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Chicago — Circana, a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, recently released a new report providing a complete view of food and beverage consumption trends, both at home and away from home.
The 39th annual report, “Eating Patterns in America,” highlights a growing trend toward at-home dining over the past year, with 86% of eating occasions sourced from home.
While retail volumes show modest growth, foodservice traffic remains under pressure. However, significant opportunities remain in both sectors, with American consumers spending nearly $1.7 trillion annually on food and beverages. The report offers strategic insights for manufacturers, retailers, foodservice operators, and distributors aiming to better engage with their target consumers.
“Despite easing inflation, consumers continue to face the cumulative impact of several years of rising prices and ongoing economic challenges,” said David Portalatin, senior vice president and industry advisor, Food and Foodservice, Circana.
“With dining out costing four times more than eating at home, many are cutting back on restaurant visits. Meal patterns have shifted as consumers spend more time at home and adapt to new daily rhythms. However, convenience and health remain top priorities, with consumers willing to spend on products offering added benefits, especially in the beverage space, where innovation is rising to meet these demands.”
The report highlights several key findings, including:
- Home-Centric Dining: In the post-pandemic era, at-home food and beverage consumption remains a cornerstone of daily life. Regardless of where meals were sourced, consumers ate 116 more meals at home over the past year than they did pre-pandemic. As consumers seek the optimal balance between value and convenience, low price is not the sole driver of a compelling value proposition. New mobility patterns, inflationary pressures, and evolving attitudes around well-being offer opportunities to craft retail solutions that help consumers source meals, snacks, and beverages for both in-home and on-the-go occasions. While gains in away-from-home consumption are leveling off, fast casual restaurants are gaining market share. Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, some foodservice operators have demonstrated resilience and achieved growth. Focusing on efficiency, innovation in menu offerings and delivering value will be key to driving continued growth.
- Daypart Disruption: While breakfast, lunch, and dinner remain the primary meal occasions, their composition, timing, and sources are evolving to fit consumers’ daily routines. Breakfast now starts earlier, with mid-morning snacks away from home rising in popularity. Lunch has shifted significantly due to changes in workplace mobility, with lunchtime traffic falling to about half of pre-pandemic levels. Snack consumption is growing, with consumers increasingly preferring quick bites or meal replacements over larger meals. As snacking becomes more common throughout the day, the boundaries between traditional mealtimes will continue to blur.
- Beverage Innovation: Over the past year, beverage consumption has surged, particularly among coffee, carbonated soft drinks, and functional beverages. This rise in consumption is driven by manufacturers’ innovations aimed at addressing evolving consumer needs. Today’s beverages cater to various functional requirements, including hydration, energy, and nutrition. Coffee remains a daily staple for many, offering both comfort and an energy boost. Carbonated soft drinks continue to be popular for their refreshing qualities, while functional beverages are gaining traction for their added benefits, such as vitamins, electrolytes, and other health-enhancing ingredients. This trend reflects a broader movement toward beverages that serve as both enjoyable and functional components of daily life, adapting to changing lifestyles and preferences.
For more information or to purchase the full report, contact your Circana representative or click here.
About Circana
Circana is a leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior. Through superior technology, advanced analytics, cross-industry data, and deep expertise, we provide clarity that helps almost 7,000 of the world’s leading brands and retailers take action and unlock business growth. We understand more about the complete consumer, the complete store, and the complete wallet so our clients can go beyond the data to apply insights, ignite innovation, meet consumer demand, and outpace the competition. Learn more at circana.com.
The Allen Lund Company was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in Southern California by the Best Companies Group.
The selection process for applicants relied significantly on detailed employee surveys. Key factors such as corporate culture, training and development opportunities, salary and benefits, and overall employee satisfaction were crucial in identifying the top workplaces in Southern California.
Senior Director of Human Resources Matt Barnes stated, “We are excited to be recognized once again as one of the best places to work in Southern California. Our culture, growth opportunities, benefits, and especially our people, are all top flight. It is a well-earned acknowledgement that we will be proud to advertise.”
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with offices across North America and over 700 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers nationwide to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight. ALC manages over 550,000 loads a year and was designated by Transport Topics in 2024 as the 17th Top Freight Brokerage Firm. The Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, ranked 48th in the Transport Topics 2024 list of Top 100 Logistics Companies and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF. Please click here if you want to join the Allen Lund Company team.
Shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk is investing heavily in fleet renewal and plans to acquire up to 50-60 vessels capable of operating on dual fuel types, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol.
