August 2016 | Hillphoenix

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Ask the Right Questions about Food Packaging Design and Materials

Dr. Keith Vorst is the Director for the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University. Join Dr. Keith Vorst for “Make Every Package Count” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Many retailers are inclined to rely solely on suppliers for food packaging without asking the right questions regarding the specific needs of their stores. In reality, taking control of that process and equipping themselves with the right information is a crucial step for food retailers. Knowing what materials and types of packaging work best for different products can help them in areas ranging from cost

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Food Trend — Stop Saying ‘Ethnic’

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia.” In recent years, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of ethnic foods for restaurants and food retailers. In fact, our food industry research firm, Datassential, considers ethnic food trends to be a point of origin for the kinds of innovations that make their way to mainstream food service years later. But what we’re seeing now is that the term “ethnic” no longer works as an adjective to describe foods. Especially in the United States, our

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Food trend: Taking the pulse of non-meat proteins

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. Proteins have been on consumers’ (and food service operators’) minds for the past few years. The trend has shifted to “ubiquity” on the adoption cycle used by our food industry research firm, Datassential (see graphic). But there is a sub-trend gaining traction; increasingly, people are looking to non-meat sources to provide protein. In fact, the United Nations declared 2016 the year of the “pulse,” in an effort to promote the benefits of non-meat proteins. I’ll talk

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Fresh-on-the-Perimeter — Inform and Entertain Shoppers with a Produce Destination Center

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Today’s consumers expect a lot from their supermarket shopping trips. Not only do they want to see a range of fresh fruit and vegetable offerings, they also want to be educated about how to incorporate more of these healthy foods into their families’ meals. Indeed, research by the Produce For Better Health Foundation shows 52% of consumers want new ideas for how to prepare and serve produce. Destination centers in the produce section can help supermarkets meet consumers’ demands

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Fresh-on-the-Perimeter — Produce Destination Centers Meet Shopper Demands for Convenience and Healthy Foods

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Adding a destination center to a supermarket’s produce department satisfies two important shopper demands simultaneously. Offering pre-cut ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat produce provides time-saving convenience to busy shoppers. And it helps them meet their goals of eating healthier. Check out this validating data: About a third of consumers say they aren’t making meals at home because they’re just too tired to cook after a long day, according to a survey conducted for the National Association of Convenience Stores. 58% of consumers

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Fresh-on-the-perimeter: Smart steps to creating a produce destination center

Join Jack Sjogren and Kelly Sayko for “Innovations in the Fresh Perimeter” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Destination centers in the produce department are a huge opportunity for grocers aiming to capitalize on consumers’ dual demands for freshness and convenience. But these fresh-on-the-perimeter spaces require some strategic setup and merchandising. Here are a few things to consider before you jump into creating a produce-centric destination center. Think through the equipment you’ll need in your produce destination space. For example, a juicing program requires much more than shoehorning a juicer into the space between displays. Consider how

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Opportunities to Expand Consumption throughout the Week

People love the convenience of grabbing a prepared meal from the store. Whether they’re running late to work in the morning or they’re eating lunch in between meetings, over 60% of people will pick up a fully prepared meal from a local store once a week. That drops slightly to just under 50% for ready-to-heat and semi-prepared meals. Over a third of people pick up ready-to-heat or semi-prepared meals three times a week. And a quarter of people go for fully prepared meals three times a week. For any supermarket looking to expand its prepared and semi-prepared meal business, these numbers

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Prepared Food Safety is Critical for Managing Risk, Maximizing Opportunities

Join Michael Williams and Joe Sielski for “HACCP Plan – Ideas on Having a Strong Program for Prepared Meals and Deli” at Supermarket Sense 2016, September 21-22 in Conyers, Ga. Offering prepared and semi-prepared foods at retail supermarkets presents a great opportunity for grocers but also presents a potential for great risk if the food safety program is not properly executed. That is why these programs are best viewed as an investment rather than an expense. Ensuring viable food safety is necessary for food retailers to build their prepared foods business and ultimately engage their customers. A good food safety

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Snack-Sized Ideas for Growing Prepared Food Sales

Nearly all Americans snack at least once a day: 94 percent, according to market research firm Mintel. Half of adults snack multiple times a day, and many prefer healthier options. When you’re packaging prepared foods, are you offering portable and craveable packaged snacks? Customers aren’t just buying the food; they’re also buying the container. Or they’re eating with their eyes first. Are you making them hungry? Are they going to want to try your delectable, craveable creation? Seventy percent of adults agree that nearly anything can be considered a snack. For added cravability, try packaging simple snack foods with fresh

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Food Trend — Stop Saying ‘Ethnic’

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia.” In recent years, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of ethnic foods for restaurants and food retailers. In fact, our

Continue Reading

Food trend: Taking the pulse of non-meat proteins

Join Mark DiDomenico for “Trends and Predictions in Foodservice 2016 – Supermarket and Convenience Stores” at Supermarket Sense 2016, Sept. 21-22 in Conyers, Georgia. Proteins have been on consumers’ (and food service operators’) minds for the past few years. The trend has shifted to “ubiquity”

Continue Reading

Snack-Sized Ideas for Growing Prepared Food Sales

Nearly all Americans snack at least once a day: 94 percent, according to market research firm Mintel. Half of adults snack multiple times a day, and many prefer healthier options. When you’re packaging prepared foods, are you offering portable and craveable packaged snacks? Customers aren’t

Continue Reading

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