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FROM CHILE: DELIVERING THE QUALITY, CONSISTENCY, AND TASTE CUSTOMERS DEMAND
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It’s not just about
according to the retailer’s
John Laney.
Food retailers can sweeten sales by leveraging the latest trends influencing the beloved after-dinner course.
Progressive Grocer talks with Brioche Gourmet importer Kurt Burmeister.
Value-added proteins run the gamut as brands and grocers capitalize on versatility and flavor.
What should a food retailer consider when
Retail
continues to emerge as a powerful vehicle for engagement, personalization and sales.
8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631 Phone: 773-992-4450 Fax: 773-992-4455 www.ensembleiq.com
BRAND MANAGEMENT
VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP BRAND DIRECTOR Eric Savitch esavitch@ensembleiq.com
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Gina Acosta gacosta@ensembleiq.com
GLP-1 SNACKS, PROTEIN, MUSHROOMS AND FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES DOMINATE.
Some people dream about going to the Super Bowl. Every year, I dream about going to the Super Bowl of grocery: Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim, Calif. There’s no larger gathering of consumer goods companies and grocery retailers in the United States – a place for grocery nerds to engage in some fun discovery, inspiration and trendspotting.
This year’s show was no less thrilling than others, even amid the general sense of uncertainty right now in the grocery retail industry related to downbeat consumers, gloomy economic forecasts and trade wars.
Knowing that Progressive Grocer readers deeply value insights on emerging product trends, I vowed to walk every aisle of this massive show and talk to every one of its 3,200-plus exhibitors. I then made a list of 50 standout products I saw or sampled. You can check some of them out here before you see them on a competitor’s shelf:
Wunder Eggs: Plant-based eggs never have to su er the supply chain e ects of avian flu!
Growee dips: They’re not hummus, but global-inspired dips made of veggies like zukes and eggplant.
ChagaRoot: Say hello to something called mycoprotein. These protein powders claim to help with everything from heart health to procrastination.
Golden Monkey: These guys make an organic grass-fed ghee that ticks all of the boxes on health trend lists.
Heyday: This wonderful woman-owned company is shaking up the center store, one can of beans at a time.
Carbe Diem: Welcome back to the food you love, with 55% fewer net carbs!
Beyond Berries: Perfect for the blender and other uses, these frozen “berries” are pathogen-free 100% fruit, “but way better!”
Whims: Oat milk chocolate is having a moment, and these treats have only 1 gram of sugar.
Caplansky’s: Mustard is also having a moment, and these top-tier spreads have four fl avors to excite every palate.
Honey Mama’s: These refrigerated protein bars are both fudgy and crunchy.
Spade: Consumers are drinking fewer soft drinks, but they’re still drinking a lot of soft drinks (with better-for-you ingredients).
Arya: These clean-label Indian-inspired roti fl atbreads (that can be used as a wrap or a snack) come in four fl avors.
Hillside Harvest: These Caribbean-inspired hot sauces are available in fl avors such as pineapple fresno and carrot escovitch.
1770: From the nectar and pollen of the Leptospermum tree, which is native to Australia and New Zealand, these manuka honey sodas come in pear, lemon and pineapple fl avors.
Natural Rapport: Because dogs need functional gummies, too, this company o ers soft chews purporting to help with digestion, bladder health, joints and anxiety.
Wonder Belly: This medicine o ers a cleaner, more natural way to relieve gas, bloating and upset stomach.
Jugo Superfoods: These superfood gummies with ingredients such as ACV – that’s apple cider vinegar in Tik Tok-speak – and kale can help with attention span, energy level and even skin tone.
Crunchy Munch: Move over, croutons! It’s a salad topping (with innovative fl avors) but can also go with avocado toast, eggs, rice bowls and sandwiches; used as a breading for proteins and fi sh; and even eaten on its own as a snack.
Wholesome Bakery: These consumer-craveable sandwich cookies and other treats are organic, plant-based and free of refi ned sugar.
Love and Chew: These superfood cookies are reinventing the nostalgic snacks that consumers love by packing them with BFY ingredients.
Ulu Foods: The next superfood – breadfruit – was everywhere at Expo West, and Ulu’s crackers made with this ingredient are delicious.
*To see the rest of the list, go to www.progressivegrocer.com.
National Skin Care Education Day. Instruct shoppers on moisturizing, sun protection, and more.
8
National Cancer Thriver Day. Pro le associates and local residents who are beating the odds and living their best lives.
2
National Rotisserie Chicken Day. Run a sale on this beloved prepared food staple.
9
National Meal Prep Day. Ask shoppers for their best tips and tricks on keeping the whole family fed.
15
National Turkey Lovers Day. It’s not just for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
22
Positive Media Day. Celebrate online the things that your business is doing to uplift the community and engage consumers.
29
International Fisherman Day. Along with farmers, these folks help keep your shelves stocked.
3
Insect Repellent Awareness Day. Now’s the time for consumers to think about protecting themselves from biting bugs, and your associates can help with recommendations.
10
16
Fresh Veggies Day. Design fun, tasty recipes for families with young children to encourage healthier
23
National FamilyOwned and -Operated Businesses Day. If your company ts this description, run an instore magazine article on your origins and how you’ve grown through the years.
30
National OOTD Day. Let your associates’ inner fashionistas shine today.
National Candy Month
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month
National Dairy Month
National Iced Tea Month
4
On National Hug Your Cat Day, shoppers should buy their feline friends some extra-special treats from your pet care section.
National Ballpoint Pen Day. Make sure that customers in search of writing instruments know about your of ce supply section.
17
National Mascot Day. If your business has one, have it pose for photo ops with willing customers.
24
Farmer Day. Pay tribute to the growers who supply the produce that ends up in your stores.
5
Thank You Day. Express gratitude for your customers and associates.
11
National Making Life Beautiful Day. Advise on ways to do this with products found in your aisles.
18
National Splurge Day. A cheat day every once in a while can’t hurt, right?
25
Bourdain Day. Remember this massively in uential (and sadly missed) chef, writer and TV personality by sharing one of his recipes.
12
Red Rose Day. Suggest a valuepriced bouquet of these popular owers.
19 Juneteenth
26
National Barcode Day. On this date in 1974, a pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum at a Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio, was the rst item to have its UPC scanned.
6
National Papaya Month
National Pollinators Month
National Portuguese Heritage Month
National Soul Food Month
National Higher Education Day. Provide a discount for college students who shop at your store(s).
13
International Axe Throwing Day. For your competition in the parking lot, make sure your aim is true.
20
National Take Back the Lunch Break. Have your in-store restaurant offer special pricing on a leisurely version of this often hurried daypart.
7
National Bubbly Day. Encourage customers to raise a glass of champagne (or other zzy drink) on this occasion.
14
National New Mexico Day. They don’t call it the Land of Enchantment for nothing.
21
Summer Solstice. From here on in, the days start getting shorter.
27
National SAFER Workplace Day. Do your best to ensure that your store(s) and other facilities experience as few accidents as possible.
28
National Logistics Day. Honor those professionals that get your items where they should be.
Crispy. Crunchy.
From breakfast to snack time, GOYA® Crackers deliver the perfect crisp and crunch. Doradas™ are light and crispy, Sociales are hearty for dips, and Saltines pair perfectly with soups and snacks. Stock up on the flavors your customers love — crafted with quality and tradition, the GOYA® way!
Salty Snacks
What You Need to Know
Total salty snack consumption is nearly universal, but consumption of individual types is far lower, pointing to pockets of opportunity. Younger snackers, who eat more salty snacks across a wider array of occasions, represent a key opportunity.
Salty snacks are closely associated with a traditional view of snacking that revolves around craving satisfaction. As snacking evolves to become more prevalent and purposeful, however, the category is evolving to meet a wider array of consumer needs.
Total category sales slowed in 2024 amid cautious consumer spending, but sales performance varied widely from segment to segment. The large and diverse category holds ample opportunity for brands that can set themselves apart based on enjoyment, health or value.
What Consumers Want and Why
New taste experiences shaped by avor and texture are essential for engaging snackers and keeping salty snack brands top of mind. While salty/sweet combinations remain popular, no single avor concept dominates, offering brands exibility but reinforcing the need for variety.
Satisfying a craving is a top priority for salty snack eaters, but younger snackers also look for salty snacks that support healthy eating, provide energy, and t into work and social settings. Their tendency to include salty snacks in meals also creates opportunities for co-promotion with more nutrient-dense foods.
While older snackers express interest in low/no attributes that may re ect agerelated health issues, younger adults look for bene ts that align with their beliefs, such as organic or sustainably sourced, and with the idea that salty snacks can play a more positive functional role in their lives.
Opportunities
Even as snackers look for more from snacking, satisfying cravings remains salty snacks’ primary reason for being – just as important for healthier salty snacks as it is for more indulgent ones. Innovation regarding flavor and texture is key to connecting with young snackers, who are especially likely to seek out new flavors, and could also serve as a way to draw older, less frequent snackers into the category. Snackers age 55 and up are about as likely as their younger counterparts to express interest in salty snacks that combine sweet and salty or sweet and spicy.
Salty snacks can play a key role as young adults blur the line between traditional meals and snacks and look to snacks for more than just craving satisfaction. Healthier and more nutrient-dense salty snacks are gaining momentum and have more room to grow. In addition, almost any salty snack can participate by partnering with more nutrient-dense foods – e.g., hummus, guacamole, nut butters, and more – to create a well-rounded meal-snack that o ers functional benefits as well as a satisfying crunch or burst of flavor.
Elevated prices and financial uncertainty helped boost private label share in nearly every segment of the salty snack category in 2024. Retailers have an opportunity to leverage private label’s momentum and snackers’ value-seeking mindset to strengthen their own store-brand portfolios with di erentiated salty snacks that help to drive store loyalty.
Why Autonomous Floor Cleaners Are the Smart Investment for Higher ROI and Greater Efficiency
Nearly 80% of consumers consider cleanliness one of their top three priorities when choosing a grocery store, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
Maintaining safe and spotless floors is challenging in high-traffic supermarket environments, especially amid ongoing labor challenges.
Building on its success in cleaning warehouses, shopping malls, and airport spaces, Avidbots caught the attention of a major retail grocery chain. The retailer acquired 256 Neo robots, and through valuable insights gained from this partnership, Avidbots developed Kas — a robot specifically designed to handle the unique challenges grocers face when looking into autonomous scrubbers. This innovation paves the way for further expansion in the retail sector.
In an interview with Progressive Grocer, Faizan Sheikh, co-founder and Head of Customer Success at Avidbots, discussed why now is the ideal time for grocers to automate their floor cleaning.
What makes Kas uniquely suited for offering grocers a worry-free, safe and efficient solution to floor cleaning?
Faizan Sheikh: We built our robots from the ground up for a seamless experience, bringing hardware and software all under one roof.
Kas can accommodate even the tightest spaces while navigating display changes and other obstacles that competitors with pre-determined cleaning paths can’t.
If necessary, Avidbots offers the benefit of the industry’s first “Human-in-the-loop” Remote Monitoring/Assistance. Avidbots employees are even able to help ‘unstuck’ a robot remotely should the need arise. We have comprehensive service and support plans ensuring optimal performance.
We have a platform to monitor cleaning. A portal at your fingertips measures everything from square footage cleaning productivity metrics to water consumption information.
