Business Skills

As retail dietitians, we regularly navigate a tricky path between managing business requirements while providing meaningful and effective wellness guidance for supermarket shoppers. This is a task that is complicated enough under the best of circumstances. But as many of us have experienced in retail, the only constant is change itself. There have been many ‘disruptors’ recently, from the rise of e-commerce to the growth of small format stores, but perhaps one of the most intimidating disruptions happening at retail is the increase of retail mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the last few years. However, these types of changes can bring great opportunities to you and your wellness initiatives if you maintain a flexible perspective while aligning with your retailer’s new strategic plan.

Consumers love video content for a host of reasons – it’s visual and easy to absorb, convenient, can be viewed in short spurts, and is much more entertaining than reading. 

Whether you’re a team manager or a team member, there are a variety of things to consider in establishing career paths within retail dietetics programs.

Conquering your calendar means shining a light on what’s important to your work and to lead by example. If your crammed calendar looks more like a battle plan than a focused, realistic schedule, you’re not alone. Here are some tips for ensuring your days provide the space you need for opportunities, growth and success:

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a proven counseling method that can help people resolve ambivalent feelings to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. The process involves a practical and empathetic facilitative style that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes. This technique helps people become motivated to change negative behaviors and retail dietitians may find this intervention helpful in a variety of workplace situations.

If you follow various industry organizations in social media and through their e-newsletters, you’re likely to see announcements over time about other retail health and wellness initiatives.  Over the summer alone there have been key announcements – Kroger is hosting a wellness and music festival, Hy-Vee has streamlined their store tour process and is marketing the program more, Raley’s added a dietitian back to their organization, to name a few.

Most retail dietitians need to be proficient writers as a means of reaching their target shopper audience. Whether it’s authoring blog articles, ad copy, media scripts or social posts, being able to communicate concise, meaningful messages is vital. Becoming a good writer takes time and practice. Below are some tips to improve your writing skills to ensure your content is engaging and actionable.

Regardless of what stage you are at in your career, success can be contributed in large part by the relationships you develop inside and outside of the office. Effective networking not only provides the opportunity to learn from different individuals, but you can also reap the benefits of association and growing your own influential power. Here are some tips for improving your networking skills:

Do you wonder if elements of your role as a retail dietitian cross a line with the dietitians’ professional code of ethics?

As retail dietitians encourage shoppers to make healthier choices at retail, it’s essential to help the shopper break the autopilot habit and begin purchasing more nutritious options as a new routine.