• Food & Dining

    COVID-19 Industry Tracker

    U.S. consumer spending has been altered by the coronavirus pandemic. Our data reveals that consumers are changing the way they pay for goods and services, with some industries seeing spending shift toward online purchases. Additionally, the pandemic has changed the types of purchases consumers are making, with stimulus recipients increasing their spending on big-ticket items. … Continued
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    • Food & Dining

    Instacart and Walmart lead the pack in grocery delivery sales

    Grocery delivery sales skyrocketed early in the pandemic, as shelter-in-place orders went into effect and many consumers avoided going into brick-and-mortar grocery stores. Between March 2020 and April 2020, total sales among a select set of grocery delivery competitors–Instacart, Walmart Grocery, Shipt, Peapod, and FreshDirect–grew 62 percent. While demand for grocery delivery still exceeds pre-pandemic … Continued
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    • Food & Dining

    Kung Fu Tea sales pop despite boba shortage

    Among the many supply chain challenges of the pandemic, one such commodity experiencing a shortage is boba—the tapioca pearls that are the main ingredient in bubble tea. A closer look at consumer transaction data for large national chain Kung Fu Tea reflects that demand for bubble tea has been rising during the pandemic, but so … Continued
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    • Food & Dining

    Ahead of IPO, Sweetgreen’s online sales soar

    One of the largest salad chains, Sweetgreen, recently filed for an IPO, which would make it an early player among major salad chains to go public. Sweetgreen’s emphasis on healthy, sustainable food as well as a seamless digital experience has resulted in significant growth over the past several years. With a Sweetgreen IPO on the … Continued
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    • Food & Dining

    COVID-19 shakes up smoothie kit sales

    While consumers have often looked to on-the-go breakfast options, breakfast at home has been making a comeback during COVID-19. But it’s not just cereal and pancakes that are now in demand. Similar to the trend of surging meal kit sales, consumers have been flocking to smoothie subscription boxes. Consumer spending data reveals how sales for … Continued
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