Phil Lempert

I grew up in the dairy-deli business. My father ran a food brokerage that specialized in it, and before I ever knew what a Nielsen report was, I was learning the rhythms of the case.

How billions in beverage marketing dollars are about to reshape what American consumers drink, eat, and spend.

There are conferences you attend, and conferences that actually make you think differently. The third annual Nourishing Change Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 2 through 4 was the latter, and the industry needs to pay attention.

After 111 days of war, the U.S. and Iran signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding, a ceasefire reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz. The deal includes removing the U.S. naval blockade, Iran clearing shipping lanes, and waiving sanctions on Iranian oil exports, unfreezing billions in assets. While a significant geopolitical step, consumers shouldn't expect immediate grocery price relief. Supply chain recovery is slow, de-mining the Strait takes time, and fertilizer shortages will impact future food prices. Retailers face challenges from SNAP cuts and consumer fatigue, needing to demonstrate value as price drops will be delayed for months.

Another grocery chain, another acquisition. Now that Kroger has bought Giant Eagle, is it a smart consolidation, or a company desperately spending money it doesn't have?

Who's watching the lettuce? A market that's learned it can shrug off a cyclospora headline in one quarter is also a market that isn't anticipating what will happen when the agencies meant to catch contamination early are running at 75-80 percent strength. Retailers and restaurants can no longer assume FDA has their back.

The government’s favorite number leaves out the one trick the food industry has mastered

When does ubiquity mean invisibility? I notice it every time I walk a grocery store: video screens.

I've been watching produce categories cycle through booms and busts for four decades and I can't think of many that have taken three straight hits the way sweet potatoes have.

It's an age-old story. Retailers are constantly seeking technology to solve their problems. Self-checkout was supposed to ease checkout lines.