5 things: Have we hit peak obesity?

Waistlines are trending down: Grocers and food purveyors of all kinds continue to face the reality that waistlines are in decline. It could be due to healthier eating by people cooking at home, the rise of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, or a combination of both. But what was once speculation from executives like Walmart CEO John Furner about GLP-1 hitting grocery’s bottom line is beginning to show up in hard data. Grocery industry analyst Phil Lempert noted in a recent blog post that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report showing that obesity rates for U.S. adults dropped two percentage points between 2020 and 2023. While the epidemic is far from over —in 23 states 35% of adults suffer from obesity, according to the CDC—the data shows progress. Lempert says the shift poses opportunities and challenges for the grocery industry. “Shifting product lines toward healthier options may require changes in supply chains, potentially increasing costs; and in the current era of food price inflation, FTC investigations on price gouging and the lawsuits over the Kroger, Albertsons merger, brands should be cautious with the pricing of these products,” Lempert says. —Tim Inklebarger

Going out with a (breakfast) bang: IFEC (the International Foodservice Editorial Council) had its last-ever conference on Oct. 29 in Chicago—the organization will be sunsetting in 2025. At the start of the conference, foodservice editors hosted a roundtable where they discussed breakfast trends within both retail and foodservice. Some interesting ones: The New York-based clothing company Kith partnered with Trix to develop its own line of breakfast cereal: Trix Kithmas. In QSR, we’re seeing brunch items carry over to breakfast, like pull-apart Cinnabon at Wendy’s. We’re also seeing gravitation to more international flavors, like curries and Japanese-style egg salad sandwiches. And better yet, there’s plenty of room for grocers to play in this space. —Chloe Riley

The argument against self-checkout: These days, only 4% of food retailers don’t offer self-checkout options in-store, according to FMI—The Food Industry Association. The most famous, of course, is Trader Joe’s. Another is New England chain Market Basket. Boston.com recently dove into why that is, talking to customers and experts alike. Author Grant Welker said it’s a purposeful choice to build a personal relationship with customers. One loyal customer, MeLinda Williams, described the lack of self-checkout as a core reason she shops there. Whatever the reason for eschewing self-checkout, don’t expect things to change anytime soon: a company spokesperson described the checkout process as “longstanding” and “a core company philosophy.” —Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Trick-or-tortilla: I’m all for wearing your heart on your sleeve when it comes to a love for tacos…but over your body? Why not! Love of H-E-B tacos (or at least tortillas) appears to have been the inspiration for one individual’s Halloween costume this year. Sarah Baumann, a local artist in San Antonio, Texas, put her DIY skills to the task and created a homemade bag of H-E-B flour tortillas costume. She shows every step of the process on her Instagram page (@sarahsumsitup)—a process which involved wrapping tan fabric around circular cardboard pieces and painting brown spots, then using a Cricut machine to create the H-E-B label. My words certainly do not do this project justice, and my presence was definitely needed here. When else do you get the chance to take a selfie with a human tortilla? —Bill Wilson

Jamming out while buying jam: You know that feeling when you’re browsing the aisles and dancing to that song you love in the grocery store? Well, it turns out you can capture the essence of that moment at home because Spotify is populated with hundreds of different grocery store music playlists—many of them organized by decade and even by store brand. While many consumers nowadays keep their headphones on while they pick up what they need, the overall music selection can make or break a shopping experience. Music sets the scene, whether you’re picking out produce or searching for the perfect shellfish, and a good musical atmosphere is a great way for grocers to increase positive store perception and drive people back to boogieing in the checkout line. —Ally MacConchie