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The annual The Food Retailing Industry Speaks (Speaks) report, released by FMI—The Food Industry Association, finds that in 2019 the food retail industry saw strong operational performance, which helped the industry face challenges in 2020. At the same time, outside forces including trade, credit/debit card interchange fees and health care costs impacted food retailers and kept profit margins steady.

New consumer insights reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way Americans are eating. Carbs are back, snacking is up and home cooks are experimenting with more partially plant-based, where meat or poultry may be blended with veggies, nuts or whole grains.

Stuck at home with no place to go coupled with the stress of a worldwide pandemic have caused many US consumers to put dieting on the back burner, except for dieters on keto and other lifestyle diets, like gluten-free and clean eating, reports The NPD Group. US adult participation in total diet or nutrition programs dropped from 48.3% in April 2019 to 43.8% in April 2020, while participation in the keto and other specialty diets remained unchanged in April from a year ago, according to NPD’s Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service.

Mintel predicts total market sales to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, with limited-service restaurants (LSRs) including fast food and fast casual restaurants, bouncing back more quickly and representing a notably larger share of the market.

The current tracker data shows consumer purchase motivators are shifting to satisfy psychological mood lifters and sensorial cravings as the coronavirus pandemic continues. While functional health and safety were found to be important during early stages of the pandemic, those motivators have decreased in importance as consumers report seeking out experiences to change their mood.

The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association released its latest COVID-19 Impact report. The report reflects how the current pandemic is impacting the bakery, dairy, deli meat, deli, cheese, and deli prepared sectors.

In April, during the height of the shelter-at-home orders, 37% of consumers told NPD they wanted to make sure they had sufficient snack foods on hand. They were well-stocked on salty snacks and frozen sweets more than other items.