Tag Archives: 2018 supermarket shopping trends

COVID-19, Grocery shopping trends, Supermarket management

Post-COVID Supermarkets?

Agilence, Inc., a data and analytics reporting company, recently conducted a survey of decision-makers in the grocery industry about how COVID-19 has impacted their business, how they’ve managed this change, and what plans they have in place for a post-pandemic world.

Among the current practices that most retailers plan to continue long-term post-COVID are:

  • Curbside pick-up (75%)
  • Sneeze barriers at checkout (60%)
  • Cleaning of carts per use (50%)

The practices many plan to continue for 3-6 months post-pandemic are:

  • Associates fitted with PPE (62%)
  • Six-foot separation at checkout (60%)
  • Specialized hours for seniors (45%)

Interestingly, 87% of respondents said they think “safety & cleanliness” will be an important component of their marketing/brand message over the coming year.

Developing or enhancing proprietary online food delivery service was also identified as a priority by most respondents, and 93% said they plan to increase their spending in IT over the next year. Below is a graph indicating the types of technology initiatives in which grocers plan to invest:

investment categories
Anticipated Supermarket IT Investment by Category 2020 – 2021
customer experience, Grocery shopping trends

6 Food Trends for 2018

According to a recent article by fooddive.com, some of last year’s food trends such as healthy ingredients, complex flavor profiles and environmentally sustainable offerings will once again shape the food industry this year.

Their “top 6” predictions with respect to consumer demand this year are:

  1. Botanicals: Plants and flowers are springing up in food and beverage items as more consumers become interested in their potential healing properties.
  2. Transparency: Shoppers will continue to grow more interested in where their food comes from and how it was handled along the supply chain.
  3. Ethnic cuisine: Spicy flavors do well in the U.S., and many shoppers are exploring beyond basic hot sauces as food makers highlight more authentic, ethnic flavors.
  4. Science-based foods: A few futuristic products are already in stores and restaurants, and more will soon be on the way as companies work to develop and scale up state-of-the-art foods to meet the public’s growing appetite for these innovations.
  5. Sustainability: This trend has moved beyond merely producing food in an environmentally conscious ways and selling it in recyclable packaging.
  6. Indulgence foods: Comfort foods containing butter, lard and other fats and oils will be back in style.

Read the full article…