According to Mintel, an independent provider of market research, sales at the 16 leading pizza restaurants grew only 1.2% into 2008 to $16.6 billion. Among the challenges facing pizza providers is the public’s desire for healthier products as opposed to “high-calorie, high-fat pizza offerings and limited menu variety, which may be more of a turn-off [...]
Making your mark in the convenience store industry requires hard work, dedication, great people and outstanding service. Throw in three generations of family-owned leadership and a firm commitment to quality and value, and you’ll understand why High’s of Baltimore Inc. is among one of the most revered operators in its markets. “Our brand has been [...]
DID YOU KNOW? After several years of decline, the frozen novelties category was up close to 2% for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009. Retailers can expect to see more customers eating at home, searching for value on purchases and buying more healthful food items, according to the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA). [...]
The first sports and energy bars in the U.S. were marketed primarily to serious athletes, through alternative channels such as health food stores. These bars did not have wide appeal or distribution as recently as 1990, but over the past two decades these products have since gained mass appeal and distribution after greatly improving flavor [...]
Students and faculty now have healthier snack options to eat on-the-go, as Del Monte fresh fruit and vegetables are being sold in vending machines across university, college and school campuses, nationwide. The University of Notre Dame, The University of Miami and Miami-Dade College are among the first higher education institutions taking concrete steps to help [...]
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) has released “What’s In Store 2010″, a trends report that reveals which consumer shopping trends will have the most impact in the next five years. According to the report, the demand for low prices, health and wellbeing, convenience, sustainability, and food safety and quality are the trends to [...]
For the third consecutive year, Diet Coke is partnering with Klum and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in a national heart health awareness campaign called The Heart Truth. To bring heart health into the spotlight during February, American Heart Month, Diet Coke will distribute special limited-edition packaging in support of the campaign. [...]
In his FY 2011 budget proposal, President Barack Obama addressed the need for bringing healthy food options to underserved communities by calling for more than $400 million in investments in new and expanded supermarkets, farmers markets and other food stores. The public-private grant and loan program would dramatically reduce the roughly 23 million Americans who [...]
Now that customers are used to finding fresh food at their local c- stores the pressure is on the roller grill to maintain its share of foodservice sales. Thanks to the innovation of retailers and suppliers alike, the roller grill continues to turn out strong sales. Chains are bundling meals with fountain drinks and chips [...]
Most convenience store operators don’t offer a whole lot of seafood on their menus, which is usually fine, because convenience store customers aren’t looking for seafood. Logistical issues, product-paucity, quality and food safety concerns are among the fears retailers have about investing in the seafood segment. But given seafood’s health benefits and generally growing popularity [...]
Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. is getting into fresh foods and prepared meals to draw “time-starved” customers to its more than 7,000 stores, Business Week reported The drugstore chain has been talking with foodmakers including Unilever NV, Nestle SA and Sara Lee Corp. about creating private-label and branded products, according to Bryan Pugh, vice president of [...]
Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip opened its first Tucson, Ariz. c-store at 2345 E. Irvington Road on Wednesday night, ahead of it’s scheduled opening Thursday morning. On Wednesday night, “we were just standing around taking pictures; we were ready to go, and finally we just took the barricades down and let them in . . . about [...]
In the midst of the recession, more consumers are opting for at-home entertainment, which is good news for the salty snacks category. This trend may account for a jump in sales of chips and popcorn, the quintessential counterparts for an at-home movie. Last year, salty snack sales totaled $4,962 with a profit of $1,867, a [...]
Tea Truths The U.S. is the birthplace of iced tea. More than 80% of tea consumed here is still sold as an iced drink. Tea sales in the U.S. are expected to exceed a phenomenal $10 billion in 2010 for both beverage and non-beverage categories, according to Worldteaexpo.com In the U.S., 37% of consumers prefer [...]
The milkman is making his rounds in Mountain Top, Penn. Good2Go is enhancing its convenience offering by providing residents the option of having fresh, all-natural and organic products delivered directly to their front doors. When partners Awais Ahmad, V.J. George and Thomas Job opened the store in September 2008, they had no idea how popular [...]