Voice of Food Retail Blog

Grocery Store Digital Communications Trends: The Rise of Email and The Fall of SnapChat

As a digital communications professional I like to take a step back from my day-to-day job of actually doing digital communications and look at FMI’s Food Retailing Industry Speaks with a practitioner’s eye. I like to look at the tactics my fellow ...

If You Think Your Customers Don’t Care About Accurate Product Knowledge—Think Again

Here’s some news: When shoppers are at home, they’re often staring at their computer screens to get information about the products they want BEFORE they hit your food retail aisles. Retail Dive tells us 67 percent of shoppers research products ...

Photo Friday: Amazon Go Store Tour

This week, Hannah Walker, senior director, technology and nutrition policy, Food Marketing Institute, immersed herself in a digital shopper experience at the newest AmazonGo store in Chicago with Lee Foley, a member of the Amazon Public Policy team. ...

Capture the Untapped Potential of GM/HBC

With our GM/HBC Committee partner, P&G, and research partners at Acosta, we looked at how retailers can invest in the untapped potential of these products. ...

Grocers, Get Ready for Artificial Intelligence-based Transformation

Among the six digital imperatives for a successful omnichannel strategy established by FMI and Nielsen is one that involves completeness and consistency across in-store and digital shelves, cutting costs and creating a clear assortment inventory ...

With Passion and Purpose: Food Safety Educators Gather in March

March 2019 marks not only National Nutrition Month but also the kick-off of the 7thconsumer food safety education conference sponsored by the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education....

The Top Ten Ballot Measures Grocers Should Be Tracking

It is important not to let the high drama over control of the U.S. Congress distract from several equally important policy questions that will be determined at the state level....

Growing Optimism – Tax Law to Boost Food Retailers’ Investments in Stores and Employees

Retailers have another source of optimism: the recent passage of the tax reform law. At the end of 2017, lawmakers passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which lowered the U.S. tax rate for corporations, passthrough entities and individuals. The ...

New Opioid Law Headlines Recent Policy Actions Impacting Pharmacies

At a time when pharmacies are more important than ever to supermarkets and our customers because of their link to wellness, they are also increasingly important to federal policy efforts – from combating the ongoing, nationwide opioid epidemic, to ...

Is a Blue Wave Coming? The Answer in a 1 Minute Read

Early voting is already underway in many states. The talk of a “blue wave” coming in November dominants many 24-hour news stations. So, what is a “wave” election? Reality is no one can agree on what a “wave” election actually ...

Photo Friday: A Night of Family Meals and Nutrition

The FMI Foundation hosted a Family Meals Reception before the start of the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo this past Friday. Food retail dietitians and nutrition advocates celebrated family meals with Mitty the Spokesmitt and enjoyed a ...

6 Trends From Kroger That Support Our U.S. Grocery Shopping Trends

As witnesses to national consumer trends affecting the way FMI members cater to their customers, I appreciate chances to learn directly from our members on ways they seize opportunities with shoppers and help set the tone for the future of our ...

How E-commerce Will Break the Rules on Proximity Impact to Retailer Identity

Studies that measure the impact of proximity aren’t always consistent. Some say proximity’s impact is overstated, while others report it’s a primary factor of shopper choice. One finding is consistent—once the shopper has decided on the retailer (...

University Profile: USC Marshall Food Industry Management Program Creates “Intrapreneurs”

As an adult, I sometimes dream about what it would be like to go back to school. Knowing what I know now, how would I do things differently and what courses would I take? I recently had the chance to learn more about the Food Industry Management (...

He Said, She Said on Private Brands and Health and Wellness

We both love the early 1990s romantic comedy He Said, She Said for its witty depiction of people’s different points-of-views. As a registered dietitian with many years in the health and wellness arena and a seasoned private brand professional, we ...