Retail Industry Insights

Every major decision I have made in my life got hammered out around the family dinner table.  The cast of characters evolved as I moved from my family of origin to a family of friends, then to my own family, and certainly the issues I was deliberating at these different stages changed, but the constant has been the family dinner table.  It has provided me the safe context in which I could probe all the implications of my choices from every angle; emotional, financial, psychological and in some cases geographical.   I am convinced that the family meal is the place where love and support find their most fertile ground to take root and grow.

Weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals are scratching their heads about the continued empty toilet paper shelves. Skyrocketing sales of disposal gloves and disinfectants make sense, of course, but paper products are another story.

Consumer interest in the relationship between food and health has continued to increase, so much so that consumers' definition of food value extends beyond taste, price and convenience and now includes health and wellbeing. These trends present an opportunity for retail dietitians to help address the health and wellness needs of their customers. By capitalizing on health and wellness programming, promotions, and value-added services, food retailers can increase their value as both a destination and a partner in their customers’ shopping journeys.

Recent trends have revealed what dietitians in food retail have known all along – health and wellness are defined by the consumer and will continue to be a key purchase driver as consumers lead the charge of food and health trends.

Millennial Parents food-shop with high anxiety. Their time constraints, financial stresses, healthful eating desires, and large physical distance from supportive relatives create openings for retail dietitians to connect and bond these big food spenders to specific supermarkets.

Have you ever come across a product that you love but your store doesn’t carry? As a retail dietitian, you can help to improve the selection of healthy options for your customers. Use the tips below to prepare to present a new item to your buying team. Use Manitoba Milling’s New Flax Milk as an example.

Today, consumers are seeking options that are good for themselves and good for the earth.  This is especially true among younger generations. ​

The National Retail Federation’s Big Show filled New York City’s Javits Center with drones, robots, self-checkout, touch screens, mirrors that let you try on clothes (without trying on clothes) and countless technologies all designed to move the retail environment to the future. In mid-January, nearly 40,000 people gathered to search for the silver bullets that could fix declining sales, lost customer traffic and equip them for the battle against online shopping. I found few silver bullets.

This year will mark my (gulp) 25th year in the food industry. There have been so many changes in what and how we eat and shop, but perhaps the greatest change is in food communications. Not just the channels, although we have watched weekly circulars become targeted Instagram offers, but most importantly our target consumer. When I started, it was all about a 25-54-year- old middle income mom. And now, we target. EVERYONE. Four generations actively shop in your stores. Those with food intolerances, on a cleanse and following ketogenic diets are fans of your concept. How can you target everyone? Our latest research says shift to targeting “Gen Food.”

Despite health benefits associated with adequate nutrition, many Americans consume a diet of poor nutrient quality, which is often reflected in their purchase patterns.