Food-retail Companies Give Back to Vulnerable Communities Affected by Coronavirus Pandemic
The Coronavirus outbreak has been very challenging to all of us; most especially to the vulnerable sectors in our community like senior citizens, children, and family members belonging to low-income households. Due to COVID-19, food insecurity has been prevalent and food-retail corporations are working together with charitable, not-for-profit organizations to give the communities in need all the support they can get amid this health crisis. Amazon, the popularly known online retailer, is delivering 6-million meals to local food banks in 25 cities across the country with the use of their own Amazon Flex drivers. In Houston, Texas, Amazon has partnered [...]
Everything’s Under Control!
How sweet the sound! For businesses that rely on refrigeration for their very existence, like retail food, food processing, cold storage warehouses, biopharmaceutical, and such, having that process under control is the very measure of the health of their business lifeline. There could be no sweeter or more comfortable words to hear than “everything’s under control with your refrigeration process.” Many of these types of businesses are increasingly turning to CO2, a natural refrigerant solution, for their refrigeration needs, driven in large part by their desire to “future-proof” their operations against the specter of costly, regulatory-mandated refrigerant change-outs. Hillphoenix has [...]
Moving Forward: What Has the Food Retail Industry Learned so Far During COVID
It has been four months since the Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the food retail industry. Restrictions were put in place, consumer buying behavior abruptly shifted and food retailers have adapted their strategies to keep things afloat. As we move to the 3rd quarter of 2020, and we go on with our operations one cautious step at a time, here are the things we have learned so far: Technology is winning If there is one thing that this pandemic has taught us it is that everything, most especially buying groceries, can be done online. As stay-at-home restrictions were implemented, consumers [...]
Supermarket Food Bars: Are There Better Days Ahead?
It has been a rough road for some food retailers ever since the pandemic hit. Some grocery departments like fresh produce, meat, and center store have been booming, while self-service areas have predominantly dipped in sales. For self-service areas like food bars that have been frowned upon due to health and sanitary concerns, its present state is uncertain. But, will it have a better future? Road to Recovery Since the pandemic hit, retailers have seen a steady surge in sales for the center store and produce department; however, the situation is far different for food bars and deli prepared. According [...]
C-Stores Gaining Traction Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
C-stores are seeing a rise in consumer spending in recent months due to reasons like proximity, convenience and safety. However, as consumers’ buying behavior changes, they are also demanding for more available products – not just shelf stable items – indicating a wave of opportunities coming for the channel. Consumer Rise in Spending and Demand Convenience stores' total spending boosted by 3.2% in the month of May. One reason for this increase in spending is proximity. Consumers continue shopping closer to home and are trying to avoid large crowds in big food-retailers like supermarkets to eliminate the risk of exposure [...]
What Would You Give for a Truly “Future-Proof” Investment
“Change is the only constant in life.” Somewhere along the line, most of us have heard that saying. After all, it’s been around a long time — a matter of fact, most people would never guess that the author was a Greek pioneer of wisdom named Heraclitus who lived around 500 BC in the days before Plato and Aristotle. It’s hard to argue that the statement is anything but an unequivocal truism. We face changes every day of our lives. The impact of those changes on each of us can run the gamut from negligible to life-altering. Ignoring the inevitable [...]
Online Grocery Shopping is…NOW!
The grocery shopping habits of consumers have changed drastically over the past few months. Online grocery shopping, which shows a very high surge in adoption, is reshaping the food retail industry. In these trying times where our lives have become narrowed, how is online grocery shopping winning over consumers’ and industry’s demands? Surge in Online Grocery Shopping Since the start of the stay-at-home restrictions, people have been using online grocery shopping to deliver their essentials at home or curbside. Due to this surge, even some brick-and-mortar food-retail businesses are jumpstarting their e-commerce platform strategies. According to Brick Meets Click and [...]
The Future is Accelerated: Full-on E-commerce Adoption is Just Around the Corner
The past few months have accelerated the digital strategies of some food retailers in the country. Some implemented makeshift e-commerce platforms to cater to customer needs and some reinforced their in-store online initiatives, like store mobile apps, in the hope of adapting in today’s innovative times. Due to recent events, we were greatly propelled into a shift to the digital world, but what are food-retailers doing to prepare themselves for the e-commerce revolution? Food Retailers are Getting Agile E-commerce sales records continue to surge this year. Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey recorded up to $7.2 billion of e-commerce grocery [...]
Are Robots the Future of Grocery Stores?
The evolution in the food retail industry as we know it has completely changed over the past few months. E-commerce stores have shot up, automation has been widely adopted in the food retail industry to keep up with the demands of consumers and technology has significantly impacted our industry for the better. Now, with the proliferation of intelligent machines in the food retail industry hoping to improve operations, are robots the future of grocery stores? Here are some of the reasons why they may be: Addition to Your Workforce Investing in robots for retail operations free up store associates on [...]
Double the display life of cut meat; save employee labor hours with Coolgenix
Meat and seafood departments present huge, high-margin opportunities for supermarkets. In the consumer’s mind, purchasing meat and seafood from a trusted grocer best ensures it is fresh and safe. These offerings enable grocers to differentiate their stores from discount and online retailers and build loyalty with local shoppers. But meat and seafood departments present challenges, too. The product is costly and highly perishable. Grocers must make sure they’re refrigerating and displaying meat and seafood properly to reduce waste and the risk of contamination — and to increase sales. One problem I see in supermarkets again and again is displayed meat [...]