Specialty Foods Add Flair to Staples During Pandemic

Americans stockpiled groceries and other essentials when stay-at-home orders began to take hold in mid-March. Among the staples for which there was unprecedented demand were baking ingredients, such as flour. Despite having significant levels of inventory on-hand in anticipation of Easter, King Arthur Baking Co. was eventually wiped out of its 40 SKUs of flour.

Given their shelf-stability, other center store categories such as fruit spreads, jams, and jellies benefited from COVID-19 induced eating habits as shoppers began to stockpile.

Many retailers also sold through shelf-stable staples like rice and pasta, opening the door for specialty alternatives which in some cases, were all that retailers could get in stock. Fonio, an ancient grain that has provided sustenance for West African farmers for over 5,000 years, was one such product.

As consumers prepared more meals at home, many sought to replicate the restaurant experience and specialty foods helped fulfill their sense of adventure.

Comfort foods also became a mainstay as Americans hunkered down at home. Party-sized bags of chocolate, flavored potato chips, and sauvignon blanc topped Kroger shoppers’ grocery lists throughout the year, according to the retailer.

Also offering comfort were foods that provided a sense of nostalgia, prompting one retailer to launch a 90s nostalgia e-commerce site to offer foods such as Fruit Gushers and Chips Ahoy cookies.

from Food Trends https://ift.tt/38O3aQK