食品行业利润普降，厂商绞尽脑汁推创新产品

由于面临来自食品经销商以及供应链成本上涨的双重压力，很多食品加工厂商的利润都在下滑。因此，很多食品厂商都在通过研发新产品甚至是非传统产品来扭转不利局面。

《华尔街日报》（The Wall Street Journal）近日在对食品价格进行调查时发现，包括奥利奥厂商亿滋国际以及好时、家乐氏在内的很多大牌食品公司都在研发新产品，并以更高的单价进行销售，以提高利润。

比如亿滋国际最新推出的奥利奥Thins Bites饼干在沃尔玛的零售价是每盎司56美分，显著高于售价为每盎司30美分的普通奥利奥Thins饼干。含进口香草的家乐氏Eggo华夫饼的售价是每盎司28美分，也高于售价23美分的普通Eggo华夫饼。

目前，所有食品厂商都在为如何增加收益而发愁。首先，食品是一个竞争异常激烈的行业。其次，各大零售商特别是亚马逊都在想方设法向食品厂商施加压力，以压低食品批发价格，并且改善食品包装。与此同时，食品厂商的各种成本还在继续上涨。《华尔街日报》的报道表明，在这种情况下，各大食品厂商都在被迫寻找新的方法添加原料，或是扩大生产线，以在尽量压缩成本的前提下，提供更高价格的产品。

所有这些努力都是为了从更少的客户手中赚取更多现金。现在看来，这些方法可能是奏效的。从《华尔街日报》获取的尼尔森公司的数据看，今年11月，美国的干货食品销量与去年基本持平，而干货食品的价格却同比上涨了2%。

说起食品行业的创新及其对价格的影响，最明显的应该说是燕麦乳这种产品了。作为牛奶的素食替代品，燕麦乳的销量今年异常火爆，价格也一路飙升。在亚马逊网站上，一箱12包装的欧特力 Barista Blend燕麦乳的价格卖到了226美元，而普通6包装的燕麦乳的通常售价仅为25美元。（财富中文网）

译者：朴成奎

Food manufacturers are struggling with pressure from major grocery chains and rising supply chain costs, which are driving down margins. And now they’re turning to new and in some cases, non-traditional products to help them turn the tide.

Several household names—including Oreos maker Mondelez International, Hershey, and Kellogg, among others—are creating new products and selling them at higher per-unit costs to boost margins, The Wall Street Journal found in an investigation into food prices.

Mondelez, for instance, is selling its Oreo Thins Bites for 56 cents an ounce at Walmart, a better return than the 30 cents per ounce its charging for regular Oreo Thins. Kellogg has added Eggo waffles that are covered in imported vanilla that sell for 28 cents an ounce, according to the Journal. Its standard Eggos go for 23 cents an ounce.

The findings come as food makers struggle to drive revenue. Competition is fierce and retailers, including big-box stores and especially Amazon, are pressuring them to keep prices down and improve upon their packaging. Meanwhile, costs continue to rise. The Journal report suggests food makers have been forced to find new ways to add ingredients or expand their product line to deliver higher-priced item with less of an uptick in cost.

Their attempts at drawing in more cash from fewer customers might be working. According to Nielsen data obtained by the Journal, dry-grocery sales volume was flat in November compared to the prior year. However, dry-grocery prices were up 2% year over year.

But perhaps nowhere is innovation and its effect on prices more apparent than in oat milk. This year’s hottest food item, oat milk has watched its prices soar due to widespread demand for the vegan, milk alternative. On Amazon, customers can buy a 12-pack of oat milk maker Oatly’s Barista Blend for $226. A six-pack regularly costs $25.