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The plant-based food industry is experiencing mixed results at the grocery retail level. Some products, like dairy, continue to flourish while other areas, like plant-based meat, are struggling. In this episode of SN of the Shelf, Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson talks with Douglas Brown, senior retail reporter with New Hope Network. Brown talks about the state of the industry and some of the emerging trends with plant-based products.
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SN sat down with Upshop VP of Customer Success Lauren Kennedy to talk about why sustainability efforts for grocers are more important than ever
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Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley sat down with Alex Kinnier, the co-founder and CEO of Upside, to talk about a new report Upside has about consumer spending behavior — and how grocers can be thinking differently about courting shoppers who are less inclined towards loyalty than ever before.
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Regenerative farming has been gaining momentum for a while now, and a prime example as to how far it has come is to look at Burroughs Family Farms in California’s Central Valley. Benina Montes, who is a managing partner, grew up on the farm and saw the transition to regenerative practices. She talks about what they do at Burroughs Family Farms and what the future holds for the practice.
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Newtopia Now has certainly made a name for itself.
Formerly Natural Products Expo East, the show held in Denver last month had an all-natural buzz to it and served as a springboard to successful events moving forward.
The show had over 550 exhibitors, with 180 exhibiting for the first time at any trade show, and over 7,000 attendees, according to show officials.
Heavy hitters in the natural and organic food industry like Whole Foods, Target, and Sprouts Farmers Market were also in attendance.
The core goal of Newtopia Now is to create a meeting place for CPGs and retailers in the natural and organic market, according to New Hope.
The show was divided up into four sections or “neighborhoods”: “Thrive,” “Glow,” “Regenerate,” and “Represent.”
Newtopia Now also had a kitchen area where natural and organic dishes were being created, a café, and a Tasting Bar located right off the show floor where attendees could sample various products of the show.
There is a lot of work that goes into show planning, and with the new name the effort took on more importance.
Supermarket News sat down with Jessica Rubino, vice president of content for New Hope Network, at the show to talk about what went into the name change, the energy during the first day of the event, and some of the features.
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Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) are taking off. Walmart recently announced that it plans to switch over to 100% electronic shelf labels by 2026, citing a need for increased productivity and reduced walking time as well as simplified stock replenishment and faster order picking and fulfillment. ESL is transitioning past the early adopter phase — the tech is now becoming more and more a necessity that gives retailers a leg up.
The cost on electronic shelf labels has also been dropping in recent years and, simultaneously, labor costs have been rising. All of which has industry analysts speculating that ESL tech is going to begin to quickly scale.
On this special tech edition of our podcast, “SN Techwire,” Supermarket News editor Chloe Riley sat down with Tighe Renner, senior manager, new business development with Aperion (a retail technology arm of the Hussmann Corporation) whose primary product is ESL offerings from digital store solutions company Hanshow.
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Whether they have the local benefits of an independent or the scale of a chain, supermarket operators need as much information as they can take in about their guests’ buying patterns, preferences, and demographics. But which sources help them the most?
Supermarket News Intelligence recently investigated where more than 100 retailers turn to collect data on customers and their spending habits in our 2023 Tech Market Leader Report.
“It’s still an AI story,” Perrier told SN recently at the FMI Midwinter Conference in Marco Island, Fla. “ I think the big difference is…years ago we were talking about personalization and targeting…now we’re actually seeing real use cases, real demos. Large scale language models are being used to help retailers generate revenue and it’s quite powerful.”
In this special edition of our SN Off the Shelf podcast — SN TechWire — SN spoke with Sylvain Perrier, president and COO of grocery ecommerce software company Mercatus, about how grocers can smartly use personalization to drive loyalty and customer retention.
On today’s TechWire podcast, you’ll learn:
How can grocers can be leveraging personalization to get the whole basketWhat’s more important today: ecommerce or engagement?Why AI isn’t going anywhere anytime soon (and how you can best leverage it)Take a listen.
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When given the chance, those opposing the Kroger, Albertsons merger have let themselves be heard. It happened again in Colorado, where a number of people stood up during a meeting attended by Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and urged the agency not to approve the deal.
Grocery price increases and job security are the two top concerns expressed by consumers, workers, and unions.
But what if grocery prices remained competitive after the merger and a minimal number of jobs were lost? It most likely will happen, according to Eric Fruits, senior scholar at the International Center for Law and Economics. Fruits is the co-author of the white paper titled, “Food-Retail Competition, Antitrust Law, and the Kroger/Albertsons Merger.”
In the latest episode of SN Off the Shelf, Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson talks with Fruits about the Kroger, Albertsons merger which, according to Fruits, enough has been done to satisfy the parameters of a fair deal.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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A little over a year ago Ahold Delhaize USA made a major move in the retail media game.
Peapod Digital Labs, the e-commerce and digital innovation arm of Ahold Delhaize USA, announced plans to grow its AD Retail Media network into an end-to-end, in-house retail media business. That will enable consumer packaged goods partners to better leverage the long reach of Ahold Delhaize grocery retail brands, which encompass more than 2,000 stores, process over 23 million transactions weekly, engage nearly 24 million active loyalty card users and generate more than $51 billion in annual sales.
