Weekly Roundup – Week of 10.16.23
October 20, 2023
Explore this week’s top trending stores from the food and beverage industry – curated by our team of strategists and food enthusiasts:
Top Restaurant Industry Events To Attend In 2024
Restaurant Dive has prepared a list of 9 industry events worth attending in 2024 with topics covering a range of current operator pain points from addressing economic strategies to budding technologies. March hosts several notable conferences such as MURTEC, the Multi-unit Restaurant Technology Conference, with speakers from top chains like Dave’s Hot Chicken, Mod Pizza, and Taco Bell. Curbivore will also be held this month with a focus on merging restaurants, retail, and delivery industries. The Restaurant Leadership Conference and NRA also made the list. Find details on all 9, Here.
C-Store Brands Prioritize Private Label Products
While big national brands stand out on C-Store shelves and in refrigerated units, Circana found that “sales of private label products were up 7% in the first quarter of 2023 and 80% of consumers planned to buy private label brands more in the next six months.” TXB Stores, Casey’s, and 7-Eleven are just a fraction of retailers realizing strong sales of their private label brands. The number of units, forecast volume, packaging, shelf space, and promotions are all areas C-Stores need to consider in creating a successful private label program. Learn More.
Yelp Eradicates Fake Reviews
Yelp, a primary hub for restaurant reviews, prohibits what it calls “compensated activity” and is calling out restaurants who violate this policy. In fact, the platform places a pop-up warning on restaurants’ Yelp pages informing consumers that reviews were made in exchange for payment in the form of cash, discounts, or gift cards. Yelp explains that this activity not only hurts consumers, but also other businesses that follow honest practices. A 2023 study found that 20% of Yelp reviews were fake and in 2022, the platform removed more than 700,000 reviews for violating its policies. Consumers have a right to their opinions, and Yelp is trying to regain confidence in the authenticity of its reviews. Read Article.
10 Food Trends Top Whole Foods Market’s List
In its ninth year, Whole Foods Market’s 50+ member Trends Council released its forecasted trends for 2024 with examples of brands to shop for that align with these trends. Getting back to basics in the plant-based category, complex heat, and women’s health all made the list. In addition, ingredients such as noodles, whole cacao, and buckwheat also found a place within the forecasted trends. Learn about all 10 trends, Now.
Let’s Talk
Top execs from Mars Wrigley’s and GetGo convenience store chain share trends, business priorities, and strategies for success in recent Q&As with CNBC and C-Store Dive, respectively. Tim Lebel, Mars Wrigley’s president of sales, revealed how the company prepared for the Halloween season two years in advance and what sweet tricks it has for new product introductions, supporting its tried-and-true portfolio of brands, and increasing its online shopping platform. “48% of Halloween candy sales happen during the last week of October,” according to LeBel. “Those last-minute shoppers mean that candy manufacturers and retailers need to be ready to meet that demand.”
Terry Micklin, president of GetGo Café + Market, the C-Store division of the grocery chain Eagle Giant, discussed her top priorities for the chain after her first six months in the role, how she plans to enhance the structure of GetGo’s loyalty program, and what types of technology improvements the chain expects to make in the upcoming year. “This notion right now of personalization… that’s what I want to convey more than anything else. It’s what will differentiate us and what makes us fit for the future and allows us to grow off of our plans,” explained Micklin.
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