The past few years have seen quite a boom in merger and acquisition activity, particularly in the packaging market. For proof of this, look no further than the blockbuster August announcement that Amcor planned to acquire rival packaging firm Bemis in an all-stock transaction valued at nearly US$5.3 billion.

More and more people want to go dairy free — at least some of the time. Consumption of non-dairy plant-based milks has increased by triple digits, according to a report by Packaged Facts titled Dairy and Dairy Alternative Beverage Trends in the U.S., 4th Edition. 

Catch up on the latest articles from Kalorama Information, Simba Information, The Freedonia Group, and Freedonia Focus Reports. 

Analysts covered a diverse range of topics this week, among them bioprocessing, artificial intelligence, investments in education technology, bed and bath retail, and more.

As the global population continues to grow, access to clean water will be more critical than ever, particularly in remote or rural regions lacking the infrastructure or funds to construct large-scale water treatment facilities. As a result, packaged water treatment systems have seen a rise in worldwide popularity.

Once the domain of science fiction novels, robots are poised to transform a broad range of different industry categories in the coming years. Here are just a few key examples — covering the uses of robots today and in the future — based on reports by several market research firms.

Check out all the latest articles from Kalorama Information, Packaged Facts, Freedonia Focus Reports, and The Freedonia Group.  Topics this week include IVD devices, M&A activity in the retail pharmacy market, the latest trends in food, plastics, smart technology, and much more.

Catch up on all the latest articles from Packaged Facts, Simba Information, The Freedonia Group, MarketData, and more. 

This week, analysts looked at the coffee industry, finance, education reform, new tariff developments, pet trends, and the self-improvement market.

To maintain long-term viability, the personal growth – aka self-improvement – industry’s future generation of gurus, speakers and experts will need to be more accountable to consumers. General motivational programs are less popular today. Many consumers looking for more practical programs and a return on their invested time and money have found that programs and philosophies – such as the “law of attraction” – have overpromised and underdelivered.

It may come as no surprise that the Internet is the fastest growing channel for pet products. In fact, sales of pet products sold online will easily double between 2017 and 2022, according to a report by market research firm Packaged Facts.

The $86 billion pet industry is certainly transforming alongside the rise of e-commerce, but that’s not the only trend to watch in the coming years. 

Check out the latest industry articles from Packaged Facts, Simba Information, Kalorama Information, The Freedonia Group, and MarketsandMarkets.  Topics include the ongoing battle between online and brick-and-mortar retailers, textbook sales, next-generation sequencing in diagnostics, a slew of new tariffs, and more.