Marketing

Reports indicate Kroger is losing its 'fresh' pricing advantage

According to two Barclays reports centered on the Nashville market, Walmart and Sprouts Farmers Market have overtaken the grocer in key perishables pricing.

By Jeff Wells • April 26, 2018

Wahlburgers beefs up its products with new retail line of patties

The celebrity burger joint brings its meat blend to grocery shelves, but can the restaurant success carry over to take-home items? 

By Patti Zarling • April 26, 2018

Study: Most consumers would not try cricket flour cookies

When they saw a picture, willingness to try them improved — meaning marketing insect proteins is key.

By Caroline Macdonald

Taco Bell and Bigs unveil co-branded sunflower seeds with drone fleet

A video promoting the new product depicts drones carrying packs to cities and towns across the country before dropping them off at a baseball field. 

By Erica Sweeney • April 25, 2018

With Walmart deal, DoorDash is the latest entrant in the grocery delivery cage match

The company, which had previously worked with restaurants, will deliver groceries to customers in Atlanta, with more markets to come. 

By Jeff Wells • April 25, 2018

How soda will keep fizzing as consumers look to other options

At the Beverage Forum, Coca-Cola chairman and former CEO Muhtar Kent said keeping up with health trends will make the segment's pace of change "much more enormous."

By Christopher Doering • April 25, 2018

Instagram famous: Why grocers should make their food photo-worthy

Consumers are increasingly using social media inside stores, creating an opportunity — as well as a challenge — for retailers looking to promote their offerings online.

By Alicia Kelso • April 24, 2018

Survey: Most online grocery shoppers buy produce

Field Agent found that 31% of the people it recently polled said they made unplanned purchases of fruits and vegetables — more than salty snacks and candy.

By Cathy Siegner • April 24, 2018

Opinion

Prepared foods are hot, but inefficiency could cool the trend

Technologies that increase efficiency in perimeter departments are essential to maintaining margins, says Art Powell of Digimarc Corporation. 

By Art Powell

Report: Amazon's online grocery sales grew 50% in Q1

Shoppers are still buying a lot of snacks and beverages, but the company's Pantry service saw flat growth, according to One Click Retail.

By Jeff Wells • April 23, 2018

Ahold banners add premium line to private label arsenal

Stop & Shop, Peapod and Giant are each rolling out Taste of Inspirations, which have been available for several years at Food Lion and Hannaford stores.

By Jeff Wells • April 20, 2018

SlimFast shakes up its offerings and adds a dietitian in a bid for relevance

But can the weight loss company that was a dieting mainstay in the 1980s and '90s capture the attention and dollars of today's health-minded consumer?

By Patti Zarling • April 20, 2018

Pinnacle Foods targeted by activist investor Jana Partners

The hedge fund disclosed a 9.1% stake in the "undervalued" company and said in an SEC filing it may push for a sale or another transaction involving other firms in the frozen foods space.

By Christopher Doering • April 20, 2018

Restaurant delivery services are a growing challenge for supermarkets

As grocers ramp up home delivery, companies such as GrubHub and Uber Eats are rapidly expanding and growing their sales to consumers.

By Jeff Wells • April 20, 2018

What will Prime loyalty look like at Whole Foods?

The grocer is discontinuing its current rewards program on May 2, setting the stage for Amazon's membership platform to take over. 

By Jeff Wells • April 19, 2018

Walmart jumps into pricing war with dollar retailers

From February to April, the megaretailer's prices declined nearly 4%, putting it in line with Dollar General. 

By Alicia Kelso • April 19, 2018

Coca-Cola to freshen Fresca brand with new look and flavors

The beverage company is trying to attract millennials by rebranding its fruit juice soda, which hits on a lot of current beverage trends.

By Cathy Siegner • April 19, 2018

Heinen's seeks to capture lost sales with machine learning software

The Ohio-based grocer, which will deploy a cloud-based solution from CB4 next month, becomes the latest industry player to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations.

By Dan Alaimo • April 19, 2018

Campbell Soup served up as most reputable company in 2018

The latest ranking from the Reputation Institute also included other food manufacturers, such as Kellogg, Hershey and J.M. Smucker, in the top 10.

By Alicia Kelso • April 19, 2018

Kraft Heinz partners with Momofuku to take chili sauce nationwide

Springboard, the CPG giant's new product incubator, is focusing on accelerating the growth of disruptive brands in the food and beverage space.

By Cathy Siegner • April 19, 2018

Southeastern Grocers introduces new fuel rewards program with Shell

The retailer's current partnership with Plenti will end this summer, when American Express draws the three-year-old coalition loyalty program to a close.

By Cathy Siegner • April 18, 2018

Report: Nonfat ice cream, sparkling water and frozen foods drive center store growth

Marketing firm Catalina found that CPG companies making less than $1 billion annually are top performers in the department.

By Jeff Wells • April 18, 2018

Target expands curbside pickup throughout the South

After abandoning the service a few years ago, the new in-house version is now growing rapidly, and is available in 270 stores across eight states.

By Daphne Howland • April 18, 2018