retail sales surged 45% in March and 32% in April. This explains the resurgence of companies such as General Mills Inc., whose brands include Annie’s, Betty Crocker, Cheerios, Pillsbury and Totino’s pizza rolls. As such, traditional meal times have blurred, and in some cases snacks are replacing them, according to research by Euromonitor International. Parents who are working from home during this time are multitasking like never before, taking on the role of cook, housekeeper, teacher, disciplinary and full-time employee all at once in a Groundhog Day-like loop.
The Covid-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place orders have led consumers to revert to old ways of shopping in search of ready-made meals and foods with long shelf lives. But a moment is probably all it will be, not a new normal, which is why packaged-food companies shouldn’t get too comfortable about their comfort food. Brands of yesteryear that had been struggling to find their place in a new health-conscious society are suddenly having a moment once again. (Bloomberg Opinion) - As panic-ridden consumers stock up on essentials, kitchen pantries are looking like a blast from the processed-food past: boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese, cans of Bumble Bee tuna, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Shake ‘N Bake, etc.