Grocers can enjoy a cleaner workspace without sacrificing more time and resources so they can best serve their customers.
Dovetailing with that, what are the advantages of automating floor cleaning — and how fast can the move payoff?
FS: There are two times when companies think about their floor cleaning — when building brand new stores or when their manual machines need to be replaced. Typically, grocers can see dozens of machines fail at any given time during the year.
We want people to know when that time arises — or at any point for that matter — that autonomous cleaning with Kas can pay off from day one.
If you automate with leasing — no money down with a small monthly installment — your monthly payment will be much less than an employee operating a manual machine. Most customers can get a positive return on investment in month one when they lease. With manual cleaning, the investment is not just in employees; manual machines are expensive.
If you buy a robot and don’t lease, your payback is in under a year for most customers. It costs a lot less than manual cleaning.
No matter the size or number of stores you operate, if you have two hours of cleaning per day you will have a fantastic ROI.
How does Kas enhance the shopping experience?
FS: Customer service has two key aspects: cleaning quality and overall experience. Feedback shows that our autonomous cleaning outperforms manual methods — delivering consistent, thorough results without cutting corners that sometimes happens with manual.
We often hear that our robots are friendly and attractive. We’ve even received a prestigious Good Design award, which recognizes innovative and cutting-edge product designs.
Non-threatening and approachable, Kas is wellreceived by shoppers — so much so that many retailers operate our robots during the day to encourage positive interactions.
Faizan Sheikh, co-founder and Head of Customer Success at Avidbots
By Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN
The Intersection of Convenience and Healthful Eating
IT’S STRONGER THAN SHOPPERS MAY THINK.
When it comes to food choices, consumers value both convenience and healthfulness. Yet many people believe that these attributes are mutually exclusive. Fortunately, retailers and retail dietitians can show shoppers how convenience and healthful eating can go hand in hand.
The Need for Convenience
While taste (85%) and price (76%) make the most impact on consumers’ food and beverage purchase decisions, healthfulness (62%) and convenience (57%) come next, according to the 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council. Further, as household income increases, the in uence of healthfulness as a purchase driver also increases, reaching 75% for those with the highest household incomes.
Lack of time due to demanding schedules can drive people who want to eat healthfully toward less nutritious convenience options instead. For instance, 74% of consumers say that they’d be interested in eating a healthier diet if it were more convenient, and 77% say that some days, they’re too exhausted to cook after work, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Kevin’s Natural Foods. The convenience options chosen most often by time-strapped consumers are sandwiches (42%), fast food (37%), microwavable dinners (33%), frozen convenience foods and meals (31%), and ramen noodles (29%).
Fortunately, retailers and retail dietitians can steer shoppers toward foods that are both convenient and nutritious.
Fresh Misconceptions
In the IFIC survey, consumers were asked to rank categories of food in order of healthfulness. Consumers overwhelmingly view fresh food as the healthiest (91%), with the following more convenient options trailing behind: dried (47%), frozen (39%), prepared (37%), canned (35%) and packaged (23%) foods.
However, many convenience foods are nutrition-packed, too. Dried fruit, frozen fruits and vegetables, canned beans and tuna, nut butters, cheese sticks, yogurt, and whole grain breads and cereals are just a few examples found throughout the aisles. Your retail dietitians can show shoppers that more convenient foods can also be healthful.
Retailers and retail dietitians can steer shoppers toward foods that are both convenient and nutritious.
The Retail Dietitian Factor
Retail dietitians are highly trusted sources of food and nutrition information, and they’re experts at designing educational programs and promotions based on shoppers’ lifestyles, food preferences, health status and budgets.
Dietitians can teach busy shoppers how to plan, shop for and prepare convenient and nutritious meals and snacks through store tours, cooking demos, sampling events and counseling sessions. They can give tips to streamline meal prep by creatively using “planned over” foods throughout the week, freezing extra servings for future meals, and using time-trimming appliances like air fryers and electric pressure cookers. Dietitians can also offer guidelines on choosing frozen meals aligned with shoppers’ health goals and highlight options from the prepared food case. Don’t stop there, however. In your quest to get shoppers to eat more healthfully – even on the go – leverage technology as well. In the IFIC survey, about two-thirds (65%) of respondents agree that online tools and mobile apps can help them improve their diet and physical activity, with younger generations and those with higher household incomes more likely to agree. Feature dietitian-developed quick and healthful meal plans, shopping lists, recipes, and cooking tips on your website and app.
Diane Quagliani, MBA, RDN, LDN, specializes in nutrition communications for consumer and health professional audiences. She has assisted national retailers and CPGs with nutrition strategy, web content development, trade show exhibiting, and the creation and implementation of shelf tag programs.
SuCcEsS Su S tAiNaBlE SuCcEsS Su S tAiNaBlE
This year’s 10 Most Sustainable Grocers show others in the industry how it’s done.
BY PG STAFF
Dedicated readers of Progressive Grocer may well ask how we go about choosing the grocery retailers that make up this list. The answer, simply put, is that we select the companies that impress us the most through the sheer breadth, depth and innovation of their sustainability measures.
Of course, we know that the meaning of the word “sustainability” goes well beyond eco-friendly moves that help the planet, so we have also included the chosen companies’ e orts to improve and maintain the health and well-being of their associates and surrounding communities – therefore fulfi lling the defi nition laid out in the charter for the UCLA Sustainability Committee: “the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come. The practice of sustainability recognizes how these issues are interconnected and requires a systems approach and an acknowledgement of complexity.”
Naturally, given their focus on food and their deep involvement in the communities they serve, grocery companies are ideally suited to adopt sustainability as a core value, but that impetus also comes from the consumers who already shop at their stores, as well as those that they hope to attract. According to a 2024 survey from Mintel, almost two in five engaged beauty and personal care, household, and food and drink consumers said that that companies can do more than governments in driving global change, and more than half of engaged beauty and personal care and household shoppers regularly check product labels for information such as recyclability, while more than a third of engaged food and drink consumers check on-pack labels for details on the environmental initiatives supported by purchasing the product.
With rising consumer expectations that companies – grocery retailers in particular – will walk the talk when it comes to all aspects of sustainability, those a little further behind on the journey can fi nd worthy role models in the following pages.
10 Most Sustainable Grocers
AhOlD DeLhAiZe UsA
This past year was a busy one for Ahold Delhaize USA as it continued with its wide-ranging initiatives in this space. Several of these endeavors were impactful collaborations with large and influential CPG companies to reduce scope 3 greenhouse-gas emissions.
Last year, the grocer teamed with global snacking company Kellanova and North American agribusiness Bartlett on a pilot program supporting regenerative agricultural practices among North Carolina wheat farmers, with the wheat harvested and milled from these farms used in combination with conventionally grown wheat to manufacture Kellanova’s Cheez-It and Club crackers sold at Ahold Delhaize USA banners.
Additionally, Ahold Delhaize USA and CPG powerhouse General Mills are making investments in priority supply sheds – geographic growing regions from which key ingredients are sourced – to enable farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices. By the end of this year, the program is expected to further regenerative agriculture management on more than 70,000 acres of farmland in Kansas and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan – the approximate number of acres that General Mills engages to source such major ingredients as wheat and oats for its products sold at Ahold Delhaize USA stores.
And just this past December, the grocer embarked on a program, in collaboration with The Campbell’s Co., to help partner potato farms in North Carolina, New York and Michigan employ regenerative farming techniques. The initiative covers 1,000 acres at these farms, about the number of acres needed annually to grow potatoes for Campbell’s products sold by Ahold Delhaize USA brands. The potatoes harvested during the project will be combined with conventionally grown potatoes to make Kettle Brand chips, Cape Cod chips and Campbell’s soups, all of which will be available at Ahold Delhaize USA local brand locations.
Meanwhile, in 2024, parent company Ahold Delhaize, from which Ahold Delhaize USA takes its sustainability cues, reduced greenhouse-gas emissions in its own operations by 36% compared with the 2018 baseline.
AlDi Us
ALDI’s longstanding commitments to sustainability are obvious to any customer visiting one of the company’s stores and in need of a shopping cart. Shoppers need to have a quarter to unlock a cart from the cart corral – one way that the retailer cuts down on lost or damaged carts, reducing the demand for resources used in cart production and maintenance.
Once inside the store, shoppers quickly discover that the use of plastic is limited, but the use of 100% renewable energy is pervasive. ALDI doesn’t o er shoppers single-use plastic bags. Instead, the company focuses on recyclability and the reduction of packaging material, incorporating post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging and fiber sourcing for many products.
On the energy front, ALDI is aiming to reduce overall operational emissions by more than 25% by this year as part of its 2030 sustainability vision. To achieve this, ALDI US has integrated solar designs into stores and warehouses and implemented 100% renewable energy for all operations. This approach combines on-site solar generation, competitive retail supply contracts and the purchase of renewable-energy certifi cates.
ALDI has also committed to transitioning all U.S. stores to natural refrigerants by 2035. More than 700 ALDI stores have already implemented eco-friendly refrigerants, resulting in a nearly 60% reduction in potential carbon emissions annually. Additionally, ALDI has made signifi cant strides in minimizing food waste, diverting 76% of operational waste from landfi lls in 2023. This achievement underscores the company’s dedication to sustainable practices and reducing its environmental footprint. Through all of these initiatives and more, ALDI is taking action to make progress against the following 2025 sustainability goals:
Reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 4% compared with the 2021 baseline
Install only natural refrigeration systems in new and remodeled stores
Reduce ALDI-exclusive primary packaging materials by 15% by the end of 2025
Certify 100% of private label co ee as responsibly sourced by the end of 2025
Better Solutions for a Better World
Hussmann is proud to continue our history of innovation with Evolve Technologies—a portfolio of Low GWP refrigeration systems and merchandisers. As your trusted partner, we’re ready to help you meet regulatory standards by customizing solutions for your operation. The new CO2 condensing unit (OCU) from Hussmann is engineered for medium or low temperature applications—providing versatility and efficiency for retail refrigeration.
Your fresh produce deserves packaging that’s as responsible and natural as the food inside. Corrugated boxes don’t just carry your goods—they carry a message. Made from trees grown in sustainably managed forests and successfully recycled over and over again, these boxes make a visible statement about your commitment to sustainability.
In fact, the box itself says more than any label ever could. It’s proof that your brand puts its values into action. When you choose corrugated, you’re investing in packaging that works hard, stacks strong, gets recycled, and comes back to do it again. That’s not just smart—it’s sustainable.
Make a statement with every shipment. Choose corrugated. LEARN MORE
10 Most Sustainable Grocers
NaTuRaL GrOcErS bY ViTaMiN CoTtAgE
As the United States’ largest family-operated organic and natural grocery retailer, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage works to live up to its Five Founding Principles, which are Nutrition Education, Quality, Always A ordable Pricing, Community and Crew. According to the company, its record fi nancial performance in fi scal year 2024 underscores its belief that a more sustainable and a ordable food system is not only possible, but also essential.
In its “2024 Sustainability Report,” the company shared stories of vendors, farmers and partnerships that refl ect its commitment to human health, animal welfare and the planet. Spotlighted initiatives include maintaining rigorous product standards across all categories, especially upholding its stance against artifi cial fl avors, preservatives, sweeteners, synthetic colors, and partially or fully hydrogenated oils.
