trends

Trends: CBD Mainstreams

We’ve told you this before, but now a new study confirms that Cannabidiol (CBD) continues its mainstream appeal. According to a new NPD Group study, “With cannabis becoming legal in more states, it’s impossible to ignore the potential ramifications for the food and beverage industry.” That’s because CBD isn’t just for a select few people. Nearly 20 percent of adults have…

Trends: Top Cheese

With many gourmet retailers carrying cheese, here’s a rundown of the top cheeses in the recent 2019 American Cheese Society (ACS) Competition, held in Richmond, Va., in August. Beecher’ Handmade Cheese was a big winner taking home five awards. The cheesemaker’s aged clothbound cheese, Flagship Reserve, took first place in the clothbound cheddar category, making it one…

Retailing Outdoors

Traditionally a way to dump overstock merchandise and have fun with neighbors, street fairs and sidewalk sales are not as popular with independent retailers as they used to be. Most retailers interviewed for this story have participated in sidewalk sales in the past, but now have decided to take a pass on the events, citing staffing issues among other things. “We used to do…

Trends: Consumers Love Snacks

According to the NPD Group’s most recent survey, consumers love snacks! And why not. They like tasty, rich snacks, according to the NPD Group’s “Future of Snacking” report, which says consumers “are giving themselves permission to enjoy indulgent snacks.” For retailers with cooking programs, the trend is an interesting one. Why not consider adding classes on how to whip up…

CBD Products Emerge at Retail

While you still can’t order a CBD latte at Starbucks, the market for CBD (Cannabidiol) products is opening and already on the shelves of small retailers, as well as shown during the 2019 International Home + Housewares show last March. Cannabidiol is the non-THC part of the marijuana plant and can be seen in such housewares products as air diffusers, CBD oil sprays and…

Trends: How Much Coffee Do Consumers Drink?

Many retailers sell coffee and coffee equipment in their stores. But how much coffee do U.S. consumers drink daily? The National Coffee Association keeps tabs on such data. Here is the association’s recent look at coffee drinking trends in the United States: U.S. coffee drinkers consume about 3 cups a day on average. The Association reminds us that research suggests that…

Coffee’s Retail Buzz

Americans have been waking up to coffee for a while, but now even more U.S. consumers grab at least one cup of Joe every day. According to the latest National Coffee Data Trends report from the National Coffee Association, 63 percent of American adults drink coffee daily. “Coffee is America’s most beloved beverage—and for good reason” says William Murray, NCA president…

Trends: Tracking the Generations

Independent retailers are always challenged to gauge what their customers want, and with the wide range of consumer age groups out there—all with different aspirations and needs—that challenge is always changing. Researchers and marketers, too, struggle to figure this out. A couple of recent studies from two research groups shed a bit of light on the differences between the…

Stats: Experiences Drive Trends

People aren’t buying products, they are buying experiences. At least that’s the opinion of Tom Mirabile, the International Housewares Association’s trend expert, who spoke during the recent 2019 International Home + Housewares Show. Mirabile’s annual keynote, “Top Trend 2019: New Consumer Insights and How to Thrive in the Retail Revolution,” brought up a number of points about…