Weekly Roundup – Week of 12.5.2022

December 9, 2022

Today’s roundup highlights the latest food and beverage-related news stories from the week – all curated by our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:

Bold Colors Redefine What’s Healthy And Sustainable

The new digitally savvy generation of consumers desires creativity, diversity, and disruption with a health and wellness halo in their food choices. The term for this behavior is called Healthy Hedonism, according to a trend study by GNT Group. The report finds that “Gen Z shoppers are committed to holistic wellness and are actively promoting environmental and social agendas through their purchases. At the same time, their devotion to social media means that visual impact is more important than ever before.” Experimenting with natural colors is a way for food and color manufacturers to leverage these behaviors and provide more sustainable offerings. GNT’s research shows that color is a powerful tool that can be used to transmit moods or sensory experiences. Brands that adopt this visual and sensory language will appeal to this growing ensemble of conscious consumers seeking a kaleidoscope of colors in their foods while staying true to their values. Read More.

Walgreens’ On-Demand Service Delivers

Over the past couple of years, Walgreens has prioritized on-demand delivery service to satisfy customers’ desire for convenience and enhance overall customer experiences. The pharmacy chain first utilized DoorDash and DashPass for same-day delivery of health, wellness, and convenience items. Last year, Walgreens added Instacart to expand its same-day delivery to roughly 8,000 stores nationwide, allowing customers to order health, grocery, and over-the-counter medicine – with some locations delivering within an hour. Today, Walgreens is offering 24-hour, same-day delivery service to roughly 400 stores where consumers can access more than 27,000 products for delivery in about an hour. Stefanie Kruse, group vice president of digital commerce at Walgreens, said in a statement, “Walgreens knows that taking care of health and wellbeing isn’t exclusive to business hours and that needs can pop up at any time of day.” Learn More.

Restaurants Can Expect Patrons’ Jolly Return This Holiday

According to a new survey from the National Restaurant Association, most consumers indicate they plan to visit or order from restaurants now through the end of the year. In fact, NRA reports that “77% intend to order takeout or go out to eat—half of them plan to order takeout or delivery for a holiday gathering at home, while 57% plan to dine in.” Additional findings from NRA’s survey show that local restaurants are consumers’ main attraction with “94% of them planning to eat out at nearby establishments and 91% planning to order from them.” Restaurants that offer conveniences such as pre-packaged meal bundles, special deals, or loyalty program boosts will also help to increase traffic and offsite orders. See More.

‘Just Walk Out’ Technology Walks Into A Non-Amazon-Owned Grocer

Starting on December 16, Community Groceries located in Kansas City will begin using Amazon’s Just Walk Out and palm-scanning Amazon One technology. Why is this a big deal? Well, it signifies the first time a non-Amazon-owned grocer has implemented this technology in their stores. Furthermore, it also solidifies Amazon’s shift beyond online, Whole Foods, and Amazon Fresh stores, and its push into licensing its proprietary technology. Shoppers will insert their credit card or hover a palm over an Amazon One unit before entering the store. Just Walk Out technology then tracks items shoppers select and charges them for those items. Alyssa Groenig, director of sales and marketing for Community Groceries said, “Using Amazon’s two solutions will create a more efficient shopping experience.” And, Dilip Kumar, vice president of Amazon’s AWS Applications added, “Community Groceries is renowned for encouraging healthy lifestyles and focusing first and foremost on their local community, so we’re honored to have them as our first customer.” Get The Details.

More To Love

What are the most popular food-related terms people have searched on Google this year? The search engine giant has published its Year In Search list and has broken the list into specific categories. Here are a few highlights worth sharing:

• Recipes: Marry Me Chicken, The Bear Spaghetti, Jennifer Aniston Salad, Grinder Sandwich
• TikTok Recipes: Pink Sauce, Salmon Rice Bowl, Cowboy Caviar, Pot Roast
• Food Shortages: Avocado, Sriracha, Baby Formula, Lettuce

The Grinder Sandwich and Jennifer Aniston Salad were so popular, they qualified for both generic recipes and TikTok recipes categories. Can I get an ‘ohhh ya’?

Dirty Dough is evidently reported to be playing a little dirty with its larger, more well-known competitor, Crumbl Cookies. In fact, Crumbl Cookies filed a lawsuit against Dirty Dough stating the company copied its cookie design, packaging, logo, and recipes. Yet, Dirty Dough is not ready to crumble just yet. They’ve executed public warfare with billboard displays around the Salt Lake area stating, “so good we’re being sued” and have posted videos online poking fun at the suit. A third cookie baker has whisked its way into the mix, Crave Cookies. Crumbl is suing them too. Do you think Crumbl is warranted in its lawsuit, or do you take a the-more-the-merrier approach? You can battle it out here #UtahCookieWars.

Check out our blog next week for more newsworthy stories!