Strengthening Connections with Fresh Food Shoppers

FMI’s FreshForward Conference will explore new ways for the fresh foods industry to strengthen shopper connections and build deeper loyalty. 

By: Andrew Brown, Senior Manager, Industry Relations, FMI 

“An apple a day…….”

“I'm starting a diet before summer, today for lunch I will have ……..”

You might have finished those sentences with “keeps the doctor away” and “a salad.” Those are two powerful connections that fresh foods have sustained for as long as I can remember.

Fresh has enjoyed a halo of consumer connection for a very long time. Whether it’s health, quality, flavor or any other attribute, fresh has held a place in people's minds. However, while our perimeter departments have been resting on, and enjoying, those halos, lots of other products have been hard at work, building their communication muscle. We’re starting to see that pay off for them. Consumers feel very connected to packaged products. They enjoy the branding, convenience and hyper-specific messaging that center store products provide.

In 2026 consumers are thinking more like this. “It’s great that the apple keeps the doctor away, but how does it fit into my new GLP-1 diet?” “That salad is probably healthy, but will I hit my daily protein goals?”

Fresh has a big opportunity to enhance connections with consumers, a theme that will be explored at FMI’s upcoming FreshForward Conference, August 10 to 12 in St. Louis, Missouri. Let me offer a few thoughts on why boosting consumer engagement is especially important now and how to make progress.

Health and Well-Being: A Big Opportunity  

You might assume that fresh foods automatically win with health-focused shoppers, because these categories are associated with nutrition benefits. However, shoppers often want more details about the attributes. FMI’s The Power of Produce 2026 research report found that nearly half of produce consumers say it would be good to have health benefit information about specific fruits and vegetables. Four in 10 would welcome tips for easily increasing consumption and understanding specific nutrient values. This suggests a messaging opportunity to link fruits and vegetables directly to consumers’ top health goals.

Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Communications 

Food retailers should aim to communicate about fresh foods in ways that consider different shopper cohorts. If you’re messaging about seafood, for example, it helps to know that Gen Z’s choice of a primary seafood store is influenced by store commitments to selling sustainable and environmentally responsible seafood, according to FMI’s The Power of Seafood 2026.

Connect With Digitally Engaged Shoppers 

The fresh sector benefits from staying on top of the latest trends involving shopper digital engagement. A growing variety of digital tools is attracting shoppers, ranging from apps and websites to AI-powered platforms, as outlined in the 2026 research report Digital Engagement Transforms Grocery Shopping, from FMI and NIQ.

Digital engagement is important across omnichannel shopping, because customers often start their research online before entering a store or launching into an ecommerce order. The fresh foods industry has important opportunities to enhance digital engagement, such as by optimizing the ways product attributes show up on websites and via AI apps.

Exploring Consumer Connections at FreshForward 

The upcoming FreshForward Conference will explore how the fresh industry can strengthen storytelling, build trust and create deeper shopper loyalty in a rapidly changing consumer landscape. Other education tracks at this year’s FreshForward will focus on enhancing fresh merchandising and spotlighting practical technology.

We hope you'll join us at FreshForward as we address some of the fresh sector’s most important topics and collaborate on solutions.

Register Today