Web Exclusive Stories

RSS

A mere 15 years ago, shoppers looking for broth at the grocery store had limited choices. They could choose from chicken, beef and occasionally vegetable broth in large or small cans from one of a few of the big-name soup companies.

Whether it’s a grade-schooler tugging on mom’s skirt or a toddler stretching and pointing from their perch in the grocery cart, kids tend to get what they want when it comes to beverages they’ll be expected to drink, says the research.

In less time than it takes to download a movie or to get the charcoal lit, home cooks all over America are throwing together meals that are quick, satisfying and and nutritious for loved ones inevitably on the run.

Many companies have hundreds or thousands of different SKUs. Variety in product lines is necessary, because clients and consumers demand it. But, at what point does variety become too much? Offering every possible size combination, variety, and color may lead to operational problems. Varying run lengths, job changes and equipment changes also add complexity and inefficiencies to the operation and utilization of assets. More products do not always lead to more profit, and in fact, may lead to less.

A clear understanding of evolving consumer behavior helped McLean Design and new client PS Let’s Eat introduce an unfamiliar but über healthy European dairy product called German-style quark to a highly skeptical American market.

Amazon.com and Google are expanding into the world of online grocery shopping with convience purchasing and delivery options. How can brick and mortar stores stay relevant and emphasize the benefits and pleasure of shopping in person in this ever changing grocery marketplace?

To innovate in the crowded space of consumer-packaged goods, companies spend countless hours of effort optimizing their products to make them more desirable to consumers. But what happens when they’ve made the stuff inside the package as good as can be?

Now single-serve beverage coolers are taking up sizeable real estate ‘front-of-store’ at grocers, convenience stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers and more thanks to a strong and seemingly universal demand for a wide range of grab-and-go drinks.

 

Appearances can be deceiving. Millennials represent the fastest-growing segment of luxury goods-and-services purchasers, according to a recent study by American Express. Yet they are also giving rise to a new lifestyle that can be characterized in two words: frugal and green. 

The international community agrees: food waste is a problem of global proportion. The widespread inefficiencies caused by food waste highlight the need for packaging that prevents spoilage and extends shelf life, while still protecting the flavor and quality that consumers count on and providing the convenience they need. The metal can is an ideal format to help brands achieve these goals, proving its value as a waste prevention tool.