the latest U.S. employment levels have been discouraging, the restaurant industry is the exception. Read More USA Today, 1/1/2011 |
||||
