Consumer Buying Behavior That Will Drive the Food Retail Industry in 2022
Consumer buying behavior in the food retail industry has been drastically altered over the past few years in more ways than one. Consumers are more conscious of what they eat, where, and how they buy their food. Considerations of health and safety and how their buying behavior affects the environment have also been observed and resulted in driving grocery purchase decisions over time. Now that COVID-19 is showing signs of easing off, stringent health protocols and panic buying will soon be things of the past. How will consumer buying behavior change in 2022 and how will it drive the food [...]
Social Commerce—What Is It and How Can Grocers Cash in on This Growing Trend
Social media has been one of the most powerful tools for sharing information and connecting people around the world. In different industries, such as food retail, social media is widely used to promote and share content for marketing and brand awareness. However, the days of social media being used exclusively for social networking and consuming content are over. Enter social commerce—the use of social media to promote and sell products and services online without the need for customers to go out and visit their local grocery stores. Different from a traditional e-commerce platform, social commerce makes use of social networking [...]
Natural Refrigerants FAQs—Here’s What You Need to Know
The use of natural refrigeration systems is getting ever more popular in the food retail industry. Due to different environmental regulations aiming to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and the growing cost of HFC refrigerants, adopting sustainable solutions is the best way forward. However, natural refrigerants’ popularity doesn’t come without apprehensions and worries among retailers. This blog aims to clarify those concerns. Here, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the use of natural refrigeration systems, hoping to give you additional insight as to the many benefits of going “natural.” Are natural refrigerants safe for the [...]
Food Challenges in 2022 and How Grocers Can Solve Them
The last few years, starting at the height of the pandemic, have been very challenging times for the food retail industry, to say the least. Issues from health and safety to unprecedented consumer demands confronted food retailers of all formats and sizes. Now, in 2022, food retailers are expected to face different but equally challenging issues in the food retail industry surrounding the workforce and the industry’s impact on the environment and supply chain. Here are some 2022 food retail challenges and how grocers can solve them: Labor Crisis The lingering effects of the pandemic have impacted the workforce to [...]
What’s So Important About Stopping Global Warming Anyway?
The fight against global warming has been a long-standing crusade for many decades now. Today, the push towards curbing global warming and eradicating climate change is deeply visible in the media, government campaigns, and often included as part of corporate responsibility initiatives. These environmental efforts are so prevalent and already deeply ingrained in our culture that one may ask, “What’s so important about it anyway?” How is global warming directly affecting us in our personal and daily lives? Even in the Arctic Circle, where one may perceive that global warming would not be evident, rising temperatures can be felt. Climate [...]
Food Retailers’ Efforts to Boost Sales of Health and Wellness Foods Online and In-Store
Customers and food retailers have placed much more emphasis on the importance of health and wellness in the past few months than ever before. Due to the growing number of people who are more health-conscious, health and wellness food products are in the spotlight. Retailers should seize this opportunity to continue the momentum. 78% of U.S. consumers say that it is important for them to eat healthy food products for their emotional well-being, according to Mintel’s Future of Nutrition, Health and Wellness 2021 Report. Several meal innovations and food items centered around health consciousness have emerged due to the growing [...]
Supply Chain Shortage—Here’s Why Grocery Stores Are Running Out of Stock
If you have visited your local grocery stores recently, you might have noticed some products, such as pantry essentials, chicken, canned goods and meat are running low in supply with a lot of display cases and shelves empty. Food retailers are left challenged and baffled as to why the supply chain shortage is becoming a more serious issue. This is particularly true during the holidays and busy seasons when customers are expected to stock up and cook food for family gatherings and celebrations. The food retail supply chain consists of an interconnected web of functional areas with each having a [...]
CO2 vs Ammonia—Which Refrigerant Is the Best for Your Business?
Natural refrigerants are found to be viable alternative refrigerants when it comes to industrial applications. First, they are energy-efficient due to their thermodynamic properties. Additionally, they offer a lower total cost of ownership than their synthetic counterparts, such as HFCs. More than that, natural refrigerants are safer for the environment since they have little or no global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP), making them a good investment for fighting climate change. When it comes to specific types of natural refrigerants, CO2 and ammonia (NH3) are the two most widely used refrigerants in the industry. Whether for cold [...]
Food Retail Trends to Look Out for in 2022
We are already one month into 2022 and new trends are expected to emerge. This is especially true in the food retail industry where disruptions and innovations are a way of life. Trends are shaping the way grocers operate and strategize their approach to the upcoming year. In the past few years, we have seen some pronounced food retail trends, such as the accelerated adoption of technology and the upswing demand for health and wellness food products. Will these trends continue their momentum in the next year? We’ll find out. New year, new trends. Here’s what food retailers should look [...]
Plant-based Food Sales Continue to Rise—Here Are Ways How Grocers Can Keep Up the Momentum
The growth of plant-based foods over the past few years has been a significant disruption in the food retail industry. As a healthier alternative to meat-based food options, plant-based foods continue to find their way onto customers’ grocery lists. Plant-based category sales grew by 27% in 2020 and are estimated to be worth $7 billion, according to SPINS data released by the Good Food Institute and the Plant-Based Foods Association. This year, plant-based food is showing that it’s here to stay. Whether plant-based milk, meat, or seafood, surely, plant-based food products are not just a trend anymore—it’s becoming a staple [...]