Retail Industry Insights

Parents often reload their college students before heading back to campus in early January, creating a promotional opportunity for retail dietitians.

It is a common assumption that you can’t have too many choices. This is particularly true in the grocery aisles, with the average store stocking nearly 40,000 items. While many shoppers value variety, too many choices can lead to confusion. This is often seen in the egg case. 

Supermarket dietitians certainly appreciate the opportunity to promote the produce department with its abundance of nutrient-rich products. Dan Fechte, Produce Manager for Schnuck Markets, Inc. shares insights about his accountabilities that ensure high quality, fresh produce is available for consumers and how RDs can help educate shoppers.

The rise of grocery e-commerce, the need for convenience, and an expanded selection in virtually every category – these are all reasons that packaged produce has taken off in recent years.

In case you missed us at FNCE this year, here's a recap of our annual "What's in Store?" event.  In partnership with Fleishman Hillard, we hosted 58 retail dietitians and 20 sponsors from North America.

The frequency of canned food consumption overall in the US has been on a steady decline over the last several years. The misconceptions about the nutritional quality of canned foods, and their decreasing usage rate may actually be contributing factors to the nutritional inadequacy of the American diet.

2017 marks the third annual National Family Meals Month™ (NFMM) celebrated each September. 

If you ask consumers about their comfort level in the meat department you’ll hear a variety of responses with most comments centered around their confusion. From what cuts of beef to use in recipes to how to store seafood, shoppers are looking for guidance that helps move them from confusion to confidence when purchasing and preparing tasty and nutritious meals that include meat, poultry and seafood.

Meal delivery kits are gaining popularity as consumers are seeking to strike a balance between home-cooked meals and convenience. Pre-portioned, relatively affordable, and delivered straight to the doorstep, it is understandably easy to overlook a few shortcomings. 

Whether you work as a store dietitian or serve in a corporate or regional role, it’s important to understand the priorities of a store director so you can be an effective partner with advancing retail initiatives. The following interview with Mary Kruck, Store Director at Coborn’s in Isanti, Minnesota provides some valuable insights.