When I’m in charge of dinner for my family, I crave something that is fast, easy and most of all healthy for my kids and me. I don’t have the luxury of time or the innate skills of Chef Gordon Ramsay to whip up a dinner from scratch. So, like most, I look for more convenient options. The numbers are in and they show I’m not alone. The outer perimeters of supermarkets are seeing the highest increase in growth, and offer the most opportunity for our retail partners.
According to Progressive Grocer’s 79th Annual Report of the Grocery Industry, “The key consumer trends of more at-home eating, value-centric format expansion and expectations of fresh food excellence will likely persist for conventional-format operators for the foreseeable future.”
As the deli, including prepared foods, reach higher sales this year than before, retailers are responding by dedicating more space in-store for these items. In terms of opportunity, growth in the deli department allows retailers to distinguish themselves from their competition.
Like me, many consumers who visit a grocery store do not know what they will be serving for dinner that evening. This presents our retailers, and us, with an opportunity to educate our consumers, and impact their eating habits.
Consumers’ shopping and eating patterns are evolving, and as a company that engages shoppers to drives sales, it is important to keep this in mind. When doing events for each and every product, ask yourself how a product will benefit a consumer and how this product will simplify a consumer’s life, and be sure to communicate that to the shopper.
Now, back to what to serve for dinner tonight. I think I’ll go to the store for some ideas.
Sincerely,
Jeff Engel
Senior Vice President