Acquisition will expand service offerings and present new opportunities for consumer packaged goods brands Jacksonville, Fla. (June 24, 2021) — Today Acosta announced it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Impact Group, a dynamic sales and marketing agency with a national presence and local market expertise in natural, specialty, ethnic and emerging brands. By bringing the two companies together, Acosta is creating the industry’s preeminent sales and marketing agency, supporting these rapidly growing categories. Acosta and Impact Group provide highly complementary services, and this ..read more

As we head into the back half of 2021 we can expect to see current dairy and non-dairy sales trends to continue. The pandemic created new opportunities for non-dairy brands to reach health conscious consumers. More occasions for at-home meals and an increased desire for functional ingredients played a role in the increase of non-dairy purchases. “In the total market, declining dairy sales have been partially offset by growth in the non-dairy market. Non-dairy milks, which include well-known alternatives such as almond milk and new entrants such as oat milk, experienced 54% growth from 2015-19 ..read more

As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are placing a higher priority on healthy snacking. Dairy-based snacks are gaining traction as a healthy alternative to conventional snacks due to their rich nutritional profile (think high levels of calcium, protein, and improved digestion from helpful probiotics). The dairy snack market is segmented by product type into cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and other types. According to the USDA, cheese consumption has grown 43% over the past 25 years. Furthermore, “the U.S. cheese market size was valued at $34.3 billion in 2019 and is projected to grow ..read more

As summer is approaching, people want to enjoy a summertime favorite, Ice Cream!  The Conventional Positioning group has the most variance dollars with modest growth performance.  Not too far behind in variance dollars, is the Natural positioning group, which has the second highest growth rate.  The Specialty & Wellness positioning group has the best growth rate but with the lowest variance dollars.  Of note, is the combined variance dollars of the Natural and Specialty & Wellness positioning groups, being over $100M of the Conventional positioning group.  Also ..read more

Click here to view update The post Impact Group’s Q2 Update: Beyond the Barcode appeared first on Impact Group ..read more

As many people are still working from home they are spending on Coffee & Tea.  The Specialty & Wellness positioning group had the most variance dollars and highest growth performance, an indicator folks are venturing out with their Coffee & Tea routines/varieties.  The Conventional Positioning group is close behind in variance dollars, but growth is more modest.  The Natural positioning group had less variance dollars but the second highest growth rate.  See chart below: Although Shelf Stable Coffee had the highest variance dollars, the Ready To Drink (RTD) cat ..read more

In the COVID-19 pandemic, tea has become a go-to drink. According to Mintel, “Launch activity shows a continued focus on ethical, natural, functional and sugar-free claims. Being a comforting and healthy drink, tea has become a go-to drink in the pandemic. With more people working from home, tea occasions have moved rapidly back towards the home.” What we’re seeing now are numerous sparkling tea launches, as well as sugar free and functional tea launches. Tea brands are focusing on biodegradable packaging to address environmental concerns. In the next two years Holistic health becomes a growi ..read more

It may be a cold winter, but Frozen Food sales are hot!  All three of SPINS Positioning Groups had double-digit growth performance with the Conventional Positioning group having the most variance dollars on 21% growth.  The Specialty & Wellness and Natural Positioning groups had similar variance dollars with both at 27% growth.  See chart below: All the Frozen Food categories had double-digit growth; with Meat, Poultry, & Seafood, Entrees, and Desserts having 80% of the total variance dollars.  Plant Based Meat Alternatives had the highest growth rate.  See ch ..read more

2020 proved to be a big year for the frozen snack industry. The pandemic encouraged larger baskets as consumers hunkered down and stocked their freezers. To compensate for the absence of dining-out options, consumers took to the frozen aisle to purchase their hors d’oeuvres. The frozen snack category is projected to continue its overall growth through 2025, but brands will need to address a few concerns if they hope to attract new consumers in the long run. “As it has with other convenience and value-centric foods positioned in the center of store, COVID-19 has triggered a surge in frozen ..read more

Daily multivitamins are no longer a one-size-fits-all application. Customized ingredients that target individual needs, along with the belief that a few tests can accurately project which vitamins and minerals an individual needs, is now the wave of the future.  The personalization trend is all about complementing, not interrupting, the natural rhythms of a consumer’s body. Beyond health and lifestyle surveys, consumers can undergo genetic testing, microbiome testing, and biomarker tests to discover their specific needs. “From home-testing kits that distinguish deficiencies to swallowable ..read more