instore - March 2018 - 16

specialty insights

CONSIDER

Organic deli products

Organic is now mainstream. No longer are consumers content to shop
a special section with limited organic offerings. They want organic
options from which to choose alongside everything else, and that
accounts for the deli department as well.
"Organic foods are becoming more and more mainstream," says Kristy
Klug, marketing manager for Saputo Specialty Cheese. "In the past, we
would have recommended offering a distinct organic brand merchandised separately from our traditional offerings. We now offer organic
cheeses as line extensions to our brands."
Bob Sewall, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Blount
Fine Foods, agrees.
"Organics have kind of become a staple," he says. "It's a section, if you
will. You have to be able to satisfy that shopper as well."
Blount, a leader in ready-to-eat soups, first dipped its toes into the
organic category somewhat out of necessity, Sewall says. "Obviously
we produce Panera Bread's soups, and we do a tremendous amount of
private label," he says. "The only other white space that was available at
the time was the organic section."
After a couple years of development and testing, Blount announced
the national launch of its line of organic soups at IDDBA's 2016
show in Houston. Sewell notes that Blount had only
dabbled in organic products up to that point and
came to the realization that it was time to go
all-in. Sales have performed well since the
launch, he says.
"It's been very steady," he says. "A
lot of our customers have added
organics to their private label line
and Panera has some organic
flavors in their line now."
Saputo recently rolled out Organic
Fresh Mozzarella and Organic
Parmesan through its Stella brand.

16 * MARCH 2018 * instore

That quality and flavor is vital
when it comes to organic products
in the deli. Just simply getting
something certified organic won't
make it popular with shoppers.

"This taste will
take you straight
to the Italian
countryside for
the price of a trip
to the grocery
store."
Kristy Klug, Saputo Specialty Cheese

"We believe when consumers come
to the deli, they're looking for a
treat," Klug says. "Like shopping
for wine, they tend to peruse the
section for an extended period. They're actively seeking out cheeses
that appeal to them through packaging design, fun product names or
value-added solutions like serving suggestions. We are very tactical in
our go-to-market strategy to best address these needs.'
Blount made sure its organic line of soups was just as bold and flavorful
as its regular products.
"The one big thing we did differently was that we really made our
organic soups extremely hearty," Sewall says. "In a lot of them we
included organic barley or organic grains so that, along with being
great-tasting soups, they're also filling. We felt like the organic section
was kind of weak when it came to flavor and ingredients. It was a little
milquetoast, if you will. So we made sure that there was a lot of particulates and that they were great-tasting and flavorful.
"What it really came down to was trying to get that reaction of 'Oh, man,
this soup tastes great, and by the way, it's organic.'"

SAPUTO

"Our Stella Organic Fresh
Mozzarella has the same bright,
refreshing taste consumers have
come to love in our traditional fresh
mozzarella offerings, but it is now available as a USDA-certified Organic cheese,"
Klug says. "With its delicate flavor and creamy
texture, our organic fresh mozzarella is sure to
enhance any salad, pizza or pasta dish. This taste

will take you straight to the Italian
countryside for the price of a trip to
the grocery store."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - March 2018