LNG is natural gas that has been reduced to liquid state, through process of cooling. Since 2010, the number of vessels fueled by the natural gas has grown between 20% and 40% yearly, according to SEA-LNG.
According to Maerks, the new fleets will be a mix of owned and chartered, in order to ensure that the company maintains a “strong financial and operational flexibility while continuing to own a significant part of its strategic tonnage.”
In line with Maersk’s commitment to decarbonization, all vessels will be dual-fuel with the intent to operate on low emission fuel.
The exact split of propulsion technologies will be determined considering the future regulatory framework and green fuels supply and approximately 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) will be owned capacity and the remaining 500,000 TEU is planned through time-charter agreements.
Both owned and chartered dual-fuel vessels will equal to 800,000 TEU.
According to Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk, the choice to expand can be attributed to shipyard orderbooks filling up quickly and lead time for vessel deliveries increasing significantly.
By Nick Mihalopoulos Controller ALC Finance
It was 1984, and Tina Turner had just released her smash hit, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” At this time, the U.S. was also exiting a period now known as The Great Inflation. During this period from the mid-60s to the early 80s, inflation peaked at more than 14% in 1980. The Vietnam War, increased government spending on social programs, and energy shortages all contributed to the Great Inflation. Now, fast forward 40 years to 2024, and we are exiting another period of high inflation, which peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 and is now down to 2.9% as of July 2024.
Equity markets are celebrating inflation being back down below 3%, but consumers still haven’t been able to find relief. This is in large part due to the fact that prices of essential items, such as those found in grocery stores, have increased by 20% over the last four years. So, what’s transportation got to do with this 20% increase? According to the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, truckload transportation rates have increased by 5.9% over the last four years and have decreased by 23% from their peak in May 2022. Since transportation doesn’t queue up Tina Turner’s hit song, we’ll need to look at other costs. For example, the average grocery store hourly wages over the last four years have increased by 26.5% from $16.98/hr to $21.48/hr. This outpaces the 19.4% wage increase of all employees during this time period.
Given this data, the current prices of grocery store items and other goods are here to stay. The positive in this data is that wage growth has kept up with these price increases, but like in any economy, workers in some sectors have seen higher increases than others. Inflation and grocery store prices have become major headlines as we near the November election. Both parties are making their case to the American people as to how their platform will better benefit the economy and stave off future inflationary periods. And if 1984 happens to be on the minds of party leaders, let’s hope they’re listening to Tina Turner and not reading George Orwell.
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Nick Mihalopoulos began his career with the Allen Lund Company in 2011 after previously working at PepsiCo. Mihalopoulos is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he earned a dual degree in Finance and Accountancy.
nick.mihalopoulos@allenlund.com
Peruvian agricultural exportsto the U.S. during the second quarter of 2024, hit $425 million, which was an impressive 17 percent more than the same period last year, according to Agraria.
Among the highest performers of Peruvian products were avocados, with just over 20 percent volume; followed by mandarins, with 12 percent; and asparagus, with 11.8 percent.
Avocado shipments accounted for 44,791 tons at $96 million, which was 11 percent more in volume and 35 percent more value than the second quarter of 2023. The price was higher by 21 percent, getting to $2.15 per kilogram.
As for mandarins, they increased with a total of 38,547 tons for $52 million. Compared to 2023, this was 16 percent more in volume and 31 percent more value. Similarly, the average product price was 13 percent higher, selling at $1.34 kilogram.
Finally, asparagus added 15,975 tons for a value of $51 million, which meant an 8 percent drop in volume and 13 percent in value. The price had a 5 percent drop, at $3.17 per kilogram.
Unicoi, TN – Lipman Family Farms is excited to announce the addition of Jones & Church Farms of Unicoi, Tennessee to the Lipman farming network. This acquisition underscores Lipman’s unwavering commitment to family farming, sustainable practices, and the expansion of fresh produce availability throughout the United States.
Jones & Church Farms aligns with Lipman’s dedication to supporting family-run businesses and increasing production capacity. Established in 1975, Jones & Church Farms is now entering its third generation, continuing its legacy of growing romas and round tomatoes during the July-October growing season. By investing in this critical tomato season and location , Lipman is doubling down on its commitment to supplying stable, year-round produce to its customers.
Family farming is central to Lipman Family Farms’ mission. Integrating Jones & Church Farms allows Lipman to honor the rich history and expertise of their local growing partnership. With family central to its culture, Lipman continues to acquire and support family-owned operations.