Natural Grocers also teamed with Rodale Institute to advance regenerative organic agriculture and raised more than $80,000 during Organic Month (September) to support that organization’s Farmer Training and Veteran Farmer Training Programs. Additionally, Natural Grocers invested more than $7 million in free nutrition education services provided by its nutritional health coaches to its customers, good4u Crew and communities.
During fi scal year 2024, Natural Grocers also installed a CO2 refrigeration system in a third store, which saves energy and provides better environmental protection than conventional refrigerant technologies, and donated more than $4 million worth of in-kind food and products to local food bank partners. The year also saw an expansion of the grocer’s “Meet Your Farmer” fi lm series of short documentaries spotlighting the farmers and ranchers behind specifi c products found at Natural Grocers.
NeW SeAsOnS MaRkEt
Sustainability is baked in at New Seasons Market: The 21-store Pacifi c Northwest grocer was founded on such principles as committing 10% of its after-tax profits to the communities it serves, leading it to become the world’s fi rst B Corp grocer.
Among its many sustainability e orts, New Seasons teams with nonprofi t organization Zero Foodprint on the Restore NW Grant program, which aims to promote environmental stewardship and further a sustainable food economy. Oregon and Washington state farmers and ranchers can apply for up to $25,000 to implement projects to improve water e ciency, lower carbon emissions, enhance biodiversity, and enrich soil health and agricultural resiliency. A portion of New Seasons Market’s private label Partner Brand sales goes to the Partner Fund, which fi nances the grocer’s investment in the Restore NW Grant.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change, and it’s more important than ever to support the dedicated farmers and ranchers at the frontline of creating a more sustainable future,” said Athena Petty, senior manager of sustainability at Portland, Ore.-based New Seasons Market, when the application process for this year’s grants opened in January. “Through the Restore NW Grant, we aim to empower these critical members of our food system to implement practices that benefit the environment and enhance the resilience and sustainability of their operations.”
New Seasons’ other notable sustainability moves include the Gift It! program, under which the grocer partners year-round with local nonprofits and community organizations, to which customers can “gift” their Neighbor Rewards points; joining forces with Oregon Seaweed to o er fresh Pacifi c dulse, an earth-friendly superfood, in many of New Seasons’ produce departments; and the Lend A Hand program, which enables sta ers to contribute hours to community service, while its Donate Dinner and Community Hunger Relief programs mobilize community members to become active participants in the fight against hunger.
SUSHI SALES SOAR:
Supermarkets Capitalize on Surging Consumer Demand
“Sushi is one of the most powerful categories we’ve seen in supermarkets over the last five years,” said Chris DuBois, executive vice president, Perimeter Practice Leader at Circana.
Sales of sushi soared 63% since 2020 to more than $2.5 billion last year, according to Circana. Sushi’s allure is welcome news for grocers who need to offset a 7% decline in deli meat sales last year. The category offers an opportunity to attract new customers while boosting deli and prepared foods profitability.
Consumers crave sushi. A recent Circana survey with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) revealed that an astounding 91% of those polled are likely to purchase sushi more than any other deli item.
To explore how grocers can tap into this booming market, Progressive Grocer sat down with DuBois for insights on capturing a larger share of the sushi business.
Why is sushi so attractive to the grocery industry?
many, sushi meets this
An additional factor driving the rise in sushi sales is the increasing trend of consumers dining at home and seeking restaurant-quality, freshly prepared grab-and-go options from grocery stores. For many, sushi meets this demand, with some individuals enjoying it as often as two or three times per week, according to DuBois.
Chris DuBois: It’s a powerhouse category. Sushi draws Gen Z customers who buy twice as much sushi as the average U.S. household. Sushi not only attracts younger generations to the deli and seafood departments but also resonates with a wide range of consumers across all demographics. It is the second most incremental item in the deli department and elicits repeat purchases. Sushi sells year-round and is purchased almost equally by men and women.
categories in the store, like yogurt or larger
Sushi holds its own against a broad section of categories in the store, like yogurt or cereal, and it is one of the biggest platforms for future growth in prepared foods.
Alaska Seafood and FujiSan Sushi Set Sail with Cruise Giveaway at Sam’s Club
Alaska Seafood formed a partnership with FujiSan Handcrafted Sushi to collaborate on an Alaska cruise giveaway in December 2024. The giveaway was prominently advertised on FujiSan sushi products made with Alaska seafood, available in Sam’s Club stores, as well as across both FujiSan and Alaska Seafood social media platforms. FujiSan teamed up with independent Sam’s Club influencers to maximize exposure, helping promote the giveaway and collectively reach over 100,000 viewers. The giveaway was live for under 30 days and received an impressive response, generating over 60,000 entries.
What’s the best location to merchandise sushi?
Successful Sushi Selling Strategies
• Show people you are in the business. Make sure the assortment is big enough to capture attention.
• Make it authentic. Have someone behind the counter to maintain freshness and cleanliness.
CD: For the most part, sushi is in prepared foods space or in the seafood case. Sushi is primarily purchased for dinner or lunch, so it is all about catching consumers looking for immediate food purchases.
I feel sushi is one of the biggest platforms for future growth in prepared foods. Investing in building assortments and space for sushi generates higher rings and multiple sales. The shopping basket can include another $40 worth of items when sushi is the destination.
There’s a great opportunity to enhance sushi departments by introducing engaging, theatrical elements — like a chef preparing hand rolls in front of customers. This creates a buzz and transforms the experience into something more memorable.
Building upon that, what are sushi customers looking for?
CD: Sushi rolls with Alaska Surimi [premium-quality, fully cooked, all-natural real seafood product made from wild Alaska pollock] are popular. Bento boxes, which is really a build-your-own concept, represent a huge opportunity. A Circana study indicated that 67% of respondents are interested in Bento boxes.
Bento boxes appeal to the younger generations who don’t want the same thing every time and represent a huge opportunity.
How can grocers convey the freshness of their sushi products? Is sourcing from Alaska a sales motivator?
CD: Wild-caught, natural, sustainable all matter and indicate freshness. There is strong purchase
• Offer regular promotions — pick a day and make it your regular promotion. Even on promotion, sushi lends itself to bigger baskets.
• Spotlight Alaska or Alaska-Sourced
intent for sushi, but when you add Alaska or Alaska-source, it increases the purchase.
We found four in 10 people say they are more likely to buy sushi if they saw Alaska or Alaskasourced because Alaska is a big deal for seafood. Alaska seafood can also get customers to trade up in price.
Are there promotions that are successful in selling sushi?
CD: A two-for-one deal is a good way to get a lunch or dinner sales pick up, especially during midweek when meals are often unplanned. You can add some excitement, like offering a special piece of sushi.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is a partnership between the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry promoting the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offering seafood industry education. For more information: www.alaskaseafood.org/retail/
How Walmart Is Winning Value Shoppers
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PRICE, ACCORDING TO THE RETAILER’S EVP/FOOD, JOHN LANEY.
In 2025, Walmart isn’t just selling more groceries than anyone else – it’s rede ning what a modern grocer should be. As grocery retailers face relentless pressure to surpass shopper expectations and sink capital into omnichannel capabilities, Walmart is investing across the customer value proposition to truly transform the food shopping experience in 2025.
In an exclusive interview with Progressive Grocer, the EVP of the Walmart U.S. food business, John Laney, offers a comprehensive look at how the company is accelerating its ability to serve shoppers how they want to be served in the moment, like whether they need chips and salsa – or an extra folding table and a couple of chairs – for Game Day. Walmart is accelerating growth now by strengthening its focus on value, convenience and innovation at a time when grocers really need to excel at all of these things.
Winning the ‘Choiceful’ Customer
The state of the U.S. grocery shopper in 2025 is much like the state of the grocery industry in 2025: wracked by uncertainty in the face of gloomy economic forecasts, persistent in ation and escalating trade wars. But there’s one thing that can be counted on: Today’s shoppers are in pursuit of value, although the de nition of “value” is continually changing.
Walmart is investing $9 billion to remodel and upgrade stores, focusing on a “Store of the Future” concept with techy layouts and supersized fresh departments.
“Customers are choiceful in their spending and looking for value – saving money and time – and we’re prepared to deliver both,” says Laney. “A recent example is our Game Day Basket, which offered customers everything needed to host a football watch party, for about $8 per person. It was available both in-store and online. With just one click, customers could add all the items into their cart for pickup or delivery, and it performed extremely well – customers appreciated the low prices and the convenience.”
Walmart’s investments in value are actually a little bit more complex; “curated value” is more like it, and these investments have certainly been paying off for the company.
This past February, Walmart U.S. – with 1.6 million associates and 4,616 stores – reported scal 2025 revenue up 4.7% year over year to $462 billion, bolstered by consistent momentum across grocery and e-commerce. Omni grocery speci cally continues to power the engine at Walmart U.S., with mid-single-digit comp growth driven by higher transaction counts and unit volumes in scal 2025. The company’s Sam’s Club business also reported 4.7%
growth in scal 2025 revenue to $90 billion, led by sales in food and health-and-wellness categories.
Walmart U.S. is seeing especially strong performance across fresh categories such as dairy, meat, produce and oral. Further, increased share across income levels, notably among higher-income households, suggests an ever-widening appeal for the retailer as a grocery destination.
“Customers want four things from us: great assortment of items, low prices, an easy shopping experience and to do business with a retailer they trust. It’s important to deliver on all four to create meaningful value for customers,” notes Laney. “Walmart grocery has grown share among higher-income customers. The value proposition is the same for everyone – a great assortment, available when you want it at Every Day Low Prices [EDLP], and all delivered through a seamless shopping experience – in store or online. As merchants, our role is to nd the assortment, prices and experience that t all customers. Everyone wants to save money and time, regardless of income.”
Walmart’s one-click Game Day Basket was available both in stores and online.
Many higher-income shoppers discovered Walmart’s online grocery offering for the rst time during the pandemic. Now many of them are hooked on the retailer’s blend of value and convenience, whether that means having their refrigerators stocked with milk by a Walmart associate or having cough drops delivered by drone.
“Increasingly, we are becoming known for convenience as much as price,” observes Laney. “Being able to get delivery in as little as 30 minutes or pick up an order or even have it delivered into your refrigerator – this is appealing to many new customers.”
Once new customers try Walmart for food, they often explore nonfood categories. “What’s unique at Walmart is the ability to save money on, say, groceries, but our new customers soon discover we also have great fashion, beauty and general merchandise, all at Every Day Low Prices,” adds Laney.
The company sees this as a longterm opportunity to retain and deepen engagement with these shoppers by delivering elevated quality, innovative products and frictionless experiences. An emphasis on localizing assortments also doesn’t hurt.
“Customers want four things from us: great assortment of items, low prices, an easy shopping experience and to do business with a retailer they trust. It’s important to deliver on all four to create meaningful value for customers.”
—John Laney, EVP/Food, Walmart U.S.
“We continue to focus on personalizing the store assortment based on customer preferences for that local community,” af rms Laney. This may include assorting regionally popular brands, customizing seasonal offerings, or highlighting locally grown produce and goods. The goal is to make every Walmart feel “local” while still delivering on the company’s value at national scale. At the core of this strategy focused on product innovation and hyper-local is its merchant team, whose members Laney describes as deeply passionate about nding the next big thing.
