The FoodAlert is a weekly newsletter that offers breaking news from our overseas offices and category specialists about developments in the food business that have implications for Irish suppliers.
29 June 2020
Consumer confidence in China, like most markets, has been shaken as a result of Covid-19. China is at least two months ahead of most of Europe in the re-opening phase and can provide valuable learnings on how consumer behaviour may change. In big cities such as Shanghai, we are seeing a return to normal in many foodservice outlets and bars. Most food service outlets and food courts are operating without social distancing measures and in some cases, social distancing appears to be a distant memory. This FoodAlert will share examples of how the post-Covid-19 “new normal” is emerging in both the retail and foodservice channels in China and conclude with the implications for “Brand Ireland”.
29 June 2020
As the takeaway culture continues in the UAE and in particular Dubai, restaurants are beginning to rise up and take on delivery services for every last dirham. There is little doubt that foodservice has suffered heavy casualties as a result of COVID-19. As restaurants struggle to cope with lost income streams resulting from the lockdown, there has been heavy reliance on delivery to off-set reductions in the bottom line in whatever way possible.
29 June 2020
Back in Mid March when the restrictions brought about by COVID-19 were being rolled out and people were confined to their own homes and local areas we saw how the shopping behaviour of consumers evolved in this unique situation with a renewed focus on staple products such as meat, potatoes & vegetables and a great interest in home baking and cooking with the demand for flour and cooking ingredients at a premium. At that time the fresh produce sector reported a significant upsurge in demand for potatoes, fruits and vegetables by up to 20% particularly for certain lines in the early weeks of the lockdown.
29 June 2020
As Covid-19 restrictions are gradually easing, we are all adjusting to a ‘new normal’. Irish dairy companies can use this as an opportunity to address the emerging needs of the post-Covid dairy consumer, who will be looking for health and comfort in the impending recession. Dairy will be reappraised as a nutritious, indulgent and affordable staple. (Mintel, 2020)
29 June 2020
Since France entered into ‘phase 3’ of the Coronavirus pandemic on March 17th, no industry has been left unaffected by the changes and restrictions imposed. While foodservice establishments have been forced to close, food retailers, on the other hand, have continued to serve their customers. As new trends have begun to emerge, retailers have had to react quickly and adapt their offering to reflect these altered behaviours.
22 June 2020
China is the largest market for alcoholic spirits in the world, with retail volume sales at an estimated 7,486 million litres in 2019 (Mintel, 2020). In recent years, purchasing power has been shifting to younger generations (Euromonitor, 2019), making innovation a key growth driver for the category (Mintel, 2019). With China’s increasingly ageing population, brand owners need to think about how they can capture the attention of this consumer group (Mintel, 2019), who are more diverse in their brand loyalty than the generations who came before them (Euromonitor, 2019).