Aisle Chatter

Karen is the director of marketing/digital strategy and the specialty foods editor at Food World and Food Trade News. With many years under her belt in the hospitality, food & beverage, and retail food industries, she transitioned to the media side of the business in 2011. She can be reached at [email protected].

I would like to kick off the inaugural column of Aisle Chatter with a tip of the hat to Dick Bestany, who up until now has been keeping our readers engaged with his take on all things Food World-related in his monthly write-up, In and Around Food World. Since 1978, Dick has garnered the attention of our readers, even for 10 years after he retired from the day-to-day grocery newspaper business. As he finally sets the quill in the inkwell for good, I wish him nothing but the best. (Dick, I still expect you to come visit every now and then even though you are officially on year-round vacation!)

As we are in the fledgling first months of the New Year, I am going to take this opportunity to talk about some of the trends predicted for 2016 that I believe hold merit. Throughout the year, I will continue to keep track of what I consider to be the trends to watch. Mintel, one of the world’s leading market research and analysis agencies, released their top food and drink trends for 2016 in October. Among that list, one of the points that Jenny Zegler, Mintel’s global food and drink analyst (yes, that is actually her title – Google it!), makes is that “consumers have been romanced by product origin, ingredients or inspiration stories. With similar claims made by legitimately hand-crafted as well as mass-produced products, this proliferation and occasional propagation will find consumers and regulators alike seeing products with verified claims.” If you saw how the Mast Brothers (New York artisanal chocolate makers whose claims of making chocolate ‘from scratch’ were questioned by a blogger) story spread like wildfire in the specialty foods world and created such an outcry, you’d know Zegler’s statement rings true. This generation of shoppers wants to know where their food is coming from and, despite the recent ruling that repealed the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) enforcement, consumers will not stop demanding that there be traceability of their food from its point of origin. I only see this demand increasing in all aspects of food as the technology to keep track of what we eat from its starting point to the final product becomes readily available

Along this same line, I believe the number of shoppers demanding a clean label will continue to grow. With such claims as food and body care additives and dyes being the cause of everything from autism to ADHD, people want to know what they are putting in and on their bodies – expect that number to continue to flourish. Another trend that Zegler points out in the Mintel report is: “Fat sheds stigma.” Yes, butter is king once again! After years of being the red-headed step child, research has shown that butter is good, in moderation. Plus, with the advent of diets such as paleo, keto, bulletproof and Whole 30, the importance of including healthy fats into the diet is being emphasized. In addition to the growth of coconut oil, avocado oil and ghee (among other healthier oils and fats), expect to see animal fats such as beef tallow become sought after as chefs have once again popularized cooking with them.

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Zegler also predicts (and we are already seeing this) that there will be an “e-revolution: from carts to clicks” as consumers start to consider grocery shopping beyond the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. The number of grocery stores that add the option for online ordering will keep growing as new online-only grocery retailers continue to hit the web. The convenience and the high-tech component of this way of buying groceries are far too appealing for the new generation of shoppers to pass up, and retailers are scrambling to find ways to protect their share of the market.

Also, look for grocery stores to continue to “digitize the supermarket” itself, says GroceryStories.com’s John Karolesfki in his list of trends of 2016. As retailers look to develop a relationship with smartphone-dependent shoppers (particularly these Millennials we constantly hear about), they have to consider new digital ways to connect with them. One company that is banking on this is New York-based FutureProof Retail, which has introduced what it claims is the first start-to-finish secure self-checkout mobile app. No special kiosks are needed for customers to complete their purchases because the app will handle the whole process of shopping. Look for the company to demo the app at the NGA Show, which will be held in Las Vegas February 28 to March 2.

Another technology Karolesfki expects some retailers to begin incorporating into their stores is digital shelf labeling. Kroger has been testing this concept since 2014 and seems poised to bring it mainstream. These digital labels will not only be more visually appealing and eye-catching than the standard shelf labels, but they will also be able to display real-time product information, including allergens. According to Keith Dailey, director of external corporate communications for Kroger, “What it does is it brings rich video and digital media content to the shelf edge of our stores right at the point where product selection is made.” Dailey also points out that it saves associates time from having to hand price the items since this can be accomplished from the back end through technology. This gives the associates more free time to work with and help the customers directly. Stay tuned to this column for more industry trend picks throughout the year!

Locally, last month, the Maryland Department of Agriculture hosted its 15th annual Grower-Buyer Expo, a trade show designed to connect Maryland growers and processors with wholesale buyers from retail stores, restaurants, schools, distributors and other venues. The expo started in 2002 in the basement of the Maryland Department of Agriculture offices with just 25 attendees and has since grown to more than 60 exhibitors and 350 attendees reported at this year’s event. Plus, it is not just a showcase for farms – other local food companies are also able to exhibit such as MeatCrafters, a charcuterie maker in Landover, MD as well as Eldersburg, MD-based artisan chocolate company Salazon. It’s great to see the show thrive as it has helped numerous local farms looking to get into wholesale to connect with first buyers as well as having provided a networking opportunity for many established farms looking to expand. The Grower-Buyer Expo takes place every January, so be on the lookout for it next year and mark your calendar!

A big shout out to Baltimore’s own Eli Schlossberg, former CEO and president of Castle Food Products (a gourmet and specialty food distribution company) and former Haddon House sales director manager. Schlossberg was recently inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s 2016 Hall of Fame at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Schlossberg currently serves as president of Castle Consulting Group, a consulting company that specializes in specialty gourmet and kosher marketing and distribution. Congrats, Eli!

Finally, I would like to mention that Giant/Landover is celebrating its 80th anniversary this month. It was on February 6, 1936 that N.H. Cohen and Sam Lehrman opened Washington, DC’s first grocery store and began a tradition of quality, service and value that still continues to this day. In honor of this momentous milestone, Giant will hold 80th anniversary themed promotions and special events throughout the year and the division of Ahold USA has even introduced a new commemorative logo. Happy Anniversary, Giant/Landover, from all of us here at Food World!

To our readers, I’d love to hear from you about new trends in the industry that you’re interested in knowing more about. Also, feel free to reach out to me with news that you’d like to share with our readers. You can reach me at [email protected]. Till next month…