“A merchant is one of the most fun jobs in the company,” he asserts. “I lead a team of merchants who are the best in the business, and one of the reasons is that they always keep the customer at the center of everything. They really are America’s personal shoppers!”
Laney highlights Walmart’s unique product discovery ecosystem, which includes its annual Open Call event. “Our merchants are continuously on the lookout for new, innovative items, and we discover them in many ways – from our current suppliers; to our annual Open Call event where suppliers pitch items that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S.; to even social media,” he says. “New items should solve a customer problem or surprise and delight them, and always provide value.”
This treasure-hunt merchandising culture encourages calculated risk-taking to keep shelves fresh and exciting, and strengthens Walmart’s reputation among shoppers as a destination for both essentials and unexpected nds. The model echoes the strategies of specialty grocers but is executed at mass scale.
Walmart is leveraging this curation both online and in stores as the company continues to invest heavily in remodels. The retailer is expanding refrigeration capacity and optimizing sales oor design to emphasize a focus on fresh.
“Our fresh business has signi cantly grown over the past several years, in part
due to the popularity of pickup and delivery,” explains Laney. “We’ve expanded our assortment, including across tropicals, grape varieties and salad kits.”
This growth in fresh aligns with a broader shift in consumer preference toward healthier eating and fresher options. By redesigning stores to better showcase perishable categories, Walmart is responding to increased customer demand and reinforcing its role as a primary grocery destination.
Store redesigns also re ect trends in health and wellness, which have inspired Walmart to roll out new sections.
“We are always listening to the customer,” continues Laney. “For example, in dry grocery, we saw the growth in sparkling beverages speci cally with an added functional bene t, so we launched a new beverage section in store called ‘Modern Soda’ that includes beverages with a speci c functional bene t, from naturally sweetened to probiotics. The distinction makes it easier for customers to shop. It includes brands such as Zevia, Poppi, Olipop and Culture Pop, and we expect to add more in the future.”
EDLP is always a constant, however.
“We also want to make new products affordable and accessible to try,” notes Laney. “We currently have $1 Poppi mini cans so customers can try the brand. We ran a very successful $1 hot sauce campaign through the holidays so customers could try a variety of different sauces at an accessible price. The move is in line with our continued expansion of emerging brands. Walmart always wants to provide customers with more choices and the wide assortment they are seeking.”
Walmart’s private-brand business is also central to its value legacy, with Bettergoods (launched in 2024) emerging as a breakout success. Offering modern culinary avors, plant-based options and allergen-free choices, the brand aims to deliver both quality and affordability. Bettergoods joins the retailer’s other store brand popular with grocery shoppers, Great Value.
“Because of the value Bettergoods is providing, we have seen new, incremental customers shopping
Walmart’s private brands – in fact, more than 60% of the customers buying Bettergoods are entirely new to Walmart’s private brands,” observes Laney. “We listen to our customers and where they are headed, to address not only what they need and want today, but what the trends and insights are telling us will be popular in the future.”
The success of Bettergoods underscores the importance of strategic foresight in private-brand development. These products aren’t just margin-friendly substitutes — they’re destination drivers, especially as younger consumers and food explorers seek out novelty, global
avors and health-forward options. With more than 70% of Bettergoods items priced at $5 or less, Walmart is demonstrating that value and aspiration can coexist.
The last piece of Walmart’s food merchandising strategy is now focused on convenience, which continues to de ne the future of food retail. Laney shares that the number of customers wanting to spend 30 minutes or less preparing dinner has more than doubled since 2021.
“We are providing them with multiple ways to ful ll this need,” he says. “For example, hot meals can be delivered to their homes in 60 minutes or less with Express delivery or available for pickup. This includes offerings like rotisserie chicken and Marketside sides, ideal for quick, nutritious meals.
“You can feed a family of four for under $20 with a rotisserie chicken and two sides, providing incredible value with a low price and convenience,” adds Laney. The retailer is also expanding its line of more than 30 Marketside Fresh Meals and Pastas, many of which cook in under 30 minutes. The variety ranges from globally inspired avors like truf e ravioli to Southwest chicken bowls.
As restaurant in ation persists, Walmart’s positioning as a foodservice alternative becomes more compelling. The company’s strategy isn’t just about convenience, however, it’s also about becoming a rst choice for dinner.
That Convenience Piece
In February, when Walmart CEO Doug McMillon talked about the company’s strong fourth-quarter and scal 2025 performance, he observed that there was one thing he would alter about the company: “If I could change anything about how we’re perceived today, it would be that more people know about our breadth of assortment online and our increasing delivery speed.”
“We listen to our customers and where they are headed, to address not only what they need and want today, but what the trends and insights are telling us will be popular in the future.”
—John Laney, EVP/Food, Walmart U.S.
How fast is Walmart going to compete with Amazon and other companies on omnichannel retail? The retailer can already deliver hot pizza or cold milk to residents in Dallas in 15 minutes by drone. It’s offering same-day fresh- and dry-grocery ful llment from its 4,600-plus locations to a vast swath of U.S. households.
The company’s Walmart+ membership program saw double-digit growth in scal 2025 and a big bump from its expedited delivery services (like Express Delivery, now offered in 85% of the country), suggesting a growing cohort of time-sensitive grocery customers. Additionally, e-commerce contributed 290 basis points to U.S. comp growth in Walmart’s fourth quarter, a re ection of ongoing consumer preference for digital ordering, particularly in perishables and household essentials.
Laney emphasizes that all of this digital acceleration is fueling Walmart’s grocery growth: “We continue to expand our assortment online, including our fast-growing Marketplace, and we also provide easy-to-shop recipes online.”
With access to rich customer data and store-level analytics, Walmart’s merchandising teams can adjust quickly, based on real-time insights. Laney stresses that personalization also extends to digital experiences. Through the Walmart app and website, customers can receive tailored recommendations, reorder favorite items and discover new products based on their individual tastes. This alignment of physical and digital personalization helps Walmart build stronger relationships with its shoppers.
One of the most transformative developments, however, is delivery speed.
Walmart has invested in robotics and machine learning, for example, to streamline its distribution centers, enhance order accuracy and improve labor ef ciency. “We continue to invest in and leverage automation and AI to increase ef ciency, accuracy and, importantly, enhance associates’ jobs,” notes Laney.
Additionally, Walmart is prioritizing transparency in advance of new regulations and consumer trends. “We are working across the industry to help advance the work outlined in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) standards and creating more visibility to the entire journey for food safety in the supply chain,” says Laney.
“During the fourth quarter, we expanded our store-ful lled delivery catchment areas to now reach 93% of U.S. households with same-day delivery,” says Laney.
This massive reach enables Walmart to compete aggressively not just on price, but also on convenience and availability, especially in the fresh category. “Our wide assortment, quality and speed at a low price help us create a great customer experience for those shopping fresh foods,” adds Laney.
In tandem with expanding Walmart+, Express Delivery and in-home delivery, Walmart’s e-commerce strategy is centered on giving customers control and exibility. Shoppers can build carts from a recipe, a weekly meal plan or a personalized product list, and switch seamlessly from pickup to delivery as needed.
According to Laney, reliability is key to building shopper con dence. “We know customers count on us to have what they need, when they need it,” he says. “That means our shelves must be full and our processes consistent, regardless of the region or time of year.”
Laney explains that Walmart is using sophisticated analytics and advanced technologies to increase ef ciencies throughout the business. “For example, we are using more sophisticated advanced analytics to get consistent and predictable ow for inventory to stores for restocking,” he says. “This work has also been helpful for a more predictable workload for associates.”
As Walmart looks to the future, its grocery strategy remains grounded in four core promises: an attractive assortment, low prices, a frictionless customer experience and a company that the consumer can trust. One more way that the retailer is meeting this customer value proposition is through a new emphasis on better-for-you alternatives.
“We know many of our customers are looking for healthy options,” observes Laney. “We are seeing customers searching more often for products in categories like organic, gluten-free and keto, so we’ve put a focus on that and [are] helping customers have more options and make them easy to nd. We recently offered a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal basket, which performed exceptionally well, as well as vegetarian options for Game Day.”
Walmart also recently partnered with the American Diabetes Association to offer customers more than 500 shoppable recipes that can help support their lifestyle goals and meal-planning needs.
“The customer engagement has been incredible, accounting for 70% of our downloaded recipes,” asserts Laney.
As shopper preferences and grocery retailing continue to evolve, Walmart’s blend of scale, agility and innovation positions it for sustained growth for years to come.
Walmart is expanding its offering of shoppable recipes, even partnering with the American Diabetes Association on more than 500.
Room for Dessert
FOOD RETAILERS CAN SWEETEN SALES BY LEVERAGING THE LATEST TRENDS INFLUENCING THE BELOVED AFTER-DINNER COURSE.
By Bridget Goldschmidt
The desire for dessert even after a lling meal actually has a scienti c basis. Recent research from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, Germany, has found “that the same nerve cells that make us feel full also trigger our cravings for sweets afterward,” as Food & Wine magazine reported in March.
That being the case, how can retailers best leverage the latest trends in a meal occasion that spans various grocery categories and can range from a simple bowl of cut fruit all the way to a painstakingly crafted homemade souf é? First, they need to identify those trends – like, for instance, whether dessert even needs to be sweet. The answer to that question, as might be expected, is nuanced.
How Sweet is That?
“While sweetness remains a key element, dessert is increasingly about balance, quality ingredients, mindful enjoyment and sometimes even portion control,” says Rachel Jaiven, head of Häagen-Dazs marketing at the Minneapolis-based manufacturer of premium ice creams and frozen novelties. “Dessert doesn’t always have to be sugary; it can be rich, creamy or even subtly sweet as long as it delivers a moment of pure delight. That’s why we offer options like our mini cups, bars and mini bars, which cater to health-conscious consumers by providing portion-controlled indulgence without compromising on avor or quality.”
Among Healthy Living Market and Café’s dessert offerings are fruit and berry tarts.
“Traditionally, desserts have been associated with indulgences, sweetness and rich avors, but today, we see more functional, plant-based, sweet, salty and savory desserts driven by cultural and global in uences,” observes Kevin Ly, director of research and development at Sugar Bowl Bakery and a second-generation member of the family that founded the Hayward, Calif.-based company.
“Dessert is no longer just about hitting a sweet sugar high,” asserts Michael Zaro, owner of Zaro’s Family Bakery, the storied New York-based kosher business that also sells products at grocery stores. “It’s about balance, nostalgia and experience. Consumers today seek indulgence with intention, gravitating toward artisanal treats that blend heritage with modern sensibilities. Better-for-you ingredients, portion control and globally inspired avors are rede ning what dessert can be, moving beyond the nal course to become an anytime indulgence. Snackable, on-the-go options are rising as people look for meaningful moments of enjoyment throughout the day.”
“Our guests still love dessert!” af rms Nina Lesser-Goldsmith, owner/COO of Healthy Living Market and Café, a South Burlington, Vt.-based independent operator with three locations in Vermont and upstate New York. “While consumers do still look for sweet treats as the quintessential dessert, they are also shifting to choosing dessert options that satisfy their
Key Takeaways
Current dessert trends include better-for-you ingredients, portion control, snackability, complex avor combinations and global inspiration.
