Retail Industry Insights

National Family Meals Month™ was created by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation to effect change in the number of meals that families enjoy together at home each week.  It began with a platform designed for food retailers and suppliers to support consumers in making family meals a reality and, in turn, help them reap the physical, social, and psychological benefits of doing so.  

From New York Times’ Kim Severson naming mushrooms the “It” vegetable for 2019 to Martha Stewart claiming that mushrooms are the “food of 2019,” mushrooms are certainly having a moment. Grocery buyers are opening their carts up for more mushrooms with sales increasing every year over the past five years. With National Mushroom Month just around the corner, here are some ideas to ignite excitement in your produce department this September. 

Summer is officially in full swing, bringing warmer weather and longer days. With the change of season, your shoppers may be looking for refreshing options to stay cool. Nothing beats the heat like smoothies that also provide a way to enjoy nutrition at home or on-the-go. 

Like many registered dietitians, I never expected there would be a time in my career when I would be called upon to answer wellness-related questions about shampoo, lotion, or soap. But given the recent surge in consumer concern over topical product chemicals, we’re the most readily accessible resource for our retailers and shoppers, so it’s no surprise that these inquiries are now falling on our desks.

For almost half of all shoppers who are following or shopping for someone adhering to a specific dietary plan, transparency is particularly important. From low carb, to high protein and gluten-free, it is imperative to help these individuals overcome the challenge of searching for products that meet the needs and goals for their diet or health-related program. The study also identified those platforms considered the most valuable by consumers for communicating transparency:

Retail dietitians can be better equipped to lead shoppers on the journey to healthier eating patterns if they have insight into how consumers eat and plan for today’s mealtime.

It may be surprising to know that among the 25,000 food people that attended this year's Winter Fancy Food Show are quite a few who are scouring the show floor from the dollar store channel.

Today, we’re pleased to announce the addition of two new podcasts, which are available for free listening and download on iTunes, Stitcher, and SoundCloud. Hosted by RDBA CEO Phil Lempert in his Lost in the Supermarket® podcast series, these podcasts are guaranteed to be of value to retail RDs.

Food allergies have become pervasive in our culture. It was only 30 years ago that food allergies affected 0.75% of Americans and now nearly 5% of the population lives with them on a daily basis.

The continued hype surrounding online shopping has put pressure on traditional grocers to expand their shopper offerings, with options like click-and-collect on the rise. But the broader way to compete with online giants like Amazon is to ensure true omnichannel shopper engagement.