{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 99: 2026 Food and Beverage Trends with Brian Choi of The Food Institute","description":" What will value really mean for food and beverage in 2026? On the latest episode of Retail Sound Bites, Barry Thomas and Rachel Dalton sit down with Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute, to unpack the forces reshaping the industry, including deeply value\u2011obsessed consumer to the rise of challenger brands and experience\u2011led innovation. \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Key takeaways from the conversation: Consumer confidence remains historically low, forcing brands to clearly justify price through either affordability or unmistakable quality Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and older shoppers are fragmenting demand, making one\u2011size\u2011fits\u2011all strategies obsolete Premiumization isn\u2019t disappearing, but it\u2019s migrating to value\u2011oriented retailers like Walmart and Costco 2026 is shaping up to be the Year of the Challenger Brand, with speed, authenticity, and flavor\u2011forward innovation winning Health, policy pressure, and global flavors are converging to redefine what \u201cwinning\u201d products look like If you\u2019re leading strategy in CPG, retail, or food service, this episode is a must\u2011listen. Have a topic you\u2019d like us to cover? Contact us at Kantar\u2019s Retail Sound Bites Podcast. Contact Barry: Email | LinkedIn Contact Rachel: Email | LinkedIn ","author_name":"Retail Sound Bites","author_url":"https:\/\/retailiq.kantar.com\/retail-sound-bites","html":"