Retail Industry Insights

As registered dietitians, we see first-hand that consumers are prioritizing health and well-being. More than ever before, they are connecting food with health and well-being, and in turn the concept of Food as Medicine is growing in momentum with consumers. Food as Medicine programs recognize the significant influence of a healthy eating pattern on overall health, while considering an individual’s ability to access nutritious foods and beverages.

Most retailers have created popular promotional campaigns to highlight seasonal fruits and veggies from local farms. To assist your stores with these efforts and to help drive sales across the store, consider the power of pairing frozen foods with seasonal, local produce. With a post pandemic focus on meals that provide health and nutrition attributes, combined with the ongoing need for convenience, consumers will appreciate new ways to pair up favorite frozen foods with produce for quick and nourishing meals. Here are some creative ways to provide meaningful solutions:

The past 16 months have brought a lot of changes to our supermarkets and to the role of the retail dietitian. Some might argue that some of these changes, especially those that involve improved sanitation practices, were long overdue. The more intense cleaning of shopping carts, checkstands and dairy and freezer door handles will continue long after the pandemic subsides. In March of this year, iRI released their study that found 99% of American shoppers feel safer at stores that provide sanitizing stations and 40% will go out of their way to shop at retailers that provide these stations.

Food packaging and promotional signage include a myriad of nutrition information sometimes contributing to confusion among shoppers. With nearly half of consumers focusing on health and nutrition as top priorities for meal inspiration1 now, more than ever, retail dietitians can serve as a key resource for navigating nutrition messaging in the grocery aisles. 

This session will focus on the opportunity to fundamentally rethink protein at retail. The meat industry must foster an evolution of the meat case to better align with the revolution occurring around it. We will discuss trends, data, and actions that can be used to influence consumer behavior at retail. Presented by Kiersten Hafer, Consumer & Strategic Insights, National Pork Board.

The Biden stimulus has provided much relief for many Americans as the US continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. What are the near term and long term implications of the stimulus on US consumers, specifically as it relates to the economy and the grocery retail? What are the pros and cons of the stimulus, and what are the potential risks that should be considered for retail dietitians as they advise their clients and consumers in general?

During the pandemic, many types of consumers, including athletes, weekend warriors, and active individuals of all kinds have had to rethink how they retain their gains. With the shutdown and restrictions of many foodservice establishments, these consumers had to learn to prepare their meals from home. This session will explore how to empower your active consumers to build their performance plate on their own to help them elevate their game and fuel better. Dive into emerging evidence-based research to support your consumers' needs and educate your athletes about the importance of gaining culinary skills to benefit their performance and encourage lifelong healthy habits.

Successful vendor partnerships are essential to strengthen and advance the work of retail health and well-being programs. These partnerships, however, must be negotiated, nurtured and evaluated to ensure the collaboration provides ongoing value. In this session, participants will learn the keys to establishing meaningful connections with vendors, negotiating roles and responsibilities, tips for strengthening partner relationships and how to evaluate success. We will also hear from a long-time vendor partner of RDBA regarding the importance of working with retail dietitians and what constitutes a successful collaboration.

At grocery retail, a key goal is for all community members to find foods that fit their eating habits. This goal is, in part, accomplished by micro-marketing based on individual store or key markets. During this session, hear from retail buyers on how data is driving cross-cultural micro-marketing decisions to offer cultural foods important to local communities.

Join Phil Lempert, RDBA CEO and Annette Maggi, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, Executive Director for a robust panel discussion on long-term impacts of COVID-19 on grocery retail and how retail dietitians can be planning for these challenges and opportunities. Retail RD panelists are Caroline Cheong, Director of Nutritional Health Coach Regional Managers at Natural Grocers, Allison Delaney MS, RD, LDN, Stop & Shop Nutrition Partners Program Lead and 2021 RDBA Retail RD of the Year, and Ellie Wilson, MS, RDN, CDN, Manager of Lifestyle and Wellness Programs at Price Chopper/Market 32/Golub Corporation.