Jones & Church has been a close partner of Lipman since 1996 when they started buying and marketing their tomatoes after the opening of Custom Pak, Lipman’s repack operations. This partnership became instrumental in Lipman’s seasonal supply in the East, making them the first local growing partner with key customers during the summer months.
“The Jones & Church team has always provided top-quality product and been honorable and sincere partners, offering the best tomatoes in the country between the months of July-October,” said Elyse Lipman, CEO at Lipman Family Farms. “Now, our companies and families are joining forces. Together as Lipman, we are positioned stronger than ever to provide year-round supply to our customers with an expert team.”
ABOUT LIPMAN FAMILY FARMS
By creating authentic connections between our employees, customers, and communities for 75 years, Lipman Family Farms has become one of the nation’s largest integrated networks of growers, fresh-cut processors, and distributors of fresh produce. We pride ourselves in being an international company that remains family-owned, ensuring our ability to act as good stewards of our land and our people, creating growth that nourishes everyone. We are large enough to be local everywhere and are dedicated to being good from the ground up, providing solutions in research & development, field growing, greenhouse growing, procuring, packing, repacking, fresh-cut processing, distributing, food safety, and culinary development. Learn more at LipmanFamilyFarms.com.
In the USDA’s Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook, released in July, the institution reports U.S. fresh papaya imports surpassed the half-billion-pound mark for the first time last year, reaching a record of 501.2 million pounds.
The 2022 Census of Agriculture from USDA, NASS reports that very little acreage was used for tropical fruit production in the United States. Despite limited domestic production of tropical fruits, their popularity has increased exponentially in recent decades.
Papaya imports
The year 2023 marks the fifth consecutive year that the country has seen an increase in papaya import volumes. The report shows that higher imports pushed per capita availability to 1.51 pounds per person, a new high.
Twenty years ago, papaya per capita availability averaged 0.75 pound
Mexico is the largest papaya exporter, accounting for 82% of the volume on average over the last five years.
Earlier this year, fresh papaya imports decreased slightly, partly due to lower volumes from the second-largest exporter to the United States, Guatemala. Although imports from Mexico are only down 1%, shipments from Guatemala are down 37%, according to FAO’s Major Tropical Fruits Market Review.
Guatemala’s papaya production decrease can be attributed to damage caused by “torrential rainfall, flooding, and mudslides from a tropical storm in October 2022.”
Retail prices for Maradol and Tainung papaya varieties from Mexico and Central America averaged $1.09 per pound in the first half of the year, 12% higher compared to last year’s first six months.
Tropical fruits
Most tropical fruit shipments come from Mexico and Central and South America.
From January to May 2024, the combined import volume for bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and papayas totaled 5.77 billion pounds, down 1% from the same period in 2023.
Bananas represented 67% of the tropical fruit import volume, followed by pineapples at 22%, mangoes at 8%, and papayas at 4%.
Higher banana and pineapple imports were offset by slightly lower papaya import volumes and much lower mango imports.
A continuous rise in global shipping and container rates is causing concern in Western and Eastern markets across the globe.
Led mainly by tight capacity, strong demand, and the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea, rates are approaching record highs seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shippers and forwarders in Brazil report they are seeing container freight rates continue to surge on northbound trades to the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean.
Forwarders say rates have already doubled since mid-June and show little sign of easing until November or December, if not later.
One source told the Journal of Commerce that rates have reached $5,000 to $6,000 per FEU, “depending on how late you try to book.”
“Freight rates are rising drastically,” Fabrizio De Paulis, managing director of Brazil forwarder De Paulis Logistics & SCM Eireli, told the Journal of Commerce. “There’s been a capacity shortage in July, with many vessels sold out, especially Maersk services.”
Highlighting the boom in Brazilian exports to the U.S., the U.S. Census Bureau reported that goods worth $17 billion were imported into the U.S. from Brazil in the first five months of the year, up from $14.6 billion in the same period last year.
Space on the Brazil-USEC trade lane has become very critical over the last few weeks, and all the main carriers operating on this route — Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM — have been increasing their rates,” Mauricio Fisch, director of Brazil forwarder Ocean Express, told the Journal of Commerce.
“If forwarders want a booking without having a service contract with some carriers, they must book the quick spot option at a much higher rate. Otherwise, they have to wait four or five weeks for a booking,” Fisch added.
A similar situation is occurring on European and Asian routes as the Red Sea disruption continues, with Houthi rebels targeting ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or Britain as part of their support for the militant group Hamas in its war against Israel.
According to authorities, this has reduced transit in the Suez Canal by nearly 50% since December 2023, resulting in a reduction of around 40 vessels per day.
