Hive to Honey

After years of lackluster sales, potato chip sales jumped 22 percent and tortilla chips 18 percent since 2007, according to the market research firm Mintel International, which said the salty noshes defied the economic downturn.
“People bought more chips during the recession because they’re a good value,” Mintel analyst Chris Haack said in a study of [...]

“Buying your groceries online? What is this, 1996?” That’s what someone said to me recently when they found out I do the majority of my grocery shopping through the Internet—yes, produce and all. Sure, online grocery shopping was one of those things that people envisioned to be common in “The Future™” but many of the [...]

“There are four reasons why I believe the industry has a strong upside,” said William Johnson, chairman, president and CEO of Heinz Co. “First, the growth potential of emerging markets, where the ranks of new middle-class, brand-conscious consumers are increasing at a rapid rate. Second, the industry’s renewed focus on innovation and marketing in response [...]

Today’s children are a generation of snackers – and they’re not eating nuts and berries. U.S. children consume more than 27 percent of their daily calories from snacks, most of it sugary, salty, high-fat junk, according to a new study in the journal Health Affairs. That equates to nearly three snacks a day, an increase [...]

The 2008 U.S. Health and Diet Survey of more than 2,500 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia found that, for the first time, more than half of those surveyed “often” read a label the first time they buy a product. Yet, while the number of consumers reading a food label the [...]

“Manufacturers aren’t seeing a huge potential in energy candy and snacks,” she said. “The popularity of energy hasn’t really extended to other products. A big drawback in the energy market is the taste. Caffeine can make things taste bitter.”
Convenience Store News

Will Walmart, not Whole Foods, save the small farm and make America healthy?

The Atlantic

The problem: It’s not easy to know what prompts people to buy soup, except for something warm to eat on a frosty day. When asked why they eat more soup or not, people tend to “say they don’t think of it,” says Doug Conant, Campbell’s chief executive.
The company hopes the label and display changes will [...]

Despite clear signs that the economy is improving, U.S. consumers are still exercising caution with regard to small purchases, according to The Harris Poll of 2,576 adults surveyed online between Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 by New York-based Harris Interactive. For instance, the poll found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults (63 percent) said they [...]

General Mills is evoking childhood nostalgia by launching five of its best-selling cereals in retro boxes.
The cereals—which are part of General Mills’ “Big G” moniker—include Trix, Honey Nut Cheerios, Cheerios, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms. The limited edition versions will start appearing on shelves at Target stores this weekend as part of a monthlong [...]