Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, Va., released its annual “U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends” study in collaboration with the Hartman Group, Bellevue, Wash.

PwC, New York, released a new experience radar report titled “Front of the Line: How grocers can get ahead for the future.”

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. launched a new portfolio of Pepsi Spire fountain beverage dispensers that allow consumers to craft more than 1,000 customized beverages with the touch of a button.

Although discount retailers offer a wide variety of products for one-stop shopping at an affordable price, it’s their consumables selections that having been boosting sales, albeit indirectly.

Despite a challenging economic year, the on-premise channel still is committed to offering consumers the opportunity to explore the latest alcohol beverage trends.

If Cyber Monday statistics are any indication of the future for the overall online sales market, it could be a bright future for the online community.

A trip to the drug store is no longer just an opportunity to refill a prescription or restock the family first aid kit. Today’s retailers are instituting different programs to provide shoppers with a more value-added experience, experts note.

Growing up from its former TummyTickler and BellyWashers kids juice brands, In Zone Brands Inc., Atlanta, combined the sibling brands into one and rebranded them under the universal brand name good2grow. The result is a better-for-you juice brand that incorporates lessons learned from the company’s more than 12 years of experience in the market.

Although retailers have historically used the “multichannel” approach to reach consumers, the rapidly growing focus on the consumer and integrated, customer-focused technology has paved the way for a “total retail” experience, according to New York-based PwC’s report “Achieving Total Retail: Consumer Expectations Driving the Next Retail Business Model.” Based on a survey of more than 15,000 online shoppers globally, the study reveals eight consumer expectations that call upon retailers to create a total retail business model transformation.

Mobile apps and Web technology are making many daily tasks, such as grocery shopping, easier for consumers.