Consumables

While consumers may be growing more health-conscious with their food choices, it seems there is still room for life’s little indulgences. According to new international research on snacking motivation from Mintel, Americans cited treating themselves as the top reason to snack (50%), and more than one-quarter (28%) agreed that taste is more important than health when choosing a snack.

SPARKS, Md. — McCormick on Friday announced that it had completed its acquisition of Reckitt Benckiser’s food division, RB Foods. Among the brands that now come into McCormick’s portfolio are Frank’s Red Hot, French’s and Cattlemen’s, all of which McCormick said were a strategic git within its global branded flavor offerings.

How does Lewis Drug thrive in a crowded and super-competitive marketplace? The company’s success formula is no big secret, said Bob Meyer, SVP of merchandise and marketing, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to replicate. “[We try] to find niches in the marketplace where we feel we can do better than our competition,” Meyer explained.

 SEATTLE — Amazon has finally reduced the last mile equation to a matter of minutes with its Instant Pickup, a free service offering Prime and Prime Student members a curated selection of daily essentials available for pickup in two minutes or less at five of Amazon’s fully staffed pickup locations in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Berkeley, Calif., Columbus, Ohio and College Park, Md.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target is bringing on talent from Walmart and General Mills to accelerate its food and beverage strategy.

Mark Kenny will join Target as VP divisional, meat and fresh prepared food where he will oversee the meat, seafood, deli, bakery and prepared food categories. Kenny joins Target from Walmart, where he most recently was the senior director of private brands, deli and bakery.

ARLINGTON, Va. —  Health and wellness represents a significant growth opportunity for supermarket retailers, according to 81% of the food retailers who participated in a recent Food Marketing Institute survey. That's up from 70% in 2014, FMI reported.

CATONSVILLE, Md. — Suppliers who gain distribution through limited assortment and small format retailers are afforded much larger increases in sales, relative to that from large assortment stores, according to the study "The Effect of Retail Distribution on Sales of Alcoholic Beverages," co-authored by Richard Friberg and Mark Sanctuary of the Stockholm School of Economics.

BRUSSELS — Mars Food will be adding to its portfolio of ready-to-eat products with its acquisition of Preferred Brand International. The Stamford, Conn.-based company makes all-natural, ready-to-eat Indian and Asian food offerings that are primarily sold under the Tasty Bite brand.