CHICAGO — The trade-show floor at the 2021 NACS Show truly threw veteran conference attendees back into the familiar mode of a trade-show experience that hasn’t been possible because of the pandemic. But with masks strapped across faces, thousands of retailers took to two convention halls in McCormick Place in Chicago full of booths of innovation, deals and friendly faces. Here are seven show-floor insights from CSP editors …
Fun Flavors
From energy to alcohol, new and bold flavors were a trend in packaged-beverage products shown on the NACS Show floor. C4 Energy, from Austin, Texas-based Nutrabolt, for example, has new flavors inspired by Starburst candy, including Strawberry, Cherry, Orange and Lemon. Constellation Brands, Victor, N.Y., introduced Corona Refresca Flavored Tropical Cocktail. The drinks come in Guava Lime, Passionfruit Lime and Coconut Lime flavors.
Enhanced Hydration
Another trend on the NACS Show floor in packaged beverages was enhanced hydration. Drinks such as Electrolit Zero from Cab Enterprises Inc., Cerritos, Calif.; Pedialyte from Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, Ohio; and Denver-based Defy Recover + CBD provided added benefits to keep consumers hydrated.
Pedialyte’s rehydration packaged beverage helps children and adults replace electrolytes by providing an optimal balance of sugar and electrolytes to prevent mild to moderate dehydration, the company said. The drinks come in Grape, Apple, Strawberry and Coconut Burst.
Touch-Free and Free
Consumer-facing technology is become more accessible and more affordable for small and independent retailers. At Denver-based Skupos, nine consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies are offering discounts specifically to independent retailers through the Skupos Engage promotion platform. Standard AI, the frictionless checkout platform based in San Francisco, is looking for 10 small retailers during the NACS Show to invite to a three-day meeting in San Francisco to discuss the future of checkout in stores. The company has committed to transform an existing store into a checkout-free experience at Standard’s expense for at least one of those retailers, free of charge.
Pleasing Consumers … and Retailers
Increasingly, suppliers are relying on consumer desires when innovating with their products. Kellogg’s Jumbo Snacks, for example, are nostalgic cereal brands—Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, etc.—made larger and packaged in single-serve bags to emulate parents who would fill sandwich bags with cereal for their children to take as a snack. Other suppliers are thinking about how their product fits into a retail store set. One of Conagra’s new takes on the Slim Jim meat stick is a 0.97-ounce version (compared to the 3-ounce Savage stick) sized to fit conveniently on store shelves next to candy bars and other snacks. And Kind Bar has developed a shelving rack that positions the snack upright to provide room for more on a shelf.
Kitchen Innovation
Speed, convenience and ease are coming to foodservice equipment.
Manufacturer Unox, Denver, N.C., for example, is bringing speed to the baking process. Its Speed.Pro oven, set for release in January, combines convection, conduction and microwave cooking to bake evenly and quickly, while enhancing fragrances and flavors, according to the company. The convection technology offers external golden browning, microwave a fast internal heating, and conduction a crusty toasting via contact, the company said.
Meanwhile, Curtis has a variety of coffee brewers to meet the needs of retailers. The Genesis Bean to Cup Coffee Machine provides a simple and quick experience for consumers and can even be operated from a cell phone for a touch-free experience. And Curtis’ latest WMF machine is self-cleaning to reach the parts of the machine—i.e., the tubes—that can be difficult to properly clean.
In Other Cleaning News …
Mold is gross. Mold in an ice machine is more gross. Verona, Wis.-based Orin Technologies has developed a way to eliminate mold, mildew and fungus in ice machines. Ryan Rappis, vice president, business development, said the company has solutions for both chip-ice and cube-ice machines. In the former, the reservoir-tube system of an ice machine is flushed with a chlorine dioxide solution to prevent mold. “Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes once a week to eliminate all your mold issues in your chip-ice machines,” Rappis said.
Fueling Technology
Austin-based Dover Fueling Systems (DFS) is one example of the way fuel and technology are melding in convenience and fuel retail. DFS, known for its fuel dispensers, is expanding the capabilities of its Anthem UX fuel dispenser. Not only can customers order in-store items from the dispenser today, but DFS is working on technology that can identify out-of-stocks in the store remotely, without employee intervention.
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