Articles by Jessica Jacobsen

Consumers are EQUIPPED with a number of tricks to help them save a few dollars when it comes to grocery shopping. Coupons, rewards cards, mail-in rebates and mobile apps are just a few ways to show off thrifty skills. But as much as these resources play a role in their saving habits, they also can limit where consumers shop and how much they buy. Enter the warehouse/club stores.

After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, soccer fans have seen their fair share of golazos — the Spanish and Portuguese word for brilliant goals.

As beverage manufacturers get more creative in their product development, more beverages seem to be blurring category lines. One category that has been both aided and challenged by this multi-platform approach is the energy drink category.

This summer seems to be all about celebratory beverages, as readers are showing favor with spirits and alternative beverages that support a night out on the patio or on the town. In Beverage Industry’s June New Products poll, readers voted tropical rum beverage Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum as the top beverage posted on www.bevindustry.com during the month.

Among the iconic, long-standing TV programs that Americans tune in to, one factor can be vital to their longevity: evolution. In “The Simpsons,” Lisa goes from always wanting a pony as a pet to being a vegetarian and a mini-activist, whereas Walter White went from being a desperate chemistry teacher to a drug lord in “Breaking Bad.”

Whether overcoming residuals from the economic recession or more immediate factors, the foodservice channel has faced its share of challenges in recent years.

Although the term mixologist is commonly referenced in association with alcohol products, innovations within the drink mix category are allowing consumers to become mixologists in the non-alcohol arena.

As the weather warms up, it looks as though people are finding favor with iced varieties to give themselves a little pick me up. In Beverage Industry’s May New Products poll, readers voted Verve MoJoe as the top release posted on www.bevindustry.com during the month.

For many people, getting “inked” is a way to express their individuality. Although not quite the same as tattoos, inks and coatings in the beverage industry can be an important element to help brand owners set their products apart on the store shelf.

Consumers’ desires for choices have no doubt had impacts on the beverage marketplace. SKU proliferation has altered the look of the everyday shopping trip.