Suppliers can help retailers create the right in-store ambiance to spur dessert purchases.
Dessert is moving beyond its usual after-dinner slot as consumers increasingly seek anytime indulgence.
sweet craving and support their wellness goals.” Lesser-Goldsmith cites low-sugar, high-protein, high- ber and “good for the gut” options as currently driving trends in functional sweets, while nondairy desserts like oat milk-based ice creams are continuing to rise in popularity as part of consumer interest in plant-based foods.
“At the same time, classic novelties and confections continue to show growth,” she notes. “Despite any and all wellness trends, people clearly still nd space for a classic indulgence.”
“Despite any and all wellness trends, people clearly still find space for a classic indulgence.”
—Nina Lesser-Goldsmith, Healthy Living Market & Café
vegan items that are extremely popular with our guests.”
Storytelling and the Sensory Experience
Having gured out what sorts of after-dinner treats consumers want, retailers need to present these offerings in as attractive a manner as possible.
She adds: “While we run traditional price promotions across these categories, we rely primarily on in-store placement and merchandising. Beautifully crafted, well-displayed baked goods that not only taste amazing, but are better-for-you options, are winning with our guests!”
“In addition to our extensive selection of local and national bakery brands, we have an amazing housemade bakery program,” says Lesser-Goldsmith. “Made from scratch in each one of our stores, our bakeshop items focus on premium ingredients and creative recipes to offer unique choices to our guests. Our bakeshop menu includes hundreds of gluten-free and
According to Lesser-Goldsmith, this approach has been successful: “Sales continue to be robust, with total grocery dessert categories up about 10% and in-house bakery categories up [around] 20%.”
Suppliers can help create the right in-store ambiance to spur dessert purchases.
“To maximize the dessert opportunity at retail, brands must blend storytelling, strategic merchandising and trial-driving tactics,”
Healthy Living carries indulgent desserts that still adhere to its stringent product standard-based curation.
Desserts
advises Zaro. “Consumers gravitate toward authenticity and indulgence with a purpose, making it critical to highlight heritage, craftsmanship and key usage occasions at the shelf.”
He notes that Zaro’s focuses “on seasonal storytelling and cross-category merchandising to help tell our story in a crowded retail environment. … Eye-catching packaging, secondary placements and sampling programs help drive impulse purchases and discovery among new audiences, especially for products like ours with deep cultural roots.” Adding to its traditional bakery products, which include rich blackout cake and aky, indulgent rugelach, the company recently introduced a Peach Champagne Cake, a delicate vanilla creation layered with tart peach champagne lling and topped with peach buttercream, which won the Gold OnTrend Award at the KeHE Summer Show this past February.
Further, since gifting and holiday-driven purchases continue to perform well, limited-time avors and curated bundles are key to driving incremental sales, he adds.
“Ultimately, brands that create an emotional connection through storytelling, offer convenience without compromise and inspire new usage occasions will win in today’s evolving dessert landscape,” asserts Zaro.
“We approach retail as an extension of our brand experience,” explains Jaiven. “Our goal is to inspire and emphasize the sensory experience of our products, from the rst glance of the package on shelf to the last bite enjoyed at home. Through dedicated end caps featuring our latest avors, and highly visual retail activations, the goal is to create moments that spark new dessert occasions. …
Consumers are drawn to the idea of treating themselves to something special, and our brand delivers on that promise.”
Among Häagen-Dazs’ most recent premium dessert introductions are crispy Belgian Waf e Cones, offering an enticing blend of texture and avor; an update of its pistachio avor recipe, which led to an impressive 21% sales increase; Salted Caramel Macadamia Ice Cream Bars; Salted Brown Butter Cookie cartons; and a nondairy sorbet line, which seeks to meet consumer demand for lighter, fruit-forward options.
“Leveraging the pastry opportunity in retail requires us to listen to our customers and consumers by providing them with the best quality at the best value possible and taking every feedback, good or bad, seriously,” notes Ly, whose company’s top products are
palmiers and madeleines, both made with butter as the rst ingredient. “We experienced some uplift in sales by redesigning the packaging that helps with the display and protects our products from damage.”
Here to Stay
Despite changing consumer tastes and expectations, dessert isn’t going anywhere – in fact, as noted earlier, it has already begun migrating beyond its customary after-dinner slot.
“Looking ahead, we see premium ingredients and a balance of indulgence and functionality driving the future of desserts,” predicts Jaiven. “Consumers are increasingly seeking snackable, portion-controlled treats that deliver high-quality avors in every bite. We expect dessert-inspired snack bars and bite-sized indulgences to capture the growing demand for versatile treats that t seamlessly into any part of the day.”
She continues: “As plant-based and dairy innovations continue to evolve, we also see an opportunity to craft new takes on frozen desserts, like our nondairy sorbets. … The future of dessert is about creating moments of joy that are as adaptable as they are unforgettable.”
“There may be a struggle with the rising concerns about sugar and processed foods, and economic and sustainability factors,” admits Ly. “Still, the dessert and pastry industry will evolve and [are] unlikely [to] disappear. Consumers may shift towards healthier, innovative or sustainable options, but the desire for indulgences will always exist.”
“While dessert habits evolve, the desire for indulgence, nostalgia and comfort is timeless,” observes Zaro, adding that “dessert remains an integral part of making life’s moments – both big and little – sweeter.” He goes on to counsel retailers, “The key to long-term success is adapting your dessert offerings while staying true to what consumers love about you.”
At Healthy Living, that means offering various decadent dessert options that nevertheless adhere to the retailer’s stringent product standard-based curation. As Lesser-Goldsmith notes, “We’re all for the occasional indulgence and believe sweets and treats … will always have a place in our guests’ daily lives.”
Zaro’s Peach Champagne Cake won the Gold OnTrend Award at the KeHE Summer Show this past February.
Sugar Bowl Bakery’s popular products include madeleines made with butter as the rst ingredient.
Häagen-Dazs recently introduced a nondairy sorbet line.
Recipe for Brioche Success
PROGRESSIVE GROCER TALKS WITH BRIOCHE GOURMET IMPORTER KURT BURMEISTER.
By Lynn Petrak
Consumers may have shown a keen interest in brioche, as those products have fueled impressive unit and dollar sales growth in the bread and bun categories in recent years, but one French producer stands apart because of its four-generation history and continued passion for baking brioche right – call it savoir faire. Brioche Gourmet, based in the Les Achards area of western France, combines legacy recipes and a spirit of innovation to create a collection of authentic products that deliver on taste and live up to the company name.
Progressive Grocer recently sat down with Kurt Burmeister, SVP of national sales and importing at Warren, Mich.-based Lipari Foods and KLT Global, to talk about how the Brioche Gourmet collection captures and maintains shopper interest and can elevate sales across the store.
Progressive Grocer: Kurt, how would you describe consumer demand for brioche as shoppers continue to prepare and serve more meals at home? Why is brioche such a hot product segment, and why is Brioche Gourmet well suited to meet demand?
Kurt Burmeister: It is an elevated taste experience. But not all brioche is created equal. If you want a true artisanal eating experience, Brioche Gourmet is a go-to. They are committed to consistency, quality and innovation. Moreover, if you are a retailer, you are dealing directly with the producer.
PG: On that point, how has the category evolved, especially as consumers have “discovered” this type of bread?
KB: The biggest change is that we went from a category that had a few players into a category that is fairly crowded now. My biggest concern with all of these emerging brands is quality, as some may drive down the quality of the product to get to a better cost. Cheap brioche is not good, and good brioche is not cheap.
PG: Brioche Gourmet bakers have created brioche for more than a century, but how important are new product development and ongoing investments in technology to maintaining high standards?
KB: Brioche Gourmet is a believer of innovation in brioche. That really comes out in the variety of products they offer, which includes seasonal items, a hand-braided loaf, a chocolate chip loaf and a plantbased brioche, to name a few examples. They also offer a Tear & Share product, and are only one of a few companies that make that.
PG: How does Brioche Gourmet convey authenticity of the product and in communications with retailers and consumers?
KB: Each package has a little story on it, in addition to the French ag on the logo. The company is adding more storytelling to social media, too. For many years, this company has produced private label products –many people have enjoyed those products already, not realizing they are actually eating the Brioche Gourmet products. More recently, they have made a foray into their own brand of Brioche Gourmet. Their role as a private label supplier, and now, as their own brand, enables them to be true producers of brioche and stay true to their roots, compared to other brands that stray for costing purposes.
PG: As an importer, Kurt, how are you promoting and increasing the distribution of Brioche Gourmet?
KB: Even though brioche has become quite popular, I think it is still important to bring in customers to the category who haven’t tried brioche before. Some Brioche Gourmet products are individually wrapped for
Brioche Gourmet’s belief in innovation is shown by the variety of products that it offers.
easy grab-and-go trial. We also support free products for in-store demos and new store openings, along with a plethora of promotional ideas. If the customer is committed, we are equally committed – I never say no to creative promoting, because we are true partners. For the unforeseeable future, we are adapting to a multi-pronged promotional approach. We will continue to provide promotional case allowances, and we will enhance our direct-to-consumer savings. For example, we are offering promotions that enable a customer to download and take a discount right away. This helps retailers from a clerical perspective. We can also work with a retailer’s loyalty program to offer double points or discounts for brioche purchases during peak holiday weeks. As I said, we never say no to creative promotions to enhance the customer’s experience.
PG: Generating trial and repeat sales also includes creative merchandising, right?
KB: If you can merchandise brioche around the store, your growth opportunity is signi cant. We have shippers that can be merchandised in the meat department for building the ultimate burger. We also recommend featuring brioche at high-visibility areas like end caps, bakery sections and checkout lines to capture impulse buyers. Brioche is such an impulse item.
“If you can merchandise brioche around the store, your growth opportunity is significant.”
—Kurt Burmeister, Lipari Foods and KLT Global
PG: What are some other bene ts of this line, from a sales and pro t standpoint?
KB: This product has a 28-day shelf life, so let’s say you are putting 50% margin on it – you don’t have labor, no need for packaging in store, and the shrink is negligible. Your net controllable contribution/pro t is signi cant. This allows for a greater amount of labor hours in the department for programs that need more labor to complete.
PG: You mentioned limited-time products as another differentiator. What are some examples of how such items can lift sales, both as impulse and planned purchases?
KB: We offer very creative seasonal treats, including Pumpkin Spice Brioche, Holiday Star Brioche, Christmas Tree Brioche and a Valentine’s Heart Brioche.
Brioche Gourmet can also collaborate with retail partners to boost shopper engagement and drive sales around special occasions and holidays, through themed displays and cross-promotions with complementary products. For example, a grocer can partner with dairy brands, coffee suppliers or fresh fruit providers to bundle brioche with relevant items in a “Brunch Essentials” or “Holiday Hosting” section. We also partner with the deli departments, as we have customers that we actually produce deli product for. We are essentially limitless with creativity. Ultimately, we pride ourselves on creating a custom approach, customer by customer. I have a saying: “If the customer gives me 100%, we will give them 150% in return.” It’s all about delivering an experience for the retailer’s guest.
Brioche Gourmet is based in the Les Achards area of western France.
Brioche Gourmet’s products offer authentic avor.
The Best Beef. The Highest-Quality Care.
