Retail Industry Insights

There is an old adage “You are what you eat,” and even today, it’s still rings true. The foods we eat help feed our whole body, and that includes our brain. What we feed ourselves doesn’t just affect our physical performance, but our mental or cognitive well-being as well.

Store displays can serve as a silent sales assistant for wellness programming and health-focused promotional campaigns. The trick is to make sure displays include some of the basics that engage shoppers and drive sales. They need to do more than just look nice. If you currently have accountability for an in-store display, or if you want to negotiate space to enhance your services, here are some ways to demonstrate and communicate that you understand what it takes to make a display successful.

It’s common knowledge that Google has wanted to get into the business of selling us things – just like Amazon does – for years. But they just haven’t seemed to make it work, or get us to see Google as that type of service.

The pandemic has changed retail forever and included in these changes are merchandising strategies. Today’s shopper wants to spend less time in the store, has less choices on the shelves, and is faced with a continuing rise in prices. A marketer’s dream . . .NOT!

Rising food costs and consumer lifestyle changes have created disruptions in the industry and grocers must be focused on how to cater to customers now and in the future. In a recent report from FMI called “Future Outlook”, research insights and upcoming predictions were highlighted. Here are some of the key trends that retailers should watch:   

With owned brands offering value to retailers and consumers alike, RDBA has recently highlighted opportunities for retail RDs to promote private label in their healthy living programs, events and services. Another option to bring heightened visibility to owned brands is participation in the USDA Global Branded Food Products Database (GBFPD) – a publicly available database used for research and policy purposes by government, academic researchers, health professionals, and the food industry.

The retail dietitian role continues to evolve, making it an interesting and varied career path. As I talk to individual RDs, I’m amazed at the opportunities (and challenges, if I’m being honest) that emerge. Recently, three retail RDs have gotten involved with acquisitions by their companies, and I had the opportunity to connect with them on the dietitian’s role in these moves.

As the U.S. population grows older, there is an increasing number of both individuals and caregivers who face multiple challenges including grocery shopping and food preparation.

Could pop-up grocery stores be the next venue for consumers to discover new products within an exciting retail atmosphere? One retailer, Pop Up Grocer, is currently setting up temporary locations and a new permanent store in New York City. These shopping destinations feature not only shelf stable and refrigerated product discoveries, but bright colors and entertainment all in about 1,000 square feet. Traditional retailers can learn from this new competition, especially in an era where shoppers are looking for personalization and fun.  Consider these possible retail RDN activations:

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for May 2022, prices for food-at-home has jumped about 12% over the past 12 months, the largest 12-month increase in 43 years. As a result of these increases, approximately 95% of US households said they are making changes to purchasing habits (Numerator, 2022) such as shifting where they shop and what they are buying. Retail RDNs can add significant value to their retailer by understanding these key shopping habit changes.