Tom Vierhile

Tom Vierhile is vice president strategic insights, North America for the Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights and has more than 20 years of experience in new consumer packaged goods reporting and analysis. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from St. Bonaventure University and a MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Follow him on Twitter at @TomVierhile.

2020 RETAIL NEW PRODUCTS ANNUAL

Dressings, Sauces and Spreads Embrace Plant-Based Ingredients, Global Flavors

A survey of trends in the dressings, sauces and spreads categories

Tom Vierhile

February 17, 2020

According to a 2019 Innova Consumer Survey, 63% of global consumers are increasingly trying to incorporate plant ingredients in the diet. Not surprisingly, sauce, dressing and spread manufacturers have been finding creative ways to address the trend as well.

Retail State of the Industry | Bakery Foods

Bakers Embrace New Forms, Flavors and Healthful Ingredients

Better (For You) Baking

Tom Vierhile

July 22, 2019

Growing worries about the health effects of sugar and carbohydrates are pushing bakery food companies in new directions.

Retail State of the Industry | Snacks & Confections

Snacks, Confections Grow with New Forms and Flavors

The popularity of hot and spicy flavors has not been lost on snack and candy makers.

Tom Vierhile

July 19, 2019

Confections and snacks both vie for the same "share of stomach," but the fortunes of the two camps have moved in opposite directions in recent years with snacks ascending and confectionery reeling.

Heinz MayoMust Combines Mayonnaise with Mustard

Retail State of the Industry | Sauces, Dressings & Spreads

Flavor Innovation, Clean Ingredients Boost Spreads, Sauces & Dressings

Categories such as ketchup and mayonnaise have become centers of innovation for major food companies.

Tom Vierhile

July 17, 2019

In recent years, "big food" has lost ground to smaller challengers in many food categories including sauces, dressings, and spreads. These are areas with few barriers to entry and they are especially welcoming to flavor innovation.

Retail State of the Industry | Meals & Entrées

Consumers Warm to Frozen Entrée, Meals in New Forms, Flavors

The Frozen Chosen: Sales of frozen entrees grew at more than two and a half times the pace of overall packaged food sales through the midway point of 2018.

Tom Vierhile

July 9, 2019

Instead of giving up on once moribund sectors like frozen meals and entrees, industry innovators have built their own "Field of Dreams" in the form of better, cleaner products. And for the first time in nearly a generation, consumers have responded.

Retail State of the Industry | Cereals & Snack Bars

Cereals Embrace Nostalgia, Snacking; Bars Power Up

General Mills added a Limited Edition Peach flavor of Cheerios; Kellogg a Banana flavor of Kellogg’s Raisin Bran; and Quaker Oats a Strawberry flavor of Life Cereal

Tom Vierhile

July 2, 2019

A wave of new presweetened cereals inspired by popular baked goods and desserts including donuts, cookies, and ice cream populated store shelves in 2018.

Retail State of the Industry | Snacks & Confections

2018 Snacks Trends: Sweet & Tart

Confections and snacks share usage occasions—but not the same growth prospects

Tom Vierhile

March 15, 2018

Confections and snacks often share usage occasions, but one thing they do not share is rosy growth prospects. While confectionery has struggled, snacks have gained.

Retail State of the Industry | Cereals & Snack Bars

2018 Cereal Trends: Morning Maneuvers

Cereals and bars angle to provide hearty, wholesome meal and snack solutions

Tom Vierhile

March 12, 2018

The ready-to-eat breakfast cereal category's hopes of innovating a way out of its sales slump largely were dashed in 2017. New product launches were plentiful, but none are likely to register as blockbusters.

Retail State of the Industry | Bakery Foods

2018 Bakery Trends: Oven Lovin'

New bakery foods range from indulgent treats to healthful tastes and textures

Tom Vierhile

March 8, 2018

Perhaps it's just how the cookie crumbles. But when it comes to food trends, there are few food categories like bakery foods that illustrate the large gap between what consumers say—and what consumers actually do.

Retail Product Trends Annual | Confections & Snacks

2017 Snack Trends: See a Need. Fill a Need.

Snacks, sweets tout flavor, health in bold new applications

Tom Vierhile

March 14, 2017

Confections and snacks compete for the same share-of-stomach, but are considered separate categories. 2016 saw the lines between the two areas blur as confection innovation picked up taste, texture, and ingredient cues from snacks.

Switching from plastic to paper-based packaging often comes with new challenges. This webinar will explore how an ovenable, fiber-based packaging solution can deliver the benefits of plastic with 90% less plastic usage.

The Winter Fancy Food Show is where specialty food makers go to exhibit their newest and best products and where buyers go to find their next bestsellers.

Tom Vierhile

ARTICLES

Dressings, Sauces and Spreads Embrace Plant-Based Ingredients, Global Flavors

Bakers Embrace New Forms, Flavors and Healthful Ingredients

Snacks, Confections Grow with New Forms and Flavors

Flavor Innovation, Clean Ingredients Boost Spreads, Sauces & Dressings

Consumers Warm to Frozen Entrée, Meals in New Forms, Flavors

Cereals Embrace Nostalgia, Snacking; Bars Power Up

2018 Snacks Trends: Sweet & Tart

2018 Cereal Trends: Morning Maneuvers

2018 Bakery Trends: Oven Lovin'

2017 Snack Trends: See a Need. Fill a Need.

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