Fresh Foods

With approximately 60,000 attendees trying to get into Anaheim convention Center for this year’s Natural Products Expo West, I couldn't help but feel that new trends and exciting products were waiting. Of course the expo could not start until Bob's Red Mill band began their stroll down the aisles—a long tradition that was anxiously anticipated by the crowd (see video).

Part of what makes this expo so exciting is the enormity of the crowd. Prior to the doors opening everyone's ID was checked outside to ensure that you matched your credentials on your badge. No one was getting in with false credentials.  The doors did not open exactly at 10 am and the crowd had to wait till almost 10 minutes after the hour before they were allowed to go in. It almost seemed as if they were going to see a concert as everyone push towards the door.

From the smells of foods cooking to the visual of thousands of people in each of the aisles, everyone had a sense of trying to find that special supplier or special product that would make this year’s show a success. Clearly some of the established trends are continuing. Gluten-free, quinoa, nuts, proteins, and quick consumables were abundant.

I walked the aisles for over six and a half hours looking at each supplier and noticed that every booth had a minimum of 10 to 12 people and as many as 50 people wanting to inquire about that supplier’s products or services. The sense of entrepreneurship was abundant amongst the small suppliers who took the opportunity to meet with buyers from both large and small retailers and wholesalers. From one store owners, to chains of over hundreds of stores, the suppliers were getting to see plenty of folks.

The retailers I met had to divide and conquer in order to make an efficient visit of the show floor. They strategically assigned their folks to different areas of the show floor, in order to accomplish their mission of continuing relationships with current suppliers and in developing new relationships along the way. At 4:30 pm there wasn't a soul that had left. Every aisle seemed just as full as they did when the day began.

It's no wonder that natural, organic and specialty products are fueling the growth in supermarkets. With so many exciting suppliers and new products from both national and local sources, the natural and organic industry has never seemed so healthy.