According to SPINS’s “Big Trends 2022” report, 77% of all grocery shoppers believe sustainability is important when selecting products. Products that reduce the negative impact on environmental and social factors are examples of manufacturers reacting to these food and beverage sustainability trends. This blog post covers what food manufacturers should know about sustainability demand among grocery shoppers. Keeping a finger …
Food Packaging Challenges & How Manufacturers Are Overcoming Them
Most food manufacturers consistently worry about labor, pricing and production. But, a sometimes overlooked element to delivering product to retailers on time is packaging. Many factors can impact whether a manufacturer fills an order or shorts a retailer, including packaging issues. Thankfully, with enough planning, strategy and creativity, manufacturers can avoid many of the top retail food packaging challenges. Top …
5 Things Food Manufacturers Can Do to Prevent Shortages
Food supply chain issues are still causing challenges for food manufacturers and retailers. This is resulting in shortages on orders and empty grocery store shelves for many products. But, there are several things food manufacturers can do to avoid shortages. In this post, Bay Food’s Director of Deli & Emerging Business Erin McCulloch-Crume shares helpful tips for manufacturers. Be proactive …
Testimonial: Ithaca Hummus
Testimonial: Ithaca Hummus Bay Food Brokerage has served as Ithaca Hummus’s Southeast food broker since 2017. During that time, we’re proud to have played a role in getting their product into Publix, Earth Fare, Harris Teeter and Ingels stores in the Southeast. And, we’re especially grateful to Ithaca Founder Chris Kirby for sharing his perspective on our partnership in this …
Top 6 Considerations for Retail-Ready Food Packaging
As a retail food broker that has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, we’ve seen the following scenario many times. A food manufacturer’s sales team goes in to pitch a new product to a major retailer. The product is great, in almost all aspects. But there’s one small thing – like the package is one-half inch too long …
5 Retail Food Trends to Watch in 2022
To remain a leading grocery broker in the Southeast and best serve our clients, the team at Bay Food Brokerage is committed to staying up-to-date on retail food trends. In this post, two of our Account Executives, Greg Betz and Lindsey Baron, share their insights on: Why it’s important for food manufacturers to understand retail food trends How the right …
5 Ways to Make Your Product Stand Out on Supermarket Shelves
How understanding food trends and consumer preferences can increase retail sales Shoppers have a plethora of options to choose from when they visit supermarkets these days. Every product category has multiple brands competing for consumers’ attention and dollars. So how does a food manufacturer ensure their products stand out on grocery store shelves? They have to understand the latest food …
How Grocery Store Delis Can Compete with Customers’ Return to Restaurants
The COVID-19 pandemic initially diverted consumers away from restaurants and toward grocery stores. As a result, fresh prepared meals offered in grocers’ delis comprised one category that saw significant sales growth. In fact, industry reportsshow sales of those products increased by nearly 17% percent from September 2020 to September 2021. But now, restaurants in most states have fully re-opened and …
5 Tips for New Food Manufacturers
Our Owner, President and CEO Cammie Chatterton has worked in the food industry for over thirty years. In fact, she was one of the first women in the country to open a retail food brokerage company, in 1993. Currently, Bay Food Brokerage is one of the fastest-growing businesses in Tampa Bay, where we’re based. So, to say Cammie knows a …