By  Ellen Schuster, MS

Coming soon…2024 food/nutrition/fitness trends. Now is a good time to look back at 2023 and what took up much of our attention (Ozempic anyone?). How many will be around in 2024?

Snapshots…looking back at 2023…

The year of Ozempic https://www.newyorker.com/culture/2023-in-review/the-year-of-ozempic  looking back

@ SNAP from a grocer perspective (https://www.grocerydive.com/news/2023-snap-retail-grocery-supermarket/703182/

top 2023 recipes from Google (https://www.realsimple.com/top-trending-recipes-of-2023-google-8414417  trending

food searches https://www.eatthis.com/top-trending-food-searches-2023/ top

TikTok food trends https://www.today.com/food/trends/tiktok-food-trends-2023-rcna129102

top YouTube food content creatorshtt ps://www.foodbeast.com/news/youtube-top-trending-food-content-creators-2023/

Grubhub’s most popular takeout/delivery orders https://www.foodservicedirector.com/menu/grubhub-reveals-most-popular-takeout-delivery-orders-2023

grocery trends https://www.grocerydive.com/news/top-grocery-trends-for-2023-omnichannel-kroger-albertsons-disruption/702267/

c-store trends https://www.intouchinsight.com/blog/top-trends-from-2023-c-store-report

who  is winning food delivery – 2023 share of sales https://secondmeasure.com/datapoints/food-delivery-services-grubhub-uber-eats-doordash-postmates/

how dining changed slideshow https://thetakeout.com/how-restaurants-changed-in-2023-fast-food-chains-menus-1851115541

Buying food…

FOOD PRICES: Forty-six states surveyed find $70 million stolen from SNAP recipients https://scrippsnews.com/stories/scripps-news-survey-finds-70m-stolen-from-food-assistance-program/

Food prices rising at highest rate in decades https://www.cbsnews.com/news/food-prices-inflation-inputs-profits-heres-where-that-money-goes/

and the food price nexus w/food inflation: food prices outpace general inflation https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2023/08/30/food-prices-outpace-general-inflation-heres-what-you-need-to-know/

Will food prices come down even as inflation decreases? One economist says most often prices DO NOT come down https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/lower-inflation-impact-grocery-prices/275-28ec8239-494a-4f69-a5fe-90243a5fdbde

Supermarketguru Understanding the Food Industry, 31 minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DJScPT8E5c

BUYING FOOD: About 42% make mass retailers their primary grocery source https://www.grocerydive.com/news/more-households-making-mass-retailers-primary-grocery-source/702534/ .

Affirm, for buy now, pay later, added to Walmart’s self-checkout https://www.retaildive.com/news/walmart-adds-affirm-buy-now-pay-later-self-checkout/703055/

one Affirm review https://www.cnbc.com/select/affirm-personal-loans-review/

Are voice commands coming to Walmart’s app? https://progressivegrocer.com/voice-commands-coming-walmart-app

Sharing your data for those discounts, loyalty rewards: what you need to know https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2023/12/21/should-you-give-email-phone-number-discounts/71935793007/

PRIVATE LABELS: c-stores develop options https://storebrands.com/convenience-report-driving-growth ; a turn-around – a majority of shoppers say they taste better than private brands https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/11/54percent-of-shoppers-want-to-buy-more-store-brand-products-in-the-future.html

SELF-CHECKOUT:

Walmart removing them at some stores but overall they are adding more than taking away https://apnews.com/article/selfcheckout-theft-labor-walmart-target-1a8a6da0291651815557316964d7f8f9

the state of self-checkout https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/10/24/self-checkout-good-bad/71219910007/

podcast episode about self-checkout: Colin McEnroe Show, Dec. 20, 2023, 49 minutes https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe/checking-in-on-self-checkout-ut_qeV6T0B8/

DINING OUT: McDonald’s plans to open more than 900 U.S. restaurants in the next 4 years and thousands more globally https://www.corpmagazine.com/industry/business/mcdonalds-plans-10000-new-restaurants-over-next-4-years/

Sharing a plate when eating out to save money? Some restaurants are working to keep your check total higher https://thetakeout.com/restaurants-dont-want-customers-splitting-plates-wsj-1851126521

Health in the news…

Edible THC kid emergencies increasing(https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/16/growing-child-thc-poisoning-cases/71933020007/

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS: weight loss drugsand ba riatric surgery https://www.axios.com/2023/12/19/ozempic-with-bariatric-surgery-weight-loss-drugs

older weight loss drugs come back as newer drugs are out of reach for many https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/20/health/older-weight-loss-drugs/index.html

what weight loss drugs mean for childhood https://www.thecut.com/article/weight-loss-drugs-ozempic-kids-childhood-obesity.html

FDA warns about fake Ozempic https://www.npr.org/2023/12/23/1221442262/counterfeit-ozempic-fda-weight-loss

OUR FOOD HABITS:

The average U.S. adult eats about an additional meal (in calories) as a snack each day https://www.healthday.com/health-news/nutrition/youre-probably-eating-a-meals-worth-of-snacks-each-day

changes to some McD’s burgers in 2024 likely to increase calories https://thetakeout.com/mcdonalds-new-burger-menu-improvement-explained-big-mac-1851065648