Consequently, there has been a 70% increase in vessels navigating the less direct Cape of Good Hope, which increases the distance traveled by 40% and adds delays of two to five weeks.
Rural News Group from New Zealand reports that as the World Trade Organisation predicts a 2.6% increase in exports for 2024, the global shortage of shipping containers and congestion at some Asian ports, is raising the cost of trade. Rates in the region have nearly doubled in the last three months.
On the positive side, the outlet says the current rise in shipping costs is expected to be less inflationary than the surge experienced during Covid-19 as container production, largely driven by demand to move exports from China to the West, has increased substantially over the last few months.
Additionally, the disruptions experienced in the Panama Canal appear to be easing. Although a much smaller chokepoint than the Suez Canal, it still accounts for around 7% of global seaborne trade. The ‘Panama Problem’ was caused by an extended drought in 2023 that reduced the number of vessels able to use the canal and led to draught limits that reduced operating weights.
Currently, water levels in Lake Gatun, the main body of water that feeds the system, have been rising steadily since April, meaning that by early August, up to 34 ships per day will be able to use the canal. This is a major increase on the 24 vessels per day that had access at the start of the year and not far behind the more typical 36-28 vessels that use the canal in normal times.
Meat was the main ingredient in most Independence Day dishes and a primary driver of high supermarket bills for the recent holiday. An American Farm Bureau Federation report suggests to save money, Americans should focus on preparing mostly side dishes.
The report states hosts feeding a group of 10 will spend an average of $71.22, a record high price that can be first and foremost attributed to inflation. The cost of food for the recent 4th of July holiday was 5% more than last year and 30% higher than in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is the first year that grocery costs have surpassed $7 per invitee, with the total meal costing $7.12 per person.
In 2023, U.S. consumers spent a total of $9.5 billion on food.
According to the World Metrics Report for 2024, approximately 190 million pounds of beef were bought in preparation for the July 4th celebrations.
Two pounds of potatoes cost an average of $1.53, 17% less than last year, recovering from record-high prices due to weather-related production decreases in recent years.
Chicken is the only protein that has decreased in price; 2 pounds of chicken breast will cost an average of $7.83, a 4% decrease since 2023 and down over 13% from the record high in 2022.
The survey pulls prices for a complete, homemade cookout consisting of cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, potato chips, pork and beans, fresh strawberries, homemade potato salad, fresh-squeezed lemonade, chocolate chip cookies, and ice cream.
Meat costs are at an all-time high. According to the report, 2 pounds of ground beef cost an average of $12.77, up more than $1, or 11%, from last year. The prices of pork chops and cheeseburgers are up as well.
Lemonade won’t come cheap either. Lemon production is estimated to fall over 16% this year due to the citrus greening disease outbreak in California, where most U.S. lemons are produced. These supply effects have raised lemon prices by 13% on average from last year to $3.20 for 1.5 pounds.
Strawberries and potato chips are both higher than in the last two years. Two pints of strawberries cost $4.61 on average, less than its high in 2021.
The World Metrics report notes that fresh fruit salads are prepared by 41% of Americans for their celebrations.
Fruit salads are one of the most popular desserts for the occasion, usually including a mix of berries, watermelon, and even bananas, the classic red, white, and blue salad.
Guatemala remained the primary exporter to the United States in 2023, reaching a record export value of $280 million.
Most melons consumed in the United States are grown domestically, but imports are capturing a growing share of the fresh melon market.
The market share of imported melons has increased significantly over the decades – from an average share of less than 10% during the 1980s and 1990s to about 37% in recent years.
Melon imports rose for the third consecutive year to a record high of 3.1 billion pounds, with ample supplies from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
In 2023, the estimated domestic availability of melons was 7.54 billion pounds, up 1% from the previous year. But, the import share of domestic availability for all melons reached 41.4% in 2023, the highest on record.
Increases in watermelon and honeydew supplies helped offset a decline in domestic cantaloupe production, and watermelon continued to account for over two-thirds of per capita melon availability.
Cantaloupe imports increased 6% in 2023. Over the last three years, 65% of fresh cantaloupe imports have come from Guatemala, the rest of the variety imports come from Honduras and Mexico.
Between July 2023 and January 2024, over 90% of U.S. honeydew imports came from Mexico, 48%, and Guatemala, 45%. The remaining 7% came from Honduras.
Watermelon import volume also increased in 2023. Most watermelon imports are seedless varieties from Mexico and Guatemala. While watermelon makes up 58% of melon import volume, the import share of domestic availability for watermelons is lower than cantaloupe or honeydew.