July Workplace Insights: The Office Pantry’s Role in a Cost-Conscious, Talent-Driven World
How to adapt your office pantry to evolving behaviors and economic factors.
✍️ Written by Rebecca Ross
🕚 6-Minute Read • Updated Monday, July 14, 2025
![Trends for your corporate food service [July 2025]](https://info.craftydelivers.com/hubfs/Trends%20for%20your%20corporate%20food%20service%20%5BJuly%202025%5D.png "Trends for your corporate food service [July 2025]")
July brings fresh challenges and opportunities as employers work to re-engage talent and manage rising costs in a post-tariff economy. While the U.S. labor market remains resilient, with strong job growth and steady wage gains, employees are thinking differently about what makes the office worth the commute, and office pantry programs are playing a bigger role than ever.
Across industries, companies are using their office pantry service to balance two urgent priorities: delivering high-value experiences that support productivity, focus, and well-being, and keeping spend under control as tariffs ripple through supply chains. From generational shifts in spending habits to innovative supplier strategies, this month’s insights reveal how workplace food and beverage programs are evolving to meet the moment.
Tariff Anxiety Is Shaping Generational Priorities
Generational spending habits are shifting as economic uncertainty rises.
According to recent McKinsey insights, more than 60% of U.S. consumers say tariff-related news has changed how they spend, and the patterns vary sharply by age group.
- Gen Z and millennials are adjusting quickly, with nearly 40% switching to lower-priced brands and many opting to reduce discretionary purchases altogether. For these younger consumers, value and versatility in food choices matter most, as they look to stretch budgets while maintaining convenience and taste.
- Baby boomers, on the other hand, are focusing cuts on premium indulgences: scaling back on dining out, alcohol, and specialty drinks to protect essential categories at home and work.
These generational spending shifts are showing up in the workplace, but not always in the same way as at home. As employees make cuts in their personal lives, they increasingly look to the workplace to provide meaningful value in return for their time and commute. What might feel indulgent or unnecessary at home, such as a ready-to-drink cold brew latte or a high-quality protein snack, can feel essential at work because it directly supports focus, energy, and well-being during the day.
In a hybrid world where attendance has to be earned, the pantry is becoming one of the most visible ways employers demonstrate care and make the office feel worth it. Employees are quietly reassessing which pantry items help them do their best work, and they’re paying attention to whether the company is supporting them in achieving their goals.
The tea: Tariffs aren’t just reshaping consumer spending, but they’re adding new pressures on workplace budgets. This challenge makes it even harder to balance two competing priorities: delivering a great pantry experience and staying cost-effective.
When employers try to solve this by asking employees what they want, there’s often a gap between what people say they’ll choose and what they actually consume. That’s where data becomes essential. By tracking real consumption patterns, you can deliver a pantry program that truly meets team needs while staying within budget, even as tariffs ripple through the supply chain.
That's why we created the Pantry Improvements tool within our platform. It flags products that are underperforming and uses AI and real-time data to suggest better-fit options so every dollar works harder. That’s just one of the features. When data is embedded across your entire pantry program, here’s what you gain:
- Maximum impact for every dollar spent. Focus your budget on what employees actually consume and value most, avoiding overspend on low-impact items.
- Less waste and tighter inventory control. Align ordering with real demand and merchandise intentionally to reduce leftovers and spoilage.
- A balanced mix that supports experience and efficiency. Replace low-engagement items with alternatives that deliver on wellness goals and cost-effectiveness.
- A program that continuously adapts and improves. Use AI and consumption insights to fine-tune offerings in real time; no more guesswork, just smarter decisions.
UNLOCK MORE ROI FROM YOUR PANTRY
This playbook outlines 12 proven strategies to create efficiencies, reduce waste, maximize spend, and drive a quality experience that accelerates your organization.
New Office Pantry Benchmarks
New office pantry benchmarks show how top workplaces are doubling down on their program to re-engage talent in a post-tariff world.
Crafty’s Q1 2025 Pantry Benchmark report shows that top industries aren’t pulling back on pantry budgets. Instead, they’re using them as a strategic lever to retain top talent and investing more.
