instore - March 2018 - 8

news

NEED TO KNOW
Study: Online
purchasing set
to skyrocket
100 best
companies
to work for
Fortune magazine
released its 21st
annual list recently.
Supermarkets (and one
c-store) represented:

Wegmans
95 stores;
58,000 employees

Publix

1,167 locations;
188,000 employees

Sheetz

500-plus locations;
17,000 employees

Nugget
Markets
9 locations;
1,300 employees

8 * MARCH 2018 * instore

In as early as four years, 70 percent of U.S. consumers
could be buying groceries online.
That's the conclusion of a new study, "Digitally
Engaged Food Shopper," conducted by the Food
Marketing Institute and Nielsen Holdings PLC. By
2022 at the earliest and 2024 at the latest, 70 percent
of those surveyed for the study said they will be shopping online, generating $100 billion in sales.
In previous studies, FMI and Nielsen had forecasted
the $100 billion sales mark would be reached by 2025.
"Omnichannel shopping has passed the tipping point
with online grocery shopping on an accelerated path to
industry saturation," according to the study. "The pace of
change and adoption has far outrun initial predictions.

opens
culinary
innovation center
In an effort to "develop talent through food inspiration
and uplift," Kroger opened its Culinary Innovation
Center in downtown Cincinnati.
"Kroger's new Culinary Innovation Center is an
exciting state-of-the-art test kitchen and education
center," says Daniel Hammer, Kroger's vice president
of culinary development and new business. "This R&D
lab will allow us to accelerate product development
for Our Brands, produce new recipes for Prep+Pared
Meal Kits, explore new restaurant concepts, host focus
groups, and increase associates' culinary knowledge."
The 12,000-square-foot center features a commercial
kitchen with cooking stations, spaces and capabilities
like technology that allows video streaming of educational sessions to associates across the country.

Debates
and
definitions
to watch
Consumers prefer
independent
grocers to online
More than 80 percent of independent grocery store
customers prefer their local store to shopping online,
and two-thirds are either very or extremely satisfied
with their store.
Those are among the findings of the third annual
National Grocery Shoppers Survey commissioned
by the National Grocers Association and conducted
by Nielsen. The association represents independent
grocers.

Shoppers at independent
grocers spend more than
40% more on groceries.
Those polled also strongly associated independent
grocers with friendly employees, quality meats and
produce and easy-to-navigate layouts. "There's no
doubt that the industry is rapidly changing, either
because of the growth of e-commerce or the explosion
of new formats, along with shifting consumer trends.
However, independent grocers are nimble enough to
quickly overcome obstacles and with strong ties to
their communities, they know what consumers want,"
says Peter Larkin, president and CEO of NGA.

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