While many industries suffered negative impacts from the pandemic's rapid reshaping of daily life, food and beverage consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies presented a starkly contrasting picture. A hallmark image of the early pandemic was consumers stockpiling in large quantities in response to months of staying at home, causing supermarket shelves to be temporarily cleared out and people to become reacquainted with their own kitchens. To this day, the pandemic continues, and although food retailers have generally been able to maintain adequate inventory and many restaurants have partially resumed dine-in service, the growth in CPG demand and the persistence of usage habits have left a deep mark on an industry that had previously seen years of sluggish growth.

To systematically examine what this pandemic truly means for food and beverage CPG businesses, Food Dive will launch a four-part series. This series will delve into the drivers behind the surge in demand, the adaptation of supply chains, long-term shifts in consumer behavior, and the challenges and opportunities the industry may face in the future. Stay tuned for subsequent installments.