The average company spent over $64,000/quarter on pantry programs in Q1 2025. This surge in pantry investment reflects a broader workplace reality: in a hybrid world, the office has to earn each visit. That, in combination with economic volatility for employees, a reliable and tailored pantry brings more value on in-office days.
Here’s where leading industries are focusing their dollars:
- Pharmaceuticals: The average office spend hit $20,769/month, with investments centered on functional snacks like protein bars (+62%) and juices (+76%) to fuel wellness goals and productivity throughout the day.
- Financial Services: Offices spent an average of $15,305/month, prioritizing sports drinks (+101%) and yogurt and cheese (+136%) to meet demand for efficient, protein-packed options that power long, high-focus workdays.
- Technology: Offices averaged $11,918/month, channeling pantry dollars into coconut water (+198%), protein chips (+278%), and smart snack choices that keep teams focused and fueled without interruptions.
Dive into your industry's office pantry benchmarks >
The tea: This all boils down to talent attraction and retention. The U.S. labor market remains resilient, with 228,000 jobs added in March 2025, according to the BLS. That said, signs of moderation are emerging. Wage growth has steadied, and participation rates among prime-age workers have dipped slightly, highlighting how hard companies are working to re-engage talent in a more cautious, post-tariff economic climate.
Pantry investments are part of that equation, offering tangible daily value that complements compensation and signals care, at a time when employees are weighing every factor that makes the commute worth it.
The benchmarks help you see how your company stacks up and what others in your space are investing to get and keep people in seats. Take a look at where your industry is focusing its pantry dollars, and use it as an opportunity to fine-tune your mix so you can stay competitive, align with employee expectations, and deliver value in moments that matter.
Trendy Ingredients Are Easing Cost Pressures
Hershey is mixing additional ingredients to reduce reliance on cocoa.
Hershey is rethinking its iconic offerings in response to shifting consumer preferences and the sharp rise in cocoa prices. While chocolate remains at the heart of its business, the brand is incorporating more on-trend ingredients, such as peanut butter, wafers, caramel, and crunchy inclusions into new products. The goal is to deliver fresh, exciting flavors and textures while easing dependency on cocoa, whose skyrocketing costs have challenged manufacturers across the globe.
This innovation strategy draws on Hershey’s deep ties to ingredients that consumers already associate with its brands. Think:
- Reese’s peanut butter extended into pretzels, animal crackers, and drizzled popcorn
- Kit Kat limited-time flavors replacing chocolate coatings with vanilla or pink lemonade
- Milk chocolate bars with less chocolate content, instead loaded with caramel or waffle cone bits for added texture and appeal
The tea: Hershey’s approach offers inspiration for workplace pantries navigating the same pressures. As ingredient costs shift, there’s an opportunity to rethink your mix without sacrificing satisfaction. Smart swaps can help balance budgets and meet evolving employee preferences.
Here’s how you can take a page from Hershey’s playbook:
- With aluminum and packaging costs on the rise, consider switching to bulk beverage solutions like Bevi. This reduces reliance on individually packaged cans and bottles while offering still, sparkling, and flavored water, all with less environmental and financial impact.
- As sweetener and cocoa prices surge, add naturally sweet options like fruit-based snacks (e.g., Soley fruit jerky) or trail mixes with dried fruit. These satisfy sweet cravings without relying on high-cost or high-sugar ingredients.
These moves not only help offset cost pressures but also show employees that your pantry program is evolving with their tastes and wellness goals in mind.
Conclusion
The modern workplace pantry has moved far beyond “nice to have.” In today’s climate, where tariffs drive up costs, employees weigh every commute, and talent attraction is a daily priority, your pantry program is a strategic lever.
Whether it’s tracking real consumption data to fine-tune your mix, benchmarking spend to stay competitive, or making smart product swaps that balance satisfaction with cost, success comes down to precision. The companies getting it right are the ones using data, not assumptions, to guide every decision. Because when your pantry reflects what employees truly value, it fuels more than focus; it fuels connection, culture, and business performance.
