Publisher: Grocery Dive
Published: September 8, 2026
Source: Read at Grocery Dive (https://www.grocerydive.com/news/Pepsico-fresh-food-innovation-strategy-processed/829706/)
Category: Food Access
PepsiCo launched Tostitos guacamole and brought its Mediterranean-style gazpacho brand Alvalle to the U.S. as it expands into fresh foods sold in the store perimeter. The company is targeting a section with more than $271 billion in annual sales, while the vast majority of its sales still come from center-store chips, soda, water and other products. PepsiCo said its fresh-food growth plan includes new brands, possible acquisitions and moving existing products into perimeter locations. Numerator data cited in the article says perimeter trips in 2025 grew 15% faster than center-store visits, while Hartman Group data cited by PepsiCo says 61% of consumers consider freshness when making purchases and seven in 10 shoppers view perimeter food as higher quality and worth paying more for.
Why this matters: For independent grocers, PepsiCo's move could increase competition for perimeter space and shopper attention. It also signals that major packaged-food companies may seek more opportunities in fresh categories as shopper demand shifts toward less processed foods.
This post summarizes and links to the original source. It does not reproduce the full article.