Grinds and Crumbs

Trending with Tracie: Speaking of Cravings

Snacking is a part of our culture. Long gone are the days where 3 meals a day are the norm, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that American consumers have once again turned to snacks for comfort and enjoyment. Based on NPD’s latest Snack Food Behaviors in Challenging Times study, snack food consumption has increased 8% during the pandemic as folks look to comfort food with savory and sweet snacks in mind.

Trending with Tracie: Changes

There’s one thing that I don’t ever skimp on, and that’s my morning java. I’ve been WFH lately and can’t order my favorite oat milk latte from my local coffee shop craftily made by my barista Julien. But, as we’ve all had to, I’ve learned to adjust, and it looks like most consumers have too. Peet’s Coffee, which got its start in 1966 in Berkeley and has grown to 200 locations, saw a 70% increase in subscription orders fulfilled in May 2020 as compared to May 2019.

Trending with Tracie: Let’s Get Innovative

Gary Erickson founded Clif Bar almost 30 years ago with a goal of making a better energy bar with both nutritious and quality ingredients. Fast forward to 2020, and Clif Bar announces Sally Grimes as its new CEO. A globally recognized CPG leader, Grimes most recently served as Group President at Tyson Foods where she was responsible for the $10 billion Prepared Foods business.

Trending with Tracie: Fresh Ideas

Chocolate milk isn’t just for kids anymore. La Colombe recently released its very first product from its Fresh Ideas limited-batch innovation hub and let me tell you… it’s spectacular! They’ve taken a childhood favorite drink and added their patented nitrous oxide process to give it that signature draft mouth-feel and brought us a high-quality chocolate in a lactose-free milk experience.