We retailers are always looking for new products, new recipes, new ways to solve that constant question, "What's for dinner tonight?"

1. 7 Ways Supermarkets Are
Changing the Way We Shop
Robin S. Michel

2. #1 – Natural & Organic
 Customers are demanding more choices about
what they put into their bodies.
 They’re eager to study labels to discover healthier
alternatives.
 They want straightforward definitions of what
“organic” and “natural” really mean, what
constitutes a “preservative,” and how much gluten
those delicious cookies contain.

3. #2 – Sustainability
 Retailers need to better educate customers about
what is sustainably grown and what is
sustainably raised.
 As retailers, we have a responsibility to
understand the sourcing of the products we sell.

4. #3 – GMO vs. Non-GMOs
 There’s a lot of confusion—and thus controversy—
about GMO products.
 Retailers need to know what goes through a
customer’s mind when he spies the words
“genetically modified.”
 It behooves us to help people understand that
“GMO” isn’t necessarily a pejorative.

5. #4 – Local
 I have a hard time thinking something is “local” if
it trekked 250 miles or four hours.
 To me, “local” means the product is made in the
same city where it’s sold.
 Only retailers that engage with local restaurants,
local bakeries, and local specialty suppliers can
claim this critical moniker.

6. #5 – Meals to Go
 Today’s working men and women want fresh,
healthy meals they can pick up on their way
home.
 The smart retailer will cater to this in-and-out
experience.
 It’s all about convenience for the time-challenged
customer.

7. #6 – In-Store Cooking Centers
 Some stores are offering cooking centers where
customers can learn how to bring to life in their
kitchen a picture-perfect, mouth-watering meal.
 This allows employees to share knowledge with
customers in a selling environment, and
contributes to a more personal shopping
experience.

8. #7 – QR Codes
 Want to know more about the calorie count on
that box of brownies? How about the ingredients
in that supposedly healthier soup?
 Increasingly, products are being packaged with QR
codes.
 Just because a customer is waving his iPhone
around doesn’t mean he’s showrooming.

9. www.robinsmichel.com