Flavorful beef starts with farming and ranching families committed to raising the best beef, the right way. Their attention to caring for their cattle and the environment make the Certified Angus Beef ® brand more than just high-quality beef. It’s beef that delivers on a promise you can trust for both quality and care.
Beefing Up Sustainability: The Competitive Advantage of Certified Angus Beef
Fueled by the rise in at-home dining, growing demand for highquality protein, and a shift toward sustainable choices, beef sales surpassed $100 billion in 2024, according to Circana.
For 46 years, Certified Angus Beef has built consumer trust by consistently delivering top-quality products. From ground beef to prime rib, its logo signifies premium excellence. As sustainability takes center stage, Dr. Kirsten Nickles, sustainability and animal care scientist at Certified Angus Beef, shares the brand’s innovative initiatives with ProgressiveGrocer .
Progressive Grocer: Why is sustainability important to the Certified Angus Beef ® brand?
Kirsten Nickles: Sustainability has transformed from a trend into a fundamental consumer priority, shaping expectations and enhancing product value.
Whether in food service or retail, every product must consistently deliver great taste and quality. However, today’s consumers expect more — transparency and responsibility are key to meeting their evolving demands.
Cattle care, environmental impact, community support and ensuring sustainability for future generations are factors that have become essential expectations. Consumers want to know how their beef is raised, who is raising it and the environmental and social impacts behind it. Animal welfare and specifically cattle care, is valued by all generations. At the end of the day,every consumer wants to feel good about the beef they take home to their family and friends, and we want to make sure that our brand delivers on both quality and those core values around sustainability.
How does Certified Angus Beef define sustainability?
KN: It means doing the right thing by caring for the entire supply chain — from the cattle and the environment to the places where our high-quality beef is raised and sold — and uniting everyone around core values of sustainability.
Raising high-quality beef doesn’t just happen by chance. It takes intention, and attention to the details and decisions that ultimately result in a premium product and sustainable farm or ranch. That’s why we’ve chosen as a brand to focus on three key areas: cattle care, the environment and people.
How is this message conveyed at the point of sale?
KN: We make it easy for consumers to quickly see our dedication to humane animal care and climate-friendly practices right at the meat case. The tools include stickers for retailers to feature on packages, case clings, dividers, signage and QR codes that drive consumers to our resources to further tell our story.
If a consumer wants to go deeper, they can visit our consumer website and follow us on social media, where we share stories from farmers’ and ranchers’ perspectives and talk about our sustainability initiatives.
Did You Know? Certified Angus Beef’s Impact Through the Working Grasslands Conservation Initiative:
Certified Angus Beef helped support the protection, restoration, and enhancement of 510,802 acres of wetland, grassland, and cropland in the Prairie Pothole Region.
Protected and restored 40,216 acre-feet of annual water storage from drainage, equivalent to 19,822 Olympic swimming pools of water storage every year.
Prevented the emissions equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 41,313 passenger cars in a year.
Reduced soil erosion and prevented the release of 29,824 kilograms of phosphorus per year, enough to fertilize 13,494 acres of corn or 18,664 acres of a golf course annually.
Do you have examples working to educate retailers?
KN: We’ve taken retailers to local farms within their region to meet the families raising the cattle and to learn more about what sustainability looks like out in the field. The discussions that unfold give them the confidence and first-hand experience to talk about how beef is raised, to answer their customers’ questions and to sell our brand, and beef in general. We work to customize what we do with each of our retail partners to meet their needs.
Share a few key examples of programs that invest in the farming and ranching communities to help further the sustainability of beef.
KN: First, farmers and ranchers are doing a tremendous job producing beef sustainably. Today, our beef community is raising more high-quality beef with fewer resources than ever before. But, we know there are ways we can always continue to improve. Starting with cattle care, we are involved with the Beef Quality Assurance program — a national certification standard for cattle care, traveling around the country and providing continuous education for cattlemen and women.
Switching over to the environment, our Land Stewardship program partners with the Noble Research Institute who are experts in soil health and land management. We o er a free, online course that teaches how to achieve healthier soil, more resilient grazing land and greater profitability through better land management, reducing inputs and optimizing natural resources.
Finally, the Working Grassland Conservation Initiative is a collaboration with Ducks Unlimited. How are ducks and cows connected? What’s good for the herd is good for the bird. Ducks need healthy grasslands and clean water resources, and so do cows! If we do things right from a land management standpoint, then the cows, the waterfowl, and other biodiversity are all going to thrive.
Doubling Down on Value
VALUE-ADDED PROTEINS RUN THE GAMUT AS BRANDS AND GROCERS CAPITALIZE ON VERSATILITY AND FLAVOR.
When it comes to protein, consumers are driven by a variety of attributes and, in a quest to get many or even most of them, shoppers look for products that deliver a form of value.
For the rst half of this decade, value has been often linked to price, and to that end, consumer costs for some proteins remain volatile. According to data from Chicago-based insights rm Circana, the price per pound of fresh beef came in at $6.73 per pound in February, up 7.1% year over year (YoY), while fresh chicken hit $3.17 per pound, up 3.2%, and fresh pork rang up an average of $3.21, a 1.4% uptick.
Beyond price, value translates to other attributes in proteins that include beef, pork, lamb, veal, exotic or game meats, chicken, turkey, and plant-based meat alternatives. Value often connotes convenience, ease of use, variety, avor, and versatility. Protein products deemed to fall under the value-added segment, then, can include products that are portioned, seasoned, marinated, pre-cooked or used as ingredients.
Key Takeaways
Beyond price, value translates to other attributes in proteins, including convenience, ease of use, variety, avor and versatility.
Under the value-added umbrella, grocers can enhance and diversify their protein assortments in various ways.
Brands are coming up with new items as demand grows.
These products resonate with consumers who continue to cook at home and are looking for different recipe ideas and product forms. The 2025 “Power of Meat” report from Arlington, Va.-based FMI – The Food Industry Association shows that 58% of consumers have favorite meat products but are interested in trying more, especially if barriers of cost, habits and lack of cooking con dence can be overcome. According to the report, consumers are mostly interested in recipes for comfort meals, quick preparation options and creative use of ingredients. As one might expect, younger shoppers seek fast recipes and protein meals with global air.
Providing value-added solutions to these shoppers is a cornerstone of a new industry campaign launching from the National Pork Board this May. With the tagline “Taste What Pork Can Do” and backed by data-driven insights, the effort is the rst national consumer campaign from the trade group since 2017. The program touts the value, variety and versatility of pork offerings, including items that are ready to cook, ready to eat or somewhere along that spectrum.
“Value-added meats provide the perfect balance of convenience and quality, catering to consumers who want to enjoy delicious, homecooked meals without the hassle of extensive prep work.”
—Ozlem Worpel, Seaboard Farms
According to David Newman, SVP of market development at the Des Moines, Iowa-based board, the campaign takes a “whole hog” approach, encouraging consumers to consider fresh options as well favorite forms like bacon and processed meats.
“The value-added component is a huge piece of
the campaign. This is a huge opportunity moving forward,” he says, adding that younger shoppers in particular tend to think of “cuisine, not cut.”
On the Range
Under the value-added umbrella, grocers can enhance and diversify their protein assortments in a variety of ways. As fresh perimeters become more solution-oriented, a shopper may nd a breaded pork schnitzel in a meal kit display, a lobster mac-and-cheese or beef brisket sandwich in the hot food bar, or a grilled chicken Ceasar salad in the produce section.
Foods Market carries a wide range of valueadded proteins in its fresh meat case.
Brands are coming up with new items as demand grows. Seaboard Farms, based in Merriam, Kan., is one example, carrying several value-added options across its Prairie Fresh portfolio.
“Value-added meats provide the perfect balance of convenience and quality, catering to consumers who want to enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without the hassle of extensive prep work,” says Ozlem Worpel, VP of marketing and innovation at Seaboard Farms. “Our Prairie Fresh value-added pork products come pre-seasoned, ensuring bold avors right out of the package. This eliminates the need for additional ingredients or lengthy marination times, allowing for quick and easy meal preparation. With ready-to-cook portions and clear cooking instructions, these products help home cooks of all skill levels create avorful dishes with minimal effort — perfect for busy weeknights or weekend grilling.”
Other examples abound. Certi ed Angus Beef, based in Wooster, Ohio, markets a line that includes smoked and fully cooked brisket and bacon items; last year, that company’s value-added products posted a fourth straight year of growth, reaching 45.5 million pounds. Meanwhile, Tyson Fresh Meats, in Springdale, Ark., offers a comprehensive lineup of value-added proteins positioned around avor and easy prep, including steakhouse-seasoned pork loin grillers, chicken fajita strips and marinated sirloin steak bites. For its part, Arkansas City, Kan.-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC has included convenient thin cuts in its new line of Irodori Wagyu beef, which is debuting this year.
As the shopper base becomes more diverse and multicultural, value-added pork options include a range of globally inspired choices, as evidenced by such products as La Herencia Al Pastor marinated diced pork for authentic tacos, under Greeley, Colo.-based parent company JBS Foods.
Value-added goat meat is now available.
Other types of meat are getting the value-added treatment, too. For example, Thomas Foods International USA has rolled out new value-added goat products, including bone-in goat cubes for applications such as stews and curries, and ready-to-heat Thai Coconut Goat Curry. Retailers are also innovating in their private label programs. Earlier this year, Lakewood, Colo.-based Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage added fully cooked organic mussels to its frozen seafood portfolio. Further, the 365 store brand, from Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market, includes an array of value-added products ranging from seasoned Italian pork sausage bricks to portioned fresh chicken cuts that complement the many value-added items in the food retailer’s butcher case and prepared food department.
Whole
The Grocer’s Guide to Remodeling
WHAT SHOULD A FOOD RETAILER CONSIDER WHEN UPDATING ITS SPACE?
By Emily Crowe
Today’s grocery consumers are more discerning than ever, especially when it comes to the physical spaces in which they shop. As food retailers make aesthetic and functional updates to their brick-and-mortar stores, what should they keep in mind? Progressive Grocer spoke with two experts to nd out more about the increasingly important remodeling process.
Initial Considerations
Renovations or remodels can seem daunting, but choosing the right areas in which to invest is an important rst step.
“Breathing new life into aging locations or across a store eet has become ever more important for retailers and grocers of varying scales,” explains Alex Shapleigh, principal, retail practice specialist at Seattle-based Graphite
Spaces for foodservice options are an increasingly important consideration for grocers.
Key Takeaways
Remodels can seem daunting, but choosing the right areas in which to invest is an important rst step.
It’s also important for customers to feel and see the improvements, otherwise grocers run the risk of not seeing the desired ROI on a given project.
Selecting the appropriate partner for remodels can be just as critical as where a food retailer decides to spend its money.
Store Renovations
Design Group. “Owners need to consider a variety of factors and competing priorities to determine the most impactful areas to spend often limited dollars, with maximum impact for both customers and employees.”
According to Shapleigh, the typical priority ow is rst considering safety and deferred-maintenance items, followed by enhancements to store functionality and then customer experience enhancements. It’s important, however, for customers to feel and see the improvements; otherwise grocers run the risk of not seeing the desired ROI on a given project.
Kara Eberle-Lott, associate principal, architect at Seattle-based architecture, engineering and design rm Cushing Terrell, agrees that retailers at any experience level are well served by carefully identifying what they want to get out of the project. At the end of the day, she believes the aim of any effective remodel should be to increase customer count and boost sales.
