YumSugar

How Much Will You Spend This Thanksgiving?

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:45:57 -0800

This year, consumers witnessed a lot of cost increases in food, so it's only natural that the price of Thanksgiving dinner has crept up, too. Agriculture experts estimate that Thanksgiving costs have risen by an average of six percent this year, and the American Farm Bureau, which conducts a Thanksgiving yearly survey, cited $44.61 as the average cost of a Thanksgiving for 10 in 2007.

I'm not surprised; in fact, I'm certain that I spend at least twice as much on my Thanksgiving dinner. How much do you plan to shell out?

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Do You Know How Much You Spend on Food?

partysugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:45:38 -0700

Earlier this week the San Francisco Chronicle published an interesting article about food spending. In the story, author Rob Baedeker unscientifically asks grocery store goers if they know how much they spend on food each month. The majority have no food budget and have never totaled their grocery and eating out receipts. I'll admit, I had no clue how much I spent on food and was a little surprised when I checked in with my bank. Between groceries and restaurant bills, I spend a whopping $500 on food! How about you?

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Shrunken Packaged Foods' Slow Return to Their Original Size

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:45:01 -0700

In a small indication that America may be on a slow road to economic recovery, consumer foods marketers are beginning to reintroduce larger packages at the same price. Last year, manufacturers were hit by high fuel and commodity prices, so to avoid blatantly transferring cost increases to consumers, manufacturers such as Hellman's, Tropicana, and Kellogg's quietly began downsizing packages.

Ben & Jerry's even went after the size of Haagen-Dazs in its marketing campaign, pointing out that the rival company had downsized its "pints" from 16 to 14 ounces. But recently, some consumer products, like Pringles Super Stacks, and certain bags of Frito-Lay's chips, have shot back up to their original sizes. It's unclear whether increased package sizes are going to be part of limited-time promotions or permanent reversals.

Which products have you noticed products increasing in size lately?

With New Menu Items, Burger King Hopes to Add Value

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:15:06 -0700

Despite the soaring cost of food prices, fast-food chain Burger King announced that it will be adding two petite-sized, lower-cost items priced at $1.39: the Cheesy Bacon BK Wrapper and the Spicy Chicken BK Wrapper.

Burger King is attempting this strategy in a frenzied fast-food climate, as the industry is struggling to balance rising costs of food with value-added items. Fast-food companies such as McDonald's have had a difficult time keeping value items under the traditional $1 mark. Earlier this year, Burger King pulled a test for a double cheeseburger on its value menu for $1, and Jack in the Box just announced a new rollout of pita snacks, or "snack-sized wrap-style sandwiches" for $1.99.

I'm not sure that these tactics will be enough to excel in the current economic environment, but perhaps these changes will allow all of the fast-food chains to gain back some market share. What do you think?

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Burger King Launches Burger and Breakfast "Shots"

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:30:21 -0800

Burger King is continuing its strategy of adding petite-sized, lower-cost items to its menu at a time when food prices have soared but consumers are strapped for cash.

The fast food chain announced today that it will roll out new burger and breakfast "shots," or burgers in miniature sizes.

The sliders will come in a two-pack ($1.39) and a six-pack ($4.09) and will consist of a flame-broiled patty, ketchup, mustard, and two pickle slices, sandwiched between a plain bun. The fast food chain is also revving up its breakfast menu with BK Breakfast Shots. The breakfast sandwiches, which are available in a two-pack ($1.49) or a four-pack ($2.89) during the store's breakfast hours, contain egg, a "smoky cheese sauce," and a choice of ham, bacon, or a sausage patty.

This is probably another attempt by Burger King to offer smaller portions at higher prices, but I'm a sucker for all things mini, so I'm bound to buckle and buy some of the breakfast shots. What do you think of this addition to the menu?

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Trend Alert: Food-Swapping Groups

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:00:08 -0700

A while back, we talked about the rise of pickling and canning at home. But what happens once you've filled your pantry with homemade pickled watermelon rinds and apricot jam? Our friends across the pond have come up with a smart solution: organizing food exchanges.

