What the Shopper Is Thinking

By: Sue Wilkinson, Senior Director, Information Service & Research, Food Marketing Institute

One of the most important contributing factors to a company’s success is its ability to spot and act on emerging trends. In the world of food retail, keeping track of evolving consumer behavior and key trends can be overwhelming and that’s why FMI provides signature research including our U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report, The Food Retailing Industry Speaks report and our latest Grocery Revolution experience that marries the findings of both reports together.  

Research is showing that the food retail environment directly mirrors the evolving American consumer landscape. Our shoppers are multi-faceted, multi-cultural and ever-changing. The market is made up of diverse consumer segments that each has its own needs and wants from the shopping environment. Food retailers and suppliers must be at the cutting edge of understanding the implications of the changing economy, changing family composition and lifestyle patters, changing meal occasions and more.

Fortunately, businesses in the food retail industry have one destination where they can connect with the most relevant consumer trends – not just read about them – and explore how they can spur innovation and capture market opportunities. At FMI Connect this June, you will be able to:

• Learn about key consumer trends by connecting with the most notable experts who dedicate their careers to tracking them. Here is a list of education sessions focused on consumer insights.
• Experience how these insights become innovations by connecting with the hundreds of exhibitors and 17 specialty zones and pavilions where new trends come to life. See some of our featured exhibitors.

The FMI Connect agenda features more than two dozen educational sessions specifically dedicated to providing you with a very deep dive into this emerging information. You’re sure to leave Chicago with a better understanding of what the shopper is thinking.