Blog

While the impact of the pandemic first showed up in global markets and financial projections several months ago, the downstream effects on employment are still being revealed daily.

Over the past few months—as people across the country sheltered in place—third-party food delivery became a vital channel for the restaurant industry. And while restaurant dining rooms are now starting to reopen, it’s clear the pandemic has impacted consumer behavior for the long haul.

The current reality of food shopping has shifted, and grocery stores have stepped up to make item availability, health, and safety a priority for customers. With new information being released every day, consumer preferences are changing by region.

Like you, we’re adjusting to a new normal, where all interactions—from collaborating with co-workers to purchasing products—are being fundamentally transformed.

Industries across the board are having to prove their agility to keep up with the ever-evolving needs and expectations of customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In such uncertain times, it's the brands that remain responsive and adaptive that will win customer loyalty and stay ahead of the curve.

Some say you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. This may be true in your personal life, but when it comes to your business, if you don’t know where you stand, how can you begin to get better?

Third-party delivery has been a huge disruption to the restaurant industry. It was just over a year ago that we published our report, 4 things every restaurant needs to know about third-party delivery, and we’ve continued to keep a close watch over the trend.

Having an Amazon Prime membership is becoming a standard across the country. In fact, eMarketer predicts that by the end of the year, 51.3% of U.S. households will subscribe to Amazon Prime...

It’s no secret that consumer habits have changed, especially when it comes to food and beverage purchases. With revamped offerings at convenience stores (c-stores), the widespread popularity of online meal kits, and (of course) Amazon, the battle for customers’ “share of stomach” is being fought across a multitude of industries.

While the halftime performance and big-budget commercials drew mixed reviews, nearly everyone can agree that the game itself, though still technically football, was pretty lackluster.

The battle for “share of stomach” is on, and the fight to win more (and in some cases, simply retain) customers has only intensified.

Grabbing a quick bite to eat used to mean pulling up to your favorite fast food restaurant for a burger and fries. But with the rise of food and beverage purchases from convenience stores (c-stores) over the past few years, this assumption is no longer.

Gas stations of the past had a bit of a stigma. They were a pit stop—a place to fuel up, buy a lottery ticket, and use the restroom (if you dared). If you were hungry, options were pretty limited to prepackaged items like beef jerky or a bag of chips—so if you wanted something more substantial, it usually required another stop at the closest fast food joint.

It’s been more than a year since Amazon made a big splash in the grocery world by purchasing Whole Foods, an acquisition that came as a surprise to many in the industry. Critics have voiced pros and cons of the merger, listing price cuts and delivery options as the bigger perks for Amazon Prime members.

Since eBay and Amazon launched in 1995, e-commerce has represented a lot of things for traditional retailers. First, unfamiliar territory. Then, endless opportunity for some (and end of days for others). Now, in the age of the cross-channel customer journey, it’s table stakes for customer conversion.

Life is hard—dinner shouldn’t have to be. That’s the basic principle that’s been driving the convenience economy in the restaurant industry for decades. Today’s consumers are ordering through mobile apps with food delivered right to their doorsteps—but a lot can happen in between.

It’s been more than a year since Amazon acquired Whole Foods—a merger that promised to change the brand of the American specialty supermarket chain. Along with daily discounts exclusive to Amazon Prime members, more and more stores are offering pick-up lockers (AMZN.O) and free delivery for Prime customers. One of the more notable changes was last week’s first-ever Whole Foods Prime Week promotion.

The German-based grocery giant Lidl broke into the U.S. market a year ago, enduring its share of both accomplishments and challenges. While most locations opened with high sales volumes, only some stores were able to demonstrate continued success. Due to this inconsistency, Lidl temporarily halted expansion and is likely facing a few questions:

Unless it was your first Valentine’s Day, you pretty much knew what to expect: chocolate, flowers, jewelry, etc. While those romantic gestures certainly add a nice touch, perhaps the best part of Valentine’s Day is having an excuse for a fun night on the town. And that makes it an extremely important night for restaurant brands. To see how casual concepts fared this year, we turned to our market intelligence tool BrandGeek®—the fastest, most accurate source of behavioral data linked to customer feedback in real time.

For even the most well established brands, a new concept breaking into your market can be a challenge. Today’s consumers like to have options and can be easily tempted by the newest, shiniest brand on the block—especially if it saves them money, provides high-quality products, or offers a unique service. Such is the case with Lidl, the German-based grocery giant that began expanding into select U.S. markets in June 2017. With everyone in the grocery industry anxious to see how the new concept fares, we used our market intelligence tool BrandGeek® to see what’s in store and how established brands can prepare.