London social enterprise group Growing Communities started the Good Food Swap, a popular event in which people bring items they've grown, foraged, or produced, and barter it for something else. Another unlikely participant in the food swaps are the local pubs. Sometimes it's even feasible to barter Sunday's catch at the lake for pints of beer.

The trend hasn't yet proliferated stateside, although certain food bloggers have also organized exchanges of local products such as preserves and honey. The concept definitely has appeal, given the rising prices of food. Everyone comes into the swap with a surplus of something, and leaves the exchange with a variety of edibles at no extra cost. I personally love the idea and think it's a win-win scenario. What do you think of the trend, and could you see it making headway in the US? Would you ever organize a food swap?

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Tough Economy Forces McDonald's to Reevaluate Dollar Menu

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:00:16 -0700

In a response to soaring food prices, McDonald's announced yesterday that it will be restructuring its dollar menu. This means swapping out the dollar menu's most popular items and replacing them with less-costly offerings. The company is testing changes to its $1 bestseller, the double cheeseburger. Chief Operating Officer Ralph Alvarez said:

The way the dollar menu looks today won't be the way it looks next year. . . . What fits on the menu will look different than now because it has to be profitable.

To offset the rising cost in cheese, which is expected to rise 21 percent this year in the US, many stores are using only one slice of cheese instead of two and touting the new offering as a "double hamburger with cheese." Other franchises have increased the cost of the double cheeseburger to $1.19.

If removed from the dollar menu, the double cheeseburger will be replaced by another burger. What do you think about the development? Will you be upset if the double cheeseburger is no longer a part of the dollar menu?

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Food Sizes Shrinking, Prices Stay the Same

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:15:02 -0700

On Friday afternoon I was in the ice cream aisle at my local grocery store. Since food is incredibly pricey these days, I was searching for the cheapest vanilla ice cream. As I reached for what I thought was the cheapest, my bff pointed out that it was actually a smaller container with a more expensive price tag! As we all know, ice cream cartons aren't the only items on grocery store shelves that are shrinking, and Time magazine reports on the growing trend:

Soaring commodity and fuel prices are driving up costs for manufacturers; faced with a choice between raising prices (which consumers would surely notice) or quietly putting fewer ounces in the bag, carton or cup (which they generally don't) manufacturers are choosing the latter. This month, Kellogg's started shipping Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks containing an average of 2.4 fewer ounces per box.

Other brands that are offering consumers shrunken products at unchanged prices are Tropicana, Wrigley's, Hellman's, and Country Crock. Have you noticed any of these smaller products at your supermarket?

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Burger King Goes High-End

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:15:01 -0800

Number two fast food chain Burger King has been testing a new line of premium items. This includes ribs and thicker burgers, made with grills, batch broilers, and other costly new kitchen equipment.

The fast food chain's decision to move in the direction of higher-price items comes at a time when the casual restaurant industry is struggling. National chains have seen declining sales across the board; Burger King is hoping to capitalize on the industry's market share.

CEO John Chidsey said he wouldn't elaborate further "because some things are still under wraps," but the chain's gourmet menu items could be advertised as soon as next Summer.

Still, Burger King has no plans to lose its value menu. "We work the value for the money equation on both ends of our menu," said Russ Klein, Burger King's president of global strategy.

Does Burger King's new strategy surprise you? Do you think the corporation will manage to draw business away from the casual restaurant business?

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McDonald's Dollar Menu Here to Stay

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:00:43 -0700

Top fast food chain McDonald's announced its third-quarter earnings today, and made reassurances that it would continue its efforts to be "recession-resistant."

The corporation made sure to squash swirling rumors that its dollar menu may become a thing of the past. There will, in fact, still be a dollar menu. "We advertised it heavily in September," said COO Ralph Alvarez. "We wouldn't have done that if we were going to be walking away from it."

McDonald's has, however, been testing the menu's key item, the double cheeseburger, at higher prices and with one piece of cheese rather than two, as a result of the rising commodity costs. "We expect to have a decision [on the double cheeseburger] soon," said CEO Jim Skinner. Will you be watching to see what's on the new dollar menu?

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