Articles by Tom Vierhile

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Snack Attack: Snack Processors Stay Busy to Help Consumers Battle Pandemic Stress

Concern about ingredient and packaging supply chains result in new product introduction declines

March 24, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disaster for so many industries, but snack food products actually prospered during the chaos that defined 2020.

Cleveland Kitchen Backyard Ranch Dressing

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Sauces, Dressings & Spreads: Taste the Trends

New product numbers may be down—but flavor, health drive excitement

Tom Vierhile

March 23, 2021

Six in 10 consumers say they are cooking more at home—the single biggest change in behavior and one that sounds bullish for sauce, dressing, condiment, and spread makers.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Candy Makers Turn Up the Creativity to Keep Consumer Interest

COVID-19 has dimmed the prospects for specialty chocolate retail stores as the pandemic pushes consumers to grocery stores and online distribution channels

Tom Vierhile

March 9, 2021

Want to talk candy trends? It’s not unusual to talk about new offerings combining both sweet and sour flavors. Then again, sweet and sour also describes life itself the candy industry.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

New Cereals, Bars Deliver Everything from at-Home Indulgence to Nutritional Boosts

The COVID-19 pandemic that forced consumers into new work-at-home and eat-at-home routines, reversed years of tepid sales

Tom Vierhile

March 9, 2021

Years of tepid sales quickly reversed with a COVID-19 pandemic that forced consumers into new work-at-home and eat-at-home routines. This certainly helped boost packaged breakfast food sales.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

New Bakery Product Numbers are Down but Creativity Rises to the Occasion

Enthusiasm for home baking did not translate into robust new product launch activity in 2020

Tom Vierhile

March 1, 2021

Bakery foods, especially baking ingredients, were one of the first categories to experience COVID-19-induced consumption gains in 2020. Last spring brought shelter-in-place orders and they unleashed a once-in-a-lifetime stampede for home baking supplies.

2020 RETAIL NEW PRODUCTS ANNUAL

Snacks Fill Daily In-Between Meal Cravings; Confections Balance Health, Indulgence

Snack innovation remains strong as consumers replace main meals with snacks

Tom Vierhile

March 26, 2020

This snack attack activity drove new product launches in meat snacks, snack mixes, and fruit-based snacks. Each enjoyed double-digit growth rates with meat snacks at the top of the heap, expanding at a 20.6% CAGR from 2014 to 2018.

2020 RETAIL NEW PRODUCTS ANNUAL

Cereals Celebrate Sweetness, Bars Category Continues to Diversify

Examining cereal and nutrition bar categories

Tom Vierhile

March 11, 2020

Cold cereal makers doubled down on sugar in 2019, tapping confectionery, ice cream, and sweet bakery flavor favorites to fuel innovation.

2020 RETAIL NEW PRODUCTS ANNUAL

Bakery Foods Take Aim at Health Trends, Indulgence

A survey of significant bakery launches

Tom Vierhile

March 6, 2020

Launches grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of less than 1% from 2014 to 2018, per the Innova Market Insights database. Unfortunately, last year's tally will not advance the cause. Yet plenty was happening if you knew where to look.

2020 RETAIL NEW PRODUCTS ANNUAL

Dressings, Sauces and Spreads Embrace Plant-Based Ingredients, Global Flavors

A survey of trends in the dressings, sauces and spreads categories

Tom Vierhile

February 17, 2020

According to a 2019 Innova Consumer Survey, 63% of global consumers are increasingly trying to incorporate plant ingredients in the diet. Not surprisingly, sauce, dressing and spread manufacturers have been finding creative ways to address the trend as well.

Retail State of the Industry | Bakery Foods

Bakers Embrace New Forms, Flavors and Healthful Ingredients

Better (For You) Baking

Tom Vierhile

July 22, 2019

Growing worries about the health effects of sugar and carbohydrates are pushing bakery food companies in new directions.

General Mills Launches 79 Limited-Edition Summer Products

Circana Highlights 2025 CPG Pacesetters

Bush’s Beans Debuts Summer-Inspired Flavors

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