Dept. Dairy

  1. Department & Category
  How do you keep the kids happy when school get out?  Fill the house with more snacks.  The average household with a teenager out of school will spend $ 300 more a month on food.  According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® a mix of full flavored hot and […]
  1. Department: Food
The Los Angeles Times has an excellent story about how Southern Californians are strategizing to save money at the grocery store. First, some context for their decision-making: “The U.S. is not in a recession, but the psychological weight of that possibility — combined with the effects of still-high inflation — have consumers bracing for the […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
MADISON, Wis. — Hy-Vee Inc. on Thursday awarded $50,000 to local minority- and women-owned businesses during the Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit at Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison. The event was the fourth summit Hy-Vee has hosted in support of these business owners with access to funding and valuable business development resources. These summits […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
The New York Times had an op-ed piece the other day entitled “The Real Reason Your Groceries Are Getting So Expensive,” in which author Stacy Mitchell, executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, made the argument that enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act, “which mandates that suppliers offer the same terms to all retailers,” needs […]
  1. Department: Consumer Durables
Consumers have become incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to the ways in which companies operate — from technical matters like data usage and privacy to societal issues like diversity, equity and inclusion. In turn, we’ve seen decision making not only become more complex, but also more directly related to individual values and moral standards. And while […]
  1. Channel: Mass
I’m conflicted about continuing this conversation, mostly because I do not want to go down a rabbit hole from which there is no escape, and I do not want to take MNB in a direction that undermines its purpose. But, this started as a business story, and so I’m going to take the risk. Last […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a complaint with the USDA’s inspector general, claiming the website and videos with the “White Lotus” star disparages another product and was intended to influence policy.
  1. Department: Food
  When you think about selling a meal or meal component, have you continued to say no way, not at all, or I tried it and it did not work for me? Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® wants you to rethink your position. Ask yourself why us and why now? […]
  1. Department & Category
Most of the UK experienced an unusual feeling this week: warm sunshine. Less welcome, sadly, was the news that food prices were still stubbornly, and for too many people, debilitatingly high. With food inflation at 19.1%, close to a record high, it is only right that Mintel focuses attention on those consumers who are struggling […]
  1. Channel: Convenience
  Regular readers of this blog know that Wawa is a fast casual convenience store aka restaurant chain that sells gasoline.  Wawa’s customer loyalty was built on Milk, Coffee, and their famous Hoagie according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Mix and match meal bunding is the foundation of success […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
Suppliers only get one chance to make a great first impression during a buyer meeting, so preparation is key to ensuring that the meeting is a success. To help suppliers prep, I’ve assembled a list of six key questions which every supplier should be prepared to answer when meeting with buyers. These six questions were […]
  1. Media & Marketing
When you see the “eleven” character in the “Stranger Things” series, smash a soda can, it is no coincidence the soda brand is Coca-Cola, it is a marketing strategy known as Product Placement. Using product placement in stranger things is just one of the many examples of how brands use non-advertising media like movies to […]
  1. Channel: Restaurants
CBS News reports that Starbucks has announced that it is now going to charge patrons a buck for one special request that used to be free. According to the story, “The coffee chain will charge customers a dollar extra to get their Refresher beverages made without water, angering some brand loyalists. Starbucks said the charge […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
From the Wall Street Journal this morning: “Inflation eased to 4.9% in April as the economy showed signs of cooling. “Inflation has cooled from its recent peak, but remains stubbornly elevated. The Federal Reserve aggressively raised rates for more than a year to try to tame inflation by slowing economic activity, and indicated last week […]
  1. Shopper & Customer
On May 1, 2023, Sprouts Farmers Market reported very positive news during its earnings call. The Wall Street Journal’s Market Report indicated that Sprouts’ first quarter earnings rose 24%. Sprouts’ CEO Jack Sinclair told analysts, “We are pleased with our first quarter; we believe our long-term growth strategy is gaining traction and driving positive performance. […]
  1. Trends & External Forces
Key Takeaways: Keto is a high-fat, low-carb diet that induces ketosis so the body burns fat instead of carbs for energy. Keto-friendly products aren’t always marketed as such, which can make them harder to find. Keto products continue to drive growth in new categories even as it slows in existing ones. The Ketogenic (keto) diet […]
  1. Channel: Delivery
As the retail media landscape continues to grow, Uber is expanding the types of ads available to CPG brands on the Uber Eats platform, and Sprouts Famers Market is leveraging Instacart’s Carrot Ads platform to launch its own retail media network. Sprouts Expands Instacart Partnership to Include Retail Media Offerings Sprouts Farmers Market has launched […]
  1. Associates & Employees
Got a number of emails responding to this story from yesterday’s MNB: The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) – which describes itself as “an independent, nonprofit think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States” – is out with a study saying that if the Federal Trade […]
  1. CPG: Food
Del Monte and Cathedral City team-up to revive the iconic British party classic, the Cheese and Pineapple Hedgehog, for the King’s Coronation. Del Monte and Cathedral City have paired up to bring back the iconic party food, the cheese and pineapple hedgehog. The collaboration aims to encourage families to give their own modern twist to […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
I did a FaceTime video yesterday about a bartender who explained his priorities when making recommendations this way:  “You pay my wages, not the guys in the back.”  I thought that was a pretty good way to think about customer service. One MNB reader wrote: I think your commentary on “The Wages of Service” has […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa —Hy-Vee has launched a new health and wellness subscription service called Hy-Vee Healthy You. The $99-per-month service is designed to help customers develop healthier lifestyles through personalized nutrition counseling, preventative health screenings and more. The subscription service is available across Hy-Vee’s eight-state region to individuals 18 and older. The  Hy-Vee Healthy […]