“A remodel should include operational improvements, energy savings improvements, increased opportunity for customer-staff engagement, brand enhancement, and connection to the latest trends and offerings in food retail,” she explains. “These targets can be supported by fundamental information retailers should be aware of: Category performance — especially as it relates to location and adjacency — shifting demographics, consumer habits and opportunities for community engagement will impact decisions.”
When undertaking a remodel, it’s imperative for food retailers to select design rms that can bring a broad perspective and fresh ideas from other categories.
directly will impact the customer experience and journey,” he observes.
Choosing the Right Partners and Parameters
Selecting the appropriate partner for remodels can be just as critical as where a food retailer decides to spend its money. “Experience in grocery store design is a key element to choosing both a design and/or architecture rm,” explains Eberle-Lott. “Equally important is a good cultural t and the anticipated working relationship between the retailer and the design/architect partner. The retailer should feel that the design partner is a trusted advisor, and the design partner must trust the retailer’s expertise in their business model to help drive the design.”
Shapleigh also stresses the need to select design rms that can bring a broad perspective and fresh ideas from other categories to any proposed remodels, balanced by solid technical expertise and a proven track record of delivering consistent and compelling brand experiences at scale.
As for how much to take on for any given remodel, Shapleigh believes that grocers should take a measured approach to making signi cant structural changes to overall store layout, infrastructure or existing built-in components that would be costly and time-consuming. “We often recommend a light- to medium-touch approach where enhancements are made to the items that
According to Eberle-Lott, partnering with a general contractor that understands the importance of sales protection and phasing a renovation so that it causes the least amount of inconvenience to customers is equally important.
“Customers will tolerate the inconvenience of one or two departments being in ux but will likely soon look to alternative options if the entire shopping experience is disrupted,” she says. “If a center store reset is part of the remodel, it is imperative that the retailer helps their customers understand where to nd their go-to products throughout the renovation.”
“We often recommend a light- to medium-touch approach where enhancements are made to the items that directly will impact the customer experience and journey.”
—Alex Shapleigh, Graphite Design Group
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“Customers
will tolerate the inconvenience of one or two departments being in flux but will likely soon look to alternative options if the entire shopping experience is disrupted.”
—Kara Eberle-Lott,
Cushing Terrell
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Today’s Top Trends
For the independent grocery brands she works with, Eberle-Lott says that many are increasingly focusing on brand recognition and consistency of brand expression when remodeling stores. Others are leaning into more self-service options, while others still are doubling down on customer experience and foodservice variety.
In regard to areas with the highest visual impact, Shapleigh notes that refreshed nishes, branding and graphics, high-return display, merchandising components, and lighting are topping the list of areas to remodel for many retailers.
Additionally, Graphite Design Group is keeping a keen eye on sustainability, the integration of AI into physical retail, optimizing meal-planning options, access to healthand-wellness services and products, and an emphasis on personalized and goal-based nutrition as trending areas to consider when updating grocery retail spaces.
Contractors that understand the importance of sales protection and phasing a renovation are ideal partners.
Connecting With Consumers Inside and Out
RETAIL MEDIA CONTINUES TO EMERGE AS A POWERFUL VEHICLE FOR ENGAGEMENT, PERSONALIZATION AND SALES.
By Jim Dudlicek
Consumers want a shopping experience that meets their diverse needs at any given time, whether that’s online or brick and mortar. Retail media is playing an ever-increasing role in this relationship.
What exactly is at stake?
“Retail media is expected to reach $231 billion by 2030, and we’re still in the early innings, with the U.S. retail media market value at $54.5 billion in 2024, which is about $1 in every $7 spent on ads,” says Michael Jaconi, co-founder and CEO of Button, a New York City-based mobile commerce technology company. “The key to unlocking even more growth is making sure these ad experiences aren’t just another version of traditional display; they need to be commerce-driven, intent-based and seamlessly integrated into the shopping journey.”
Recent research from FMI – The Food Industry Association and NielsenIQ indicates that total digital sales for grocery items are pegged to reach $388 billion, for a nearly 25% market penetration by 2027, and that more than 90% of U.S. consumers currently engage in omnichannel shopping.
Retailers still have work to do, however. “While there was an initial surge in retail media initiatives, many CPGs soon discovered that retailers had yet to master campaign execution and deliver meaningful ROI,” says Adam Zimmerman, co-founder of Ideal by Design House, a Chagrin Falls, Ohiobased digital ad agency. “This realization led CPGs to pull back and impose stricter guidelines, underscoring the signi cant challenges that remain.”
Retail media networks (RMNs) are becoming more established with larger retailers, but mid-market and independent retailers are still lagging behind, notes Jacob Blondin, CEO of Richmond, Va.-based data provider RDSolutions. “This isn’t surprising, given the scale of companies like Walmart, Target and Kroger, where their large user bases justify the investment,” says Blondin.
While there’s growing interest among a broader range of retailers to monetize their customer base and improve advertising quality for both consumers and brands, Blondin points out that many of these retailers have yet to fully engage with RMNs. “I believe there’s a signi cant opportunity here, especially if independents collaborate in a co-op style to provide better value to brands,” he asserts.
Kroger Precision Marketing, the retail media business of the Cincinnati-based grocery giant, recently introduced Promoted Product Carousels to enhance product visibility within search results. Brands can showcase up to 32 products in a single shoppable carousel. It’s an opportunity for brands to inspire and drive consideration closest to the moment of purchase, explains Christine Foster, KPM’s VP of product strategy and media operations.
“It is ideal for seasonal promotions, new launches or meal solutions,” adds Foster. “We’ve just recently launched the capability but have already observed an increase in both product discovery and sales for brands who have engaged.”
According to Foster, the big opportunity ahead is to use the same purchase data to grow brands outside the walls of retail-owned channels: “We’ve done sideby-side comparisons of purchase data
Christine Foster, VP of product strategy, KPM
Key Takeaways
Retail media networks (RMNs) are becoming more established with larger retailers, but mid-market and independent retailers are still lagging behind.
RMNs have the potential to impact operations throughout the store.
The next phase of RMNs comes down to one word: scale.
MEDIA THAT WORKS FOR THE CONSUMER
Create relevant consumer interactions and unlock sales growth across channels using Inmar Intelligence Retail Media solutions. Our platform delivers over 5% sales incrementality through smart shopper-centric campaigns, a fully integrated platform that drives efficiency and value-driven strategies that combine the power of promotions and media to drive sustainable loyalty. Download RMN Areas to Watch to learn best practices and how you can build dynamic shopping experiences and maximize CPG investment.
Q&A Future of Retail Media
Speaking with Ranjana Choudhry, SVP of Media and Data Platforms at Inmar Intelligence
How can retailers and brands bridge the gap between digital influence and multichannel purchases? Ranjana Choudhry, SVP of Media and Data Platforms at Inmar Intelligence, says the answer lies in leveraging influencer content, AI-driven personalization, and integrated touchpoints to boost engagement and ROI. Choudhry explains how seamless shopper journeys, real-time analytics, and technologies such as live shopping and machine learning are key to creating consistent, impactful consumer experiences across channels in the evolving retail media landscape.
Progressive Grocer: What strategies should retailers adopt to connect the dots between pre-onsite influence—such as social media engagement or CTV ads—and final purchase decisions to create a seamless shopping experience?
Ranjana Choudhry: Retailers need to embrace a holistic approach that recognizes shopping as a fluid, omnichannel experience. Consumers transition between entertainment, social engagement, and product discovery long before they make a purchase decision. Bridging this gap can be accomplished by connecting inspiration to action. Integrating digital incentives earlier in the journey—such as placing personalized offers within influencer content, CTV ads, or social commerce platforms can help shoppers make this connection. Additionally, ensuring a seamless shopping experience, like enabling one-click product additions from social media content to retailer shopping carts, can create a more intuitive and effective consumer journey.
PG: How can retailers and brands effectively integrate influencer marketing into their retail media strategies to drive engagement and conversion?
RC: Influencer marketing presents a massive opportunity for retail media networks to
extend their impact beyond traditional advertising channels, with 73% of shoppers looking to creators for purchase inspiration. By collaborating with trusted creators, retailers can inject authenticity into their messaging, reaching shoppers in moments of discovery. Successful integration involves embedding influencer-driven content into multiple touchpoints—from social media to in-store displays and personalized digital incentives. For example, a shopper might see a recipe video from an influencer, then encounter an in-store digital ad showcasing the same featured products alongside a discount offer. This kind of continuity not only enhances engagement but also drives measurable conversion rates.
PG: With the increasing need for brands to connect traditional and digital advertising ROI, how is Inmar addressing the challenges of measurement attribution across different retail media networks?
RC: Measurement and ROI attribution are indeed critical challenges in the retail media landscape. Inmar is committed to providing comprehensive and automatic cross-channel reporting and real-time campaign performance tracking. By leveraging advanced analytics and standardized metrics, we aim to offer advertisers transparent insights into campaign effectiveness, enabling them to make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing strategies.
Measurement in retail media is evolving beyond simplistic last-click attribution. Brands and retailers need to adopt more sophisticated multi-touch attribution models that account for the entire consumer journey—from initial inspiration to final purchase. Leveraging AI-driven insights, brands can better track engagement across different touchpoints, including influencer content, digital ads, and in-store experiences. Additionally, tying retail media performance metrics to customer lifetime value rather than just short-term
conversions can help brands gain a deeper understanding of the long-term impact of their investments.
PG: One major challenge in retail media today is the disconnect between touchpoints, leading to fragmented consumer experiences. What steps should retailers and advertisers take to create a more integrated and consumer-centric retail media ecosystem?
RC: Retailers must prioritize a cohesive strategy that links their various media touchpoints into a unified shopper journey. This means shifting away from siloed retail media efforts and instead investing in connected experiences—such as syncing social media endorsements with in-store activations or aligning digital promotions with loyalty programs. One effective approach is leveraging AI and predictive analytics to serve personalized content across multiple channels, ensuring that shoppers receive consistent and relevant messaging at every stage of their journey.
PG: Looking ahead, what emerging technologies do you believe will significantly impact the future of retail media networks?
RC: Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are set to revolutionize retail media networks. AI can enhance personalization by analyzing consumer behavior in real-time and enabling hyper targeted advertising. Additionally, utilizing AI in measurement can help isolate the true behavior changes brands want to measure - helping them quantify the impact of their investments.
Additionally, advancements in LIVE shopping capabilities will help connect exposure and endorsement points to seamless shopping. This has already been extremely prevalent outside of the US and as we’ve seen more retailers adopt Influencer strategies, we believe this is the missing piece to drive more engagement here in the U.S..
Ranjana Choudhry is the SVP of Media and Data Platforms at Inmar Intelligence, a billion-dollar MarTech organization that uses data science and technology to deliver innovative solutions for brands, retailers, and healthcare organizations. Previously, she served as VP of Advertising and Social Media at Wakefern Food Corp, a $19 billion retail cooperative, where she spearheaded marketing and digital content strategies, iconic promotions, and multi-channel campaigns. With over 25 years of global marketing and communications expertise, Ranjana began her career at Grey Advertising. While at WPP, she led over 400 team members across 220 countries, driving Colgate-Palmolive’s brand strategies in regions spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
Ranjana also shares her expertise as an adjunct professor at NYU SPS, teaching Integrated Marketing and Digital Strategy to future marketers.
