October 12th: What's new in the industry this week?

Featured Trend

Pumpkin Spice – Love it or hate it?

?? Fall is in the air, which means it’s pumpkin spice time! This inviting mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and occasionally allspice, is appearing in a growing array of products that seem to debut sooner each year.

? When it comes to a surge from low to high sales, no other flavor captivates America as Pumpkin Spice does

To learn more about the history of pumpkin spice, how the flavor is performing, and where it’s seeing success, check out our latest in-depth look on Pumpkin Spice: America’s Top Trending Flavor

In the meantime, here’s what we’re reading:

Latest Webinars

• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Meat & Dairy
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Center Store
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Beverages
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Plant-Based
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Industry & Retail Trends
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: VMS
• 2023 Mid Year Trends: Pet

Latest from SPINS

• State of the Industry (VMS) – Deck
• Food For Thought: Injecting Excitement Into Stagnant Categories - Deck
• Superbowl Retail Insights – Deck
• New Years Retail Insights - Deck
• Winter Retail Insights - Deck
• Innovation Lockdown: The Pandemic’s Impact on Retail Launches - Deck
• Thanksgiving Retail Insights 2023 - Deck

General Industry News

• Shoppers say inflation will impact their Halloween candy spending
• Instacart working on impact of health foods study
• Sprouts opens Southern California distribution center
• Target increases PCR in packaging, slides on virgin plastic reduction
• Giant Eagle relaunches private brand Nature’s Basket
• Costco sued for unlawfully sharing pharmacy patient health care data
• Debunking generative AI myths for grocers
• Grocery store prices are rising due to inflation. Social media users want to talk about it
• Why grocery brands are striking exclusive distribution deals with retailers
• California bans four ingredients
• Walmart and Costco Agree to ‘Aggressive’ Price Cuts on Food After Canada Turns Up the Heat

Snack & Beverages

New in Snacking

• Citation Capital acquires better-for-you snack company, Cibo Vita
• Sharks on Shark Tank take bite out of low-calorie chocolate brand
• Skippy P.B. Bites add new varieties

New in Beverages

• PepsiCo monitoring impact of weight loss drugs, but says early impact on sales is ‘negligible’
• NACS: Keurig Dr Pepper Ignites C4, Revamps Bai
• STōK Cold Brew is 'on the leading edge' of Danone North America’s growth strategy
• Coca-Cola to sharply cut distribution of Aha sparkling water as sales decline

Center of Store

New in Center of Store

• Conagra sales, volume slip as shifting shopping habits ‘elongate’ volume recovery
• PepsiCo takes Quaker into breakfast cereal category

New in Baked Goods & Bread

• Bakery worker shortage poised to balloon by 2030
• BBU’s The Rustik Oven adds sliced sandwich loaves
• Ardent Mills adds to ingredient portfolio

New in Frozen

• TOAST-IT secures Shark Tank investment from KIND founder to bring Venezuelan foods to more frozen aisles
• Frozen food maker, Ruiz Food to expand in California

Plant, Protein & Dairy

New in Protein

• Turkey continues to grow as year-round protein
• Utah reports HPAI in two turkey flocks
• Flavored bacon keeps on sizzling
• Kirkland RTE ham contaminated with Listeria
• Meati Foods enters snacking segment
• Heüra Foods unveils plant-based cold cuts made with ‘simple, scalable’ novel texturizing tech, aims for profitability by 2025
• Alternative protein poised to solve seafood supply and demand imbalance
• Cultivated fish company secures $7 million

New in Cheese & Other Dairy

• Walmart pouring $350M into new dairy facility
• Butter Prices Are On Fire, And Milk Prices Are Now Improving: Is Dairy The Cinderella Story For 2024?

Non-Food

New in Vitamin & Supplements

• Should we reframe the way we talk about gut microbiome health?
• DMAA tragedy gave rise to model military supplement education program
• Immunity plus: The latest trend in dietary supplements
• The water is fine’: Plant protein moves into mainstream

New in Personal Care

• L’Oréal Alumna Allie Mann Launches Public Spirit To Reinvent The Purpose-Driven Brand Model
• Period Care Competitors Join Forces To Fight The Tampon Tax
• Nick Jones, Charlie Bradshaw Invest in Subscription Skin Care Brand You’re Looking Well
• New California bills will require large personal care companies to disclose carbon emissions and climate risk

New in Pet

• Cereal giant Post Holdings moves deeper into pet food with $235M acquisition
• Voff Pet Food acquires Dutch Carnibest
• 3 European pet food, ingredient companies launch expansions
• Wolf microbiome holds potential dog probiotic