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Editor’s Choice

  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Channel: Grocery - Natural
  3. Channel: Mass
  4. Channel: Specialty & Other
  5. Department & Category
  6. Department: Consumer Durables
  7. Department: Nonfood
  8. Corporate Strategy
  9. Media & Marketing
  10. Shopper & Customer
  11. Trends & External Forces
  12. Merchandising
  13. Stores & Formats
Bloomberg has a story about how “a slew of retailers are beefing up their grocery investments to lure in consumers cutting back on non-essentials like clothing and electronics. But as they lay out plans to improve their food offerings and supply chains, the big question is how does one compete with the mighty Walmart Inc. on […]
  1. Department: Beverage
  2. CPG: Adult Beverage
  3. CPG: Beverage
  4. CPG: Food
  5. CPG: Food & Bev
  6. CPG: HBC
  7. Channel: Ecommerce & Digital
  8. Channel: Restaurants
  9. Department & Category
  10. Department: Adult Beverage
  11. Department: Beverage
  12. Department: Food
  13. Department: HBC
  14. Department: Nonfood
  15. Corporate Strategy
  16. Corporate Finance
  17. Corporate Purpose
  18. ESG
  19. Media & Marketing
  20. Agencies & Vendors
  21. Data & Insights
  22. Shopper & Customer
  23. Technology & Innovation
  24. Trends & External Forces
  25. Merchandising
  26. Operations & Supply Chain
CHICAGO – Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, has released its 2022 New Product Pacesetters, the 28th annual report revealing the top new product launches across food and beverage and nonfood sectors. The report illustrates the enduring power of CPG innovation, revealing that consumer spending on new product offerings remained elevated last year despite challenges […]
  1. Channel: Mass
  2. Channel: Mass
  3. Acquisitions, Divestitures & Mergers
  4. Media & Marketing
  5. Retailer Media
  6. Shopper & Customer
  7. Trends & External Forces
  8. Owned Brands (Private Label)
From Advertising Age: “Walmart Connect, which has made huge gains in recent years through digital advertising, is testing ways to bolster in-store pieces of its retail media network. “For the first time, Walmart Connect is selling ads on its revamped in-store radio network and integrating sampling programs with online offerings. While aspects of Walmart Connect’s […]
  1. Channel: Grocery
  2. Trends & External Forces
  3. Stores & Formats
Several years after opening its last Joe V’s location, H-E-B is reigniting the banner with two locations set to open in Dallas by 2025. Dive Brief: H-E-B announced Tuesday it is opening two Joe V’s Smart Shop by H-E-B stores in Dallas, marking the first time the grocer’s discount format will appear outside of the Houston area. […]
  1. Retailer Media
  2. ESG
  3. Media & Marketing
  4. Retailer Media
  5. Shopper & Customer
  6. Operations & Supply Chain
The platform leverages the chain’s loyalty program, bringing personalized ads to shoppers in-store, in-app, on social media and elsewhere, said Damian Scott, who heads up the grocer’s retail media and front-end digital operations. Dive Brief: Giant Eagle announced on Wednesday the debut of Leap Media Group, an in-house retail media arm that leverages the regional […]

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