One of the success clues found driving
customer adoption within the grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and
Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food has been the discovery of food that is deemed
‘better-4-you by consumers according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.
A
recent news article pointed out that today more than 48 million households
include someone whose diagnosis can be managed in whole or in part by diet and
other lifestyle choices.
How many of our regular readers have read
the famous quote by Hippocrates, circa 400 AD who stated,
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be
thy food.” This concept has been around longer than any of us.
So, although there’s no evidence that the
Greek physician ever uttered this famous quote, the notion highlights the
longstanding importance of nutritious foods in the prevention and management of
disease. Now I’m going to quote the article.
“Over the past 25 years,
supermarket-based retail programs — designed specifically to support the health
and wellness of customers, associates and surrounding communities — have been
established, shaped and spearheaded by innovative registered dietitian
(RD) pioneers.
Retail RDs pair science-based knowledge
of how food, nutrition and lifestyle can either contribute to disease
development or help maintain and restore health with educational selling
strategies and tactics to measurably impact consumer choice at the point of
purchase. As retail RDs
started to expand into full-time, consumer-facing positions, they also used
multimedia communications to reach very broad audiences with food and nutrition
guidance via broadcast and in-store television, broadcast and in-store radio,
custom magazines, in-store point-of-purchase communications, ad messaging, live
events, and retailer websites.
Momentum picked up in the early 2000s as
more and more retailers recognized health and wellness as a purchase driver and
sought to establish points of differentiation in the well-being space. Tactics
such as in-person classes, children’s education tours, blogging and video
communication gained traction in step with burgeoning social media.
Although the retail health-and-wellness
landscape has expanded and contracted in pockets of the grocery industry,
commonalities remain consistent, including digital and in-store
path-to-purchase marketing efforts, customer engagement and personalized food
and nutrition education, and use of incentives or prescriptions to purchase
better-for-you foods and medically tailored meals. Historically, layered
approaches tend to have the highest degree of impact.
Defining and Measuring Food as Medicine
at Retail
As retail RD leadership in Food as Medicine
initiatives has grown, so have the efforts to
define, enhance and measure the value and effectiveness of collective Food as
Medicine programming. Beginning in 2013, select retail dietitians from
noncompeting retailers worked together to co-author the first edition of the
Supermarket Business and Industry Skills to Thrive in Retail Dietetics
Certificate of Training; it launched in 2015 as a tool for the next generation
of retail RDs, covering how to navigate the retail landscape, define roles and
responsibilities, expand reach, and use data-driven metrics to communicate
return on investment.
In 2021, the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics approved a definition of Food as
Medicine: “A philosophy where food and nutrition aids individuals through
interventions that support health and wellness.” In 2022, a new Certificate of
Training program was launched, Excelling in the Retail Food Industry. In
conjunction, Food as Medicine in the Retail Setting was developed as a resource
guide. In addition, a new Nutrition in Food Retail curriculum was established
for dietetic students and interns.
Food as Medicine: The Retail
Opportunity
Food as Medicine bridges the gap between
traditional medicine and established food-based prevention and treatment.
Health care systems, health insurers and a growing body of researchers are
increasingly engaging in Food as Medicine. It is critical for food retailers to
improve and expand current health-and-wellness offerings. More than 48 million
households include someone whose diagnosis can be managed in whole or in part by
diet and other lifestyle choices. These households represent $268 million in
annual grocery sales. Food retailers have a massive opportunity to provide
solutions, from prevention to management through personalized medical nutrition
therapy and individually tailored meals, help at the pharmacy counter, expert
guidance when navigating the food aisles, and so much more.”
For
international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations,
educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA
based Foodservice Solutions. His
extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand /
product positioning expert, and public speaking will leave success clues for all.
For more information visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call
1-253-759-7869
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