In this episode of SN Off the Shelf, Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson had the chance to check in with SVP of Retail Media at Ahold Delhaize USA Bobby Watts at Groceryshop 2023 in Las Vegas.
Watts believes retail media has not reached its peak yet and cautioned that retailers need to keep the consumer in mind when executing a plan.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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The landscape for center store beverage categories has been shifting dramatically, as consumers gravitate toward newer players that provide functional benefits, like prebiotic and probiotic sodas, as well as old standbys like energy drinks.
Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley sat down with Numerator’s Mike Scavuzzo at the recent EXPO East Natural Products show in Philadelphia, Penn. to talk about the significant growth in functional beverages.
Highlights from Scavuzzo’s 2022 recap on the prebiotic and probiotic soda category:
Just shy of $162 million in category projected sales on 107% growth vs 2021Total households, up 71%Average spend per household, up 22%Purchase frequency, up 12%Spend per trip, up 9%Spend per unit, up 2%Units per trip, up 7%“The brilliance of these brands is that they took a high penetration, mainstream category and made it ‘better for you.’ Mainstream means consumer approachability and little education needed to understand what the product is.. Better for you is self explanatory. That deadly combo is making a dent in CSD (carbonated soft drink) sales and you better believe Coke and Pepsi are on high alert.”
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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Retail media has been exploding over the last year, and Dollar General is right there riding the wave.
However, the discount retailer is taking a different approach. Rather than doing retail media in-house, Dollar General is partnering with third parties to deliver the message to consumers.
In this episode of SN Off the Shelf, Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson talks with Chad Fox, who is vice president and chief marketing officer at DG. Hear how Dollar General has taken on the world of retail media with its own flair.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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The plant-based category has had its share of ups and downs. A year ago, The Guardian asked whether the plant-based sales phenomena of the last decade was finally starting to be on the outs. But recent data from Kroger data arm 84.51° suggests that consumers are still choosing plant-based, especially in the plant-based dairy category.
Some key findings from the 84.51° data:
Shift in spend: Shoppers who engage with plant-based foods generally reduce their engagement with animal-based foods. Shoppers who increased their plant-based engagement overall increased their dollar spend in total plant-based foods by 92%, while only increasing animal-based spending by 9% in the same period
Consumers are choosing plant-based: 38% of surveyed shoppers indicate they are choosing plant-based milk instead of animal-based milk; 25% are choosing plant-based meats instead of animal-based meat; and 22% are choosing plant-based yogurt instead of animal-based yogurt
Ecommerce as growth engine: Plant-based foods hold a higher market share in ecommerce likely due to easier searchability and increased variety of products
Over 1.4 million Kroger households engaged with plant-based categories on their ecommerce platforms during the 12-week study period. While Millennials were the most engaged, all generations were represented, illustrating a broad opportunity to optimize omnichannel strategies based on consumer buying preferences.
At the recent EXPO East natural products show in Philadelphia, Penn., Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley sat down with 84.51° Lead Consultant, Insights Account Manager Shannon Weis, to talk about how consumers are actually shopping plant-based today.
Take a listen.
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After nearly four decades of serving the natural and organic CPG industry, natural products media group New Hope Network has announced that the 2023 Natural Products Expo East will be the trade show’s final edition.
Natural Products Expo West will continue to take place annually in Anaheim, California. And springing up in place of EXPO East is a new show called Newtopia Now — which will be designed to provide more opportunities for brands to meaningfully participate, regardless of where they are at in their lifecycle.
Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley spoke with Jessica Rubino, vice president, content at New Hope Network, about trends on the show floor at the final EXPO East, as well as taking a look ahead, for an exciting preview of the group’s latest trade show: Newtopia Now.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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Ahold Delhaize USA CEO JJ Fleeman was at Groceryshop 2023 in Las Vegas last week talking about omnichannel strategies.
However, you must know how customers are responding to a given channel to come up with an effective overall experience. In that regard, Ahold Delhaize has insight research teams and work with CPGs. Analysts and economist teams also provide input, and shop-a-longs are another way the grocer monitors trends and changes in shopper behavior.
Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson had the chance to catch up with Fleeman at the show, and talked about everything ranging from the omnichannel experience to shrink inventory and retail theft.
In this episode you will hear about:
Ahold Delhaize’s omnichannel strategyActing quickly on shopper trends and behaviorDigital media growthTechnology at fulfillment centersMarket consolidationRetail theft
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Bold is certainly one word to describe the strategy of the West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee over just the past five years. In that amount of time, the retailer has continued to ramp up its growing expansion in pharmacy and health care; rebranded its Hy-Vee Gas convenience concept to Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh; and continued to lead the market with its foodservice and prepared foods strategies.
Hy-Vee’s foray into health care and pharmacy over the past decade (and even just the past five years) has been extensive. In 2014, the retailer acquired Amber Pharmacy, one of the largest privately owned specialty pharmacies in the country and a driving force behind Hy-Vee’s national health care strategy. That acquisition allowed Hy-Vee to move forward with providing specialty pharmacy services in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico.
