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Category management leverages insights

Technology, research provide retail solutions
Jennifer Zegler
April 13, 2012
When it comes to category management, retail experts often agree that beverage manufacturers are on the leading edge of understanding assortment and placement of their products within retail outlets. Paul Weitzel, managing partner at Willard Bishop, Barrington, Ill., attributes part of the segment’s success to the direct store distribution (DSD) system used by many manufacturers.
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Interacting with technology to boost sales

Vending rolls out new payment options and interactive models
January 16, 2012
As the vending channel looks to grow its user base, beverage companies, suppliers and organizations such as the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) are seeking more ways to enhance the vending experience and increase consumer usage.
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Competitive spirit spurs new formats

Larger retailers get creative to compete for market share
jessica Jacobsen
Jessica Jacobsen
December 13, 2011
As non-traditional grocery retailers see more competition from dollar store formats and wholesale club stores, mass merchandisers and supercenters are enlisting new ways to grow their consumer bases.
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NACS Show highlights new products, energized and functional innovations

November 16, 2011
More than 22,300 attendees visited the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago from Oct. 1-4. This year’s event featured a record number of international attendees from 58 countries, the association said. The NACS Show featured a 387,000-plus net square foot exposition floor with 1,333 exhibiting companies, including 324 companies new to the show. The following is a highlight of beverage-related features during the show.


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Coca-Cola shares plans to advance sales momentum in North American market

November 16, 2011
The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, at its North America Market Tour event in Houston in late September highlighted the company’s North American roadmap for growth goals, which are to build strong brands, translate brand value into customer value, and build the capability to sustain and repeat success in the region. Sandy Douglas, president of Coca-Cola North America, and Steve Cahillane, president and chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Refreshments, noted the benefits of bringing together portions of The Coca-Cola Co., Coca-Cola Enterprises and the bottling investments group as Coca-Cola Refreshments.
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Trailblazing the path to success

Better-for-you trends help natural foods sector grow
Stephanie Cernivec
October 12, 2011
These days, consumers have a plethora of choices to make while they’re shopping for beverages. Besides the flavor, brand or product type, they’re bombarded with statements like “low sodium,” “low calorie,” “natural” and “organic.” According to “Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition,” from market research publisher Packaged Facts, New York, 37 percent of U.S. adults buy organic groceries and 56 percent of U.S. adults buy packaged food products marketed as “all natural.” 

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Schools continue healthy focus

Beverages, packaging address school guidelines
jessica Jacobsen
Jessica Jacobsen
September 12, 2011
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Some guidelines in reference to beverages include reducing intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, monitoring intake of 100 percent juice for children and adolescents, and consuming soy-fortified beverages.
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Improving a new product’s shelf esteem

Placement, pricing are key factors to launch success
Jennifer Zegler
September 12, 2011

One of the keys to success can be as simple as: “location, location, location.” For developers of new beverages, the phrase is not as cliché as it sounds. Not only are consumers shopping across more channels than ever, retailers are offering more spaces for beverages, too.


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Foodservice channel making strides

Fast-casual restaurants a bright spot for industry
jessica Jacobsen
Jessica Jacobsen
July 11, 2011

As restaurant operators continue to recover from the effects of the recession, fast-casual restaurants have received positive marks from analysts. According to Chicago-based Technomic Inc.’s 2011 Top Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report, the foodservice segment outpaced the rest of the restaurant industry in 2010, with the top 100 chains growing 6 percent to nearly $18.9 billion. The total units grew 3.9 percent, which was slower than last year, but faster than other dining segments, according to the report.


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A future in store

New platforms drive innovation, opportunity in retail engagement
June 20, 2011

Technology has made nearly everything shoppable in recent years, from billboards to social media sites. If the 2010 holiday shopping season was any indication, it’s serving as an increasingly important tool for consumers making purchasing decisions. This past holiday season marked the point when smartphones and other interactive technologies switched from “novelty to something that the average shopper [was] excited about because of the utility that technology affords,” says Alexandra Smith, a global analyst at Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International Group.


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