Lots of good things have been happening in dairy department packaging, but there’s still room for improvement that will lead to better packout and stronger in-stock positions. First, hats off to Unilever for being an innovator here, just as they were with “scrounds” (square-round) containers for Breyers ice cream 15 years ago. Looking back, it […]
Archive | Columnists
DO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!
Urbanization and tiny houses could have a major impact on our industry. How will you respond? A lot has been written about the urbanization trend in countries around the globe. The number of people living in rural areas has been on the decline for many years as populations shift to urban areas in support of […]
RETAIL DISRUPTION: THE NEW NORM
How well is your company prepared to respond to all the changes? I don’t know about you, but my head spins each week just trying to keep up with news about innovation and change in our industry. If you are not doing so already, I urge you to subscribe to Kevin Coupe’s industry e-newsletter (www.MorningNewsBeat.com). […]
GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR EGGS
And that spells opportunity for retailers who play their cards right. There’s good news and bad news in the egg category, and that combination means there’s also lots of opportunity — provided you play your cards right. First the bad news: Conventional egg prices have shot up by 29% (often much more) during the past […]
DRIVING GROWTH
In the final article of a five-part series, Todd Hale discusses health and wellness opportunities. Why should we care about health and wellness? Because, at a time when growth is still challenging in many departments and categories, many products with wellness claims are significantly outpacing overall retail growth. Nielsen Wellness Track is an enhanced capability […]
DRIVING GROWTH
In the fourth of a five-part series, Todd Hale discusses winning the occasion — or season. BY TODD HALE Much has been written about evolving meal occasions, but when it comes to sales impact, snack or treat occasions are the clear winners. Over the past four years, among all Nielsen-measured food and beverage categories […]
SAY CHEESE!
Block cheese pricing is down 28% from a year ago. (You’re seeing some of that, right?) Also, a few merchandising ideas for you. BY JOHNNY HARRIS With block cheese commodity prices down by about 28% from a year ago, right now is an excellent time to be paying particularly close attention. As I write this, […]
SLOTTING IS HERE TO STAY, BUT…
It’s an addiction that can cause long-term harm. BY JOHNNY HARRIS I had never even heard of slotting back in 1977 when a broker came in with a new item I didn’t want to put in. But I’d just had the flu and I felt rotten, so when he said he’d pay us $100 to […]
DRIVING GROWTH
In the third of a five-part series, Todd Hale discusses winning shopping trips through precision marketing against shoppers that matter most. BY TODD HALE At the 23rd annual NFRA Executive Conference in Tempe, Ariz., last month, there were discussions in most of the general sessions around opportunities to enhance retailer and manufacturer performance with greater […]
ASK JOHNNY
An inside look on how win-win might work for small vendors and big retailers. BY JOHNNY HARRIS Dear Johnny, I’m a small vendor with a good product that’s doing great with local independents, but I can’t even get the time of day from larger retailers. What can I do? —Frustrated Dear Frustrated, This is not […]