Perhaps the retailer’s most ambitious step into health care would be the launch of the first Hy-Vee Health infusion clinic, opened in April in West Des Moines. (A second opened in Chicago in August)
“We’re viewed as a food company, but our largest department is pharmacy,” said Jeremy Gosch, Hy-Vee CEO since 2022. “So health care plays a massive, massive role in Hy-Vee, and I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we’re going to be doing with health care moving forward.”
Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley sat down with Gosch at Hy-Vee headquarters, and talked with him about foodservice at retail, the company’s continued branding around fresh, and how health care is the future.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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A recent monthly category report indicates that, when it comes to groceries, consumers are very much fluctuating between what, how much, what brand, and where they purchase — all as a reaction to the impacts of inflation.
Along those lines, the July category update from 210 Analytics (with data provided by Circana) found that during the same visit, consumers might purchase some premium products, while going ultra-value on other items.
So it’s a toss up. Consumers have all kinds of purchase intents when they arrive at the grocery store, and their baskets reflect that.
Supermarket News Executive Editor Chloe Riley spoke with Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, for a look at what’s driving some of this behavior (in addition to inflation), as well as a category update across meat, seafood, and produce.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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In early August discount grocery store operator Save A Lot sold the last of its 18 stores to become a wholesaler and licensor to the Save A Lot store network.
It was a natural transition for Saint Ann, Mo., based retailer, which will now focus on providing the right core offering and the right framework for its network of independent retailers.
“As we’ve made a strategic shift to become a licensed wholesaler, it’s clear that our long-term growth momentum must be rooted in the success of our strong network of retail partners,” said Leon Bergmann, CEO of Save A Lot, in a statement following the 18-store selloff.
The move to a wholesaler actually started in 2019 before Bergmann became CEO of Save A Lot, but he believes it was the right move to make.
Bergmann sat down with Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson to talk about the move to a full-fledged wholesaler as well as other topics like food deserts and grocery price inflation, which Bergmann believes has not reached its peak.
In this episode you will hear about:
Why Save A Lot made the pivot to the wholesale levelHow Save A Lot will focus on fresh offerings in its distribution networkSave A Lot’s strategy to promote a fresh approachSave A Lot’s pricing approach throughout its networkThe impact of food deserts in the U.S.The status of grocery price inflationTake a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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Dutch multinational retail and wholesale holding company Ahold Delhaize, which operates the Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion, and Hannaford brands in the U.S., is coming off a strong second quarter that saw group net sales increase 4.3% year-over-year and comparable sales excluding gas rise 3.6%.
Net consumer online sales improved 9.3% vs. Q2 2022 and the underlying operating margin was 4.1% with a modest decline in the U.S. Ecommerce penetration in the U.S. reached 8.1% during the first half of the year.
Ahold Delhaize now expects free cash flow in the range of $2.2 billion to $2.4 billion and is holding onto its 2023 projections of an underlying margin greater than 4%.
But success this year has gone beyond the numbers for Ahold Delhaize, and Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson was able to check in with company CEO Frans Muller to talk about everything from inflation to store operations.
In this episode you will hear about:
Ahold Delhaize’s private label brandMuller’s take on inflation moving forwardThe store’s omnichannel strategyU.S. business outlook for the rest of 2023Labor challengesSustainabilityPlans for store expansion and upgradesTake a listen.
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Are your shelves stocked? And if not, why not? That’s the question we’re exploring today with Greg Buzek of global research and advisory firm IHL Group, which just released new research around global retail sales.
In 2023, the total cost of inventory distortion is projected at $1.77 trillion, according to the IHL research — down $172 billion from 2022 with out-of-stocks accounting for $1.2 trillion and overstocks totaling $562 billion.
The study also looked at the true cost and experiences of consumers who reported the reasons they left stores without buying the items they planned to purchase.
According to the study, although consumers have seen improvements in on-shelf availability, they list various reasons for leaving without their items including: sizes not being available, lack of employee help, products locked up or in the stockroom, or empty shelves.
Take a listen.
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Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
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Grocery food prices may have reached a tipping point. For the second straight month, the Consumer Price Index for food-to-home was relatively flat. However, shoppers are still paying 23% more on average per unit for food and beverage across the store.
Trips to the grocery store are on the rise, but the amount purchased with each trip has become smaller as shoppers continue to grapple with inflation.
In this episode of SN Off the Shelf, Supermarket News Senior Editor Bill Wilson talks with Jonna Parker, principal of the Fresh Foods Team Lead at Circana, about the inflation story over the last year.
In this episode you will learn:
The latest data and trends about grocery prices and the impact at the grocery storeThe current trade efficiency from store promotionsHow current shopper behavior is affecting purchasingThe influence of the “price cliff”Strategies grocers can implement for the rest of the yearTake a listen.
Have a pitch for the podcast? Reach out at [email protected]. And thanks for listening.
- Visa fler
