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In 2016, it was estimated that only about 4% of all groceries sold in the U.S. were purchased online. That figure is expected to reach 20%, if not more, within the next ten years. As those numbers grow, retailers are starting to gain some insight into the purchasing habits of online consumers. One that is proving most notable is that when U.S. consumers purchase groceries online from majo … read more

Grab-and-go and freshly prepared meals are both trending food options that allow convenience stores to compete with supermarkets to build loyalty and increase sales. But offering these fresh food options requires a plan and the right tools to give today’s informed consumers the fresh, local, clean and convenient food they demand. Consumers in general are more informed and have beco … read more

Millennials love grab-and-go food—pre-packaged, ready-to-eat food items often sold at retail locations. In the past, these items were viewed by some as a lower-quality food offering, but that has changed. Grab-and-go food items today are well accepted and can be found anywhere from upscale hotel lobbies to convenience stores to schools and universities. A 2014 study by Consumer Tren … read more

In September 2018, Amazon opened its fourth Amazon Go store, this time in Chicago. If convenience store operators assumed there would be long lines of people eagerly awaiting the store opening, they would be wrong. Instead, there was quite a bit of hesitancy among potential shoppers. Many just had too many questions and concerns about the store to rush right in. Flashing through lots of … read more

For many Millennials, home ownership may be beyond their means—at least for now. This means roomy, well-provisioned kitchens next to comfortable dining rooms for family, partners and guests may not be in the foreseeable future. However, it appears that this is not a concern for most Millennials. Dining out—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—is not only typical, but for many, preferab … read more

According to a recently published study*, about one third of people ages 20- to 39-years old in the United States are overweight or obese. The reasons for this are many, including a lack of physical activity, unhealthy dietary habits and little or no knowledge about food and nutrition. Surprisingly, the study found that college students tend to be more overweight than those not atte … read more

Imagine, for a moment, a back-of-house automation solution that addresses everything from labeling to training and that can be accessed most anywhere in the world. Imagine that this solution is a cloud-based application, designed for use in restaurants, convenience stores and grab-and-go outlets, as well as in noncommercial kitchens, such as those in schools and universities. Now imagin … read more

Every day, foodservice operators find themselves facing new challenges with food labeling. Perhaps the biggest change recently took place in May 2018, when new menu-labeling regulations were adopted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Applying specifically to chain restaurants and similar retail food establishments of 20 locations or more, the law requires that food outl … read more

The rise of automated food labeling platforms is making the process of manual labeling seem antiquated. Food labels placed on items in supermarkets have been a complicated subject for quite some time.  One specific area of concern for grocery store managers and retailers is manually date labeling food items and the time that it takes to do so. Some food retailers al … read more

Depending on which studies you read, the grab-and-go (GNG) industry has been — and continues to be — a booming industry. According to Richard Macomb, a UK-based writer that follows grab-and-go trends, “it’s a booming sector fueling our busy lives.” The reason he gives for this rapid growth is that GNG has offered so much convenience and “convenience is king”. He also refers to grab- … read more