Have You Seen It: NEW H&W Initiatives at Retailers
By RDBA Executive Director, Annette Maggi, MS, RDN, LD, FAND
We all know the retail industry is continually refreshing itself and changing. Given the competitive nature of the industry, grocery companies continually seek partnerships and program which will provide advantage. This week, we’re featuring some new programs and partnerships from retailers that are likely of interest to retail dietitians.
Albertson’s and Pinterest Partnership. As we’ve discussed here and here, at RDBA we see Pinterest as an important opportunity for retail health and wellbeing programs. Clearly, Albertson’s sees an opportunity with Pinterest, having signed a multi-year deal with the social site. According to the news releases, the program will use artificial intelligence (AI) and API technology to help grocery shoppers plan inspired fresh meals. The offerings will include a meal planning app (shoppers can drop recipe ingredients from Pinterest into their Albertson’s shopping cart), twenty of Albertson’s employees as content creators on Pinterest, and AI-powered tablescapes showing how one ingredient can be used in multiple recipes or meet dietary restrictions. Molly Tevis, RDN, LD from Albertson’s is one of the content contributors. You can see her posts here and follow her on Pinterest at @mealswithmolly.
Fred Meyer Pilots Reusable Packaging in Portland. Kroger, the parent company of the Fred Meyer grocery banner, is partnering with Loop on a reusable packaging pilot program. When shoppers purchase a product in reusable packaging, they pay a deposit, ranging from 15 cents for a bottle of soda to $10 for a stainless steel container of household cleaning wipes, in addition to the item’s cost. When consumers are finished with the container, they return it to the store and get their deposit refunded through Loop’s app. Loop is responsible for collecting, cleaning, and returning the reusable containers to manufacturers to be refilled. For Kroger, this program ties into their overall waste reduction commitments. This type of program also ties into consumer healthy living programs as today’s younger generations consider planet health and animal health as well as personal health when making decisions on purchases to make.
Hy-Vee Focus on “Bump to Babe.” During July, the Hy-Vee RD team hosted a series of virtual events under the “Bump to Babe” theme. Programs started with fertility moved to prenatal and postnatal nutrition and then to first foods for babies. Store tours and virtual cooking classes focused on this important time in women’s and new parent’s lives. Given that women in this life stage are hyper focused on what they can do right to ensure a positive pregnancy outcome, this focus on “Bump to Babe” by the Hy-Vee RD team is genius, and definitely worth considering adding to your offerings depending on the demographic of your store’s market area.
