The Big Easy welcomed leaders in the dairy, deli and bakery business to learn about the latest products and opportunities for their operations. This food-centric city offered as much inspiration around town as it did on the show floor.
Living in an Omni Channel World
Modern consumers have created a culinary lifestyle fueled by 5 meals a day that include a wide range of choices like mini-meals and snacks available from the retail, foodservice and online sources.
Deli Trends
Elevated Everyday Experiences – many new products focused on traditional favorites with a twist to make every day dining more special.
Fresh Snacking – delis are in a unique position to offer fresh snacks that include cheese, meat, salad for consumers growing weary of healthy snack bars and craving of real food.
Prepared Meals for Health Conscious Customers – busy health-conscious families appreciate fresh ready to heat and eat meals.
Adding Wow – edible glitter dazzled on sweet and savory snacks.
Eating with our iPhones – no matter where food away from home is purchased mindfulness of iPhone appeal allows consumers to share the experience.
Business Insights
Fresh Evolution – consumers are shifting away from carbohydrates and sugar toward fresh produce and meat.
Small Brands Reaching Big Audiences – digital advertising and e-commerce are the great enablers allowing start-up and small batch producers to connect with sizable audiences.
Margin Pressures – category disrupters, most notably Amazon.com, Aldi and Lidl are creating aggressive price competition.
Frozen Food Renaissance – companies with strong frozen food portfolios offering healthy, flavorful choices that meet the needs of modern consumers are gaining appeal as alternatives to pricey meal kits for time-starved families.
Source: Wall Street Journal Analysts
The Employee Experience
Employee perceptions of their workplace reflect in the quality of service given to customers. In a recent Y-Pulse® (ypulse.org) study, 88% deli employees agreed with this statement, “I am glad to work in a place that has really good food.”
Implications for Food Marketers
The Magic of Minis – Bite size indulgence is on trend with today’s consumers.
Fresh Merchandising – There has never been a better time to consider cross-merchandising deli and produce departments to deliver fresh and flavorful experiences consumers crave.
Inside Out Branding – What companies do on the inside reflects on the outside perception of the brand. Consumers value companies known for treating their employees, communities and the planet with respect.
Taste Talk Tweet
Twitter chatter included:
- Above all shoppers seek an in-store experience
- Transparency equals trust – 70% of consumers tell us this is how they base their food purchase decisions
- The best organizations make their employees a part of a CAUSE, not just a career
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