Retail Media
versus standard third-party advertising audiences … [and] found that retail audiences can deliver the same sales impact of standard digital programmatic audiences, but with 51% fewer impressions and 40% higher lifetime value. This raises the bar for both the customer journey and a reduction in ad waste.”
Retail media is already driving signi cant sales lift for brands, and Foster believes that its in uence will grow: “A recent regression analysis by our team showed that every dollar invested in on-site retail advertising correlated to $14 of total store sales.” Additionally, retail media bridges the gap between online and in-store shopping through personalization. “In a store of 40,000 SKUs, retail media can put a spotlight on the exact promotions or new items that are most relevant for each household,” Foster says.
For example, at KPM, more than 75% of on-site display impressions come from new-to-brand shoppers, she says – “a clear sign of retail media’s ability to spark inspiration. This end result is a more cohesive customer journey, where digital ads drive real-world results and shoppers enjoy a more personalized experience at every touchpoint.”
Targeted Content
Retail media is a “must-have” for grocery retailers looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape, according to Shachar “Shock” Torem, SVP and general manager of CPG and retail media solutions for Little Rock, Ark.-based Vestcom, an Avery Dennison company. “We’re still only scratching the surface of its potential value for retailers, brands and shoppers,” observes Torem.
Vestcom is the exclusive provider of price tags and signage solutions at more than 70 retailers nationwide; its proprietary solution, ShelfAdz, is designed for SKU-level placement. “The reality is that 90% of transactions still happen instore,” says Torem. “The shelf edge is the
ultimate location for a brand to not only deliver its message, but also to in uence purchase decisions. It’s arguably the most important checkpoint on the shopper journey.”
In fact, he notes, Vestcom data shows that brands with media on their shelf tags generate 5% to 10% average sales lift, which “clearly validates that shoppers value more than just price.”
Retail media enables grocers to reach shoppers in new ways, thanks to relevant information that makes a direct connection with the consumer, observes Kevin Bridgewater, SVP of strategic retail solutions at Sussex, Wis.-based Quad.
In-Store Connect by Quad delivers targeted ads on digital screens in aisles, end caps and other strategic locations. “By giving retailers and CPG companies more impactful opportunities to deliver relevant promotions, share key information and connect adjacent product options, the solution enhances the overall shopping experience,” says Bridgewater, noting that In-Store Connect enables content to be linked across grocery chains to provide national promotion opportunities.
Meanwhile, Freeosk engages consumers through a network of strategically located kiosks that combine multimedia, incremental merchandising and opt-in automated trial. “Our tech-enabled platform provides a discovery destination for shoppers,” explains Dilini Fernando, CMO of Chicago-based Freeosk. “In exchange for their time and attention, shoppers are rewarded with exclusive savings, content and the opportunity to try their new favorite products for free.”
Impact on Ops
Additionally, RMNs have the potential to impact operations throughout the store. “ISM simpli es in-store retail media by giving retailers a single, interoperable platform to manage and monetize their in-store digital inventory,” explains Mark Fishkin, VP of retail media platforms at New York-based ISM, a certi ed partner of Vibenomics.
“First, it streamlines operations, making it easier and faster to execute in-store campaigns,” continues Fishkin. “Second, it increases pro tability by allowing retailers to capture more ad dollars within their own ecosystem. Third, it broadens demand sources, connecting retailers to a broader pool of advertisers. And nally, it reduces operational complexity by integrating with existing in-store tech providers.”
Freeosk engages consumers through kiosks combining multimedia, incremental merchandising and opt-in automated trial.
Retail media networks could potentially impact operations throughout the store.
In-store retail media done
connect
Reach consumers where they buy:
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Food, Beverage & Nonfood Products
Cheese in Crackers
Global food giant Mondelēz has teamed up with family-owned Wisconsin cheese company Sargento to create Sargento Cheese Bakes – premium cheese crackers made with real Sargento cheese as the No. 1 ingredient. Each cracker features Sargento cheese and herbs, delivering a bold and avorful crunch. Available in three savory varieties — Aged White Cheddar & Rosemary, Pepper Jack, and Parmesan & Oregano — Sargento Cheese Bakes combine real cheese avor with a satisfying crunch. The versatile snack can be enjoyed straight from the box or paired with dips and spreads. Sargento Cheese Bakes come in a 4.5-ounce pouch with a suggested retail price of $4.99. https://www.mondelezinternational.com/; https://www.sargento.com/
Better Snacks for Kids
Sparkle Plenty
Premium Italian sparkling-beverage brand Sanpellegrino has now introduced its latest product, Sanpellegrino CIAO! – a line of avored sparkling waters made with real fruit juices. Inspired by Sicily’s longstanding tradition of blending sparkling water with citrus juice and a touch of salt to enhance avor, the beverage line consists of four fruity avors: Peach, Blood Orange, Lime and Cherry. Each 11.15- uid-ounce can features real fruit juices and a pinch of Sicilian salt, contains 10 calories or fewer, and has 0 grams of added sugars. Scheduled to roll out to retailers nationwide this month, CIAO! joins Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks and Sanpellegrino Zero Grams Added Sugar Italian Sparkling Drinks in the venerable brand’s portfolio. A 6-pack of CIAO! retails for a suggested $5.99. https://www.sanpellegrino.com/us/
Targeting parents who want to make sure that their kids eat healthfully any time of day, Get’ems! from Gerber is a snack line for children age 3 and up, created with wholesome ingredients that deliver on both nutrition and avor. Encompassing cookies, crackers and puffs, Get’ems! contain real fruits, vegetables or whole grains. Each snack variety features fun, interactive shapes, along with characters on the packaging, such as a butternut squash astronaut and a red-apple seahorse, to help kids discover foods and encourage healthy snacking. Free from synthetic coloring and high-fructose corn syrup, the snack portfolio consists of Ocean World Cookies, made with iron and essential nutrient vitamin E and available in shapes like seashells and seahorses in two avor varieties, Kale, Apple & Blueberry and Pumpkin, Apple & Cinnamon; Space Crackers, crunchy treats offering 40% of kids’ daily iron, along with vitamin E to support brain development, and available in sun, rocket and Earth shapes in Maple, Pizza and Parmesan avors; and Roundos Puff Snack, made with whole grain quinoa, as well as calcium to support strong bones, and available in Barbeque, Pizza, Apple Cinnamon and Carrot Ranch avors. The suggested retail price, which may vary by retailer, is $3.48 for a 5-ounce bag of Ocean World Cookies or Space Crackers of any variety, and for a 2.25-ounce bag of Roundos Puff Snack of any avor. Currently available at Walmart and on Amazon, Get’ems! will expand to Target and other retailers across the United States throughout 2025. https://www.getems.com/; https://www.gerber.com/
Swicy Sauce
Iconic Asian sauce manufacturer Lee Kum Kee has gone “swicy” with the launch of the latest addition to its sriracha lineup: Lee Kum Kee Honey Sriracha Sauce. The condiment, which blends the trending combination of sweet and spicy with the growing popularity of hot honey, joins Lee Kum Kee’s previously launched Sriracha Chili Sauce and Sriracha Mayo. Honey Sriracha Sauce can serve as a highly versatile dip, marinade, glaze or stir-fry sauce. Made with high-quality ingredients and no arti cial preservatives, the sauce comes in an easy-to-use squeeze bottle that enables hot sauce fans to apply just the right amount of sauce to their favorite foods. A 20- uid-ounce bottle of Lee Kum Kee Honey Sriracha Sauce retails for a suggested $5.49. https://usa.lkk.com/; https://srirachalove.com/
Fine Feline Dining
What’s Cooking Now
Already known for its sous-vide meats and sauces, Kevin’s Natural Foods has now launched Stir-Fry Kits, described by the brand as the rst-ever refrigerated heat-and-serve entrée line with a fully cooked protein, sauce and vegetable component. Designed for busy weeknights or quick lunches, the convenient kits are ready in under 10 minutes, simplifying mealtime routines and encouraging clean eating. In common with all Kevin’s products, the Stir-Fry Kits are gluten- and soy-free and contain no re ned sugars. They deliver a hearty serving of vegetables and up to 17 grams of protein per serving; a better-for-you spin on takeout favorites Honey Garlic Chicken, Sichuan Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken; tender meat and fresh vegetables, both fully cooked sous-vide style; and simple heat-and-serve preparation. A 16-ounce kit of any variety retails for a suggested $9.99. https://www.kevinsnaturalfoods.com/
Iconic gourmet wet cat food brand Fancy Feast is rede ning the feline dining experience with the national launch of its most elegant and innovative product to date. Fancy Feast Gems offers layers of delicately smooth mousse paté topped with a halo of cascading gravy to deliver mealtime anticipation and excitement for cats, while the unique patented packaging design provides a convenient and mess-free experience for owners. Employing insights on cat behavior based on years of study from scientists and behaviorists at parent company Purina, as well as proprietary formulations maximizing palatability and functionality, Gems shapes cats’ favorite comestibles into a pyramid that allows pampered pets to savor every bite and transforms routine feeding into a moment of indulgence. All pet parents need to do is peel the top of a single-serve paté and place it on their cat’s dish for a perfectly sized portion that will satisfy every time. One hundred percent complete and balanced for adult cats, Fancy Feast Gems are available in paté recipes featuring beef, chicken, tuna or salmon, each capped with savory gravy, in 2-ounce pyramidal tubs retailing for a suggested $2.48 per 2-count package of any variety. Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness. https://www.purina.com/fancy-feast; https://www.purina.com/; https://www.nestleusa.com/
Prebiotic Pop
Convenient Plant-Based Steak
At last month’s Natural Products Expo West, Impossible Foods unveiled Impossible Steak Bites, the rst steak product from the plant-based meat pioneer, delivering meaty avor and high-quality protein in the form of juicy pre-cooked bites seasoned with a savory blend of herbs and spices. Impossible Steak Bites are an excellent source of high-quality complete protein (featuring 21 grams of that nutrient), and also contain such essential nutrients as ber, iron and B vitamins. Further, compared with an animal-based steak, Impossible Steak Bites have zero cholesterol and 80% less saturated fat. Alongside its versatility as a meal ingredient, the product is an eco-friendly choice, using 94% less water and 94% less land, and generating 93% less greenhouse-gas emissions than animal-based steak, according to the brand. Impossible Steak Bites expand on the company’s award-winning portfolio of plant-based beef, chicken and pork products. A 10-ounce reclosable pouch of the steak bites retails for a suggested $8.99. https://impossiblefoods.com/
The Coca-Cola Co. has unveiled its rst-ever prebiotic soda, made with real fruit juice and no added sugar: Simply Pop. An on-trend addition to the Simply juice brand portfolio, the product line is debuting with ve juicy varieties – Strawberry, Pineapple Mango, Fruit Punch, Lime and Citrus Punch – each avor packed with 6 grams of prebiotic ber to support gut health, as well as zinc and vitamin C to boost immune function. Currently available at retail in select regions and online nationwide via Amazon Fresh, Simply Pop comes in 12-ounce slim cans retailing for a suggested $2.49 each for any avor.
