Oser Communications Group

9 February 2018 SNACKING NEWS SNACKING NEWS Supermarkets Face Key Challenges, According to New Retail Feedback Group Study Research firm Retail Feedback Group (RFG), has released the "2017 U.S. Su- permarket Experience Study." The re- search, now in its tenth year, found that while supermarkets receive the strongest marks in quality and variety, Millennials gave lower ratings than older shoppers in every aspect of the supermarket visit. Supermarket shoppers gave an overall satisfaction (OSAT) rating of 4.42 on a 5- point scale before 3 p.m., but this mark fell to 4.36 between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Several factor ratings were substantially lower after 3 p.m. than earlier in the day, includ- ing cleanliness, quality/freshness, staff friendliness, and value for the money. Supermarkets Strong in Quality and Cleanliness but Moderate in Customer Service Supermarket shoppers rated quality/fresh- ness of the food and groceries (4.45) and cleanliness of the store (4.40) as the two strongest core experience factors. Associ- ate friendliness – the highest-rated service factor – received a more moderate rating of 4.34, followed by associate helpful- ness/knowledge (4.24), checkout speed/ef- ficiency (4.23) and associate availability (4.19). Opportunity to Improve in Variety in Emerging Categories While supermarkets score well on general variety and selection (4.38), scores register lower on natural and organic items (4.05), ethnic/international products (3.97), aller- gen-free items (3.97) and locally-sourced items (3.96). Low Value Rating but High Marks for Advertised Sale Items Receiving the lowest score among all core experience factors, value for the money spent on this visit registered at 4.18. Drilling down deeper, the results show meat prices (3.98), produce prices (4.03) and everyday prices (4.03) all generated low scores in the supermarket channel, while advertised sales items scored much higher (4.38). Note that 76 percent of shoppers refer to one or more advertising/sales vehicles – traditional, so- cial, mobile and digital – before or during the visit. Doug Madenberg, RFG Principal noted, "These survey findings point to a critical need for grocery retailers with a physical presence to step up their game. When people shop in a supermarket, the overall experience, assortment, and value proposition need to be excellent in order to earn their next visit. There are too many grocery options available online, in hard discount stores, and across other formats, for an average or sub-par supermarket visit to be accept- able." Millennials Give Supermarkets Low- Marks on All Core Experience Factors Millennials scored supermarkets the low- est on all core experience factors, as well as overall trip satisfaction. Boomers, on the other hand, rated overall trip experi- ence and nearly all core experience factors highest (and only one area – staff knowl- edge/helpfulness—was rated equal by both Boomers and Gen X). Brian Numainville, RFG Principal, ob- served, "The fact that overall trip satisfac- tion and all of the core experience factors register lowest among Millennials should be a call to action for supermarkets. Tradi- tional supermarkets must find ways to make the supermarket more appealing and relevant to younger shoppers or risk be- coming endangered as Boomers age and purchase less." Meal Kit Usage and Experience Overall, just 14 percent of all supermar- ket shoppers tried a meal kit delivery service in the last year, but Millennials showed stronger trial versus Gen X or Boomers. Blue Apron, Home Chef and Hello Fresh were the three services used most. Top reasons for meal kit usage were home delivery (46 percent) and to save time (45 percent). Of those who did not use a meal kit, the main reasons were that they were too expensive (48 percent) or there was no interest in meal kits (44 per- cent). Meal kit users were most satisfied with quality of ingredients (83 percent highly satisfied) and least impressed with value for the money spent (65 percent highly satisfied). Overall, 15 percent of shoppers also in- dicated their primary supermarket has a meal kit offering. Of those who purchased a meal kit from their primary supermarket, the top reasons given were good value (54 percent), quality of ingredients (53 per- cent) and to save time (51 percent). Grocery retailers, food distributors and media outlets can obtain a free copy of the full report or request an interview / pres- entation of the results from the principals of Retail Feedback Group at report@re- tailfeedback.com. The study is based on a nationally representative study of 1,200 supermarket shoppers. The Retail Feedback Group offers a broad spectrum of research, consumer in- sight and consulting services. Its flagship program, Constant Customer Feedback (CCF), is the first automated feedback platform specifically designed and intro- duced for supermarket retailers, and is cur- rently implemented in hundreds of locations across the United States. Other key RFG services include employee en- gagement and culture assessments, cus- tomer satisfaction surveys, consumer research and market analysis. n Scientists Studying Health Promoting Potential of Mangos A comprehensive review of literature pub- lished in the May issue of Food & Func- tion magazine shows that mangos have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, which may help to reduce risk for chronic disease. Eating mangos also may be important for glycemic control, the microbiome, as well as vascular, brain, skin, and intestinal health. Mangos contribute a number of valu- able nutrients, including vitamin C, vita- min A, and fiber for only 100 calories per one cup serving. Mangos are also a source of phytochemicals associated with health promoting activities including anti-inflammation, antioxidant, anti-dia- betic, anti-obesity and anti-cancer. "Not only are mangos one of the popular fruits in the world, they contain a variety of essential nutrients and distinctive bioac- tive components that may play a role in supporting key metabolic functions in- cluding anti-inflammatory activity," said Britt M. Burton-Freeman, PhD, MS, of the Center for Nutrition Research, Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Institute of Technology, and lead author of the paper. Seven human trials, in which mango fruit or puree was fed to individuals, have measured obesity or diabetes end- points; five studies looked at people with type 2 diabetes, and two studies looked at people who were obese or generally healthy. Collectively, research suggests that mango consumption may modulate glucose response in people with diabetes mellitus. Collectively, data from animal studies suggest that compounds in mangos may support brain health, given the potential neuroprotective activities of mango's com- ponents, including mangiferin and gal- lotannin, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. One study showed that mango extracts inhibited amyloid beta peptide-induced mitochondr- ial toxicity in rat brain cells. n Frontier Bars all come in beef and turkey proteins. The beef jerky, available in Original, Sriracha, Teriyaki, Sweet Jalapeño, Mango Ha- banero and Crushed Red Pepper flavors, is made in small batches from USDA-inspected, 100 percent grass-fed beef. Suggested retail price is $6 for a 3-ounce bag, $14 for an 8-ounce bag or $20 for a 16-ounce bag. The turkey jerky, made from slices of marinated turkey breast which are then smoked, comes in two flavors: Hickory Smoke and Honey Dijon. Suggested retail is $6 for a 2.75-ounce bag, $14 for an 8- ounce bag or $30 for a 12-count bag of 1.5 ounce bags. The beef meat sticks, featuring nine grams of pro- tein, come in Orig- inal and Jalapeño flavors. Their sug- gested retail price is $2 for a 1-ounce stick, $14 for a box of eight 1-ounce sticks and $40 for a 24- count box of 1-ounce sticks. Turkey meat sticks come in a single fla- vor, Rosemary, with suggested retail prices the same as the beef meat sticks. Frontier Bars are flavorful pork or turkey bars with 20 grams of protein per bar. The company says they're perfect for taking to the gym or on a hike. Pork bars come in Cayenne Beef with Pork and Sa- vory BBQ pork; turkey bars come in Herb Citrus Turkey flavor. Both types have sug- gested retail prices of $3 for a 1.5 ounce bar, or $30 for a 12-count box. Country Archer's products are avail- able nationally at Kroger, Ralphs, Sprouts, King Soopers, Cost Plus World Market and other outlets. They're also available online through Amazon and the company's own website, www.countryarcher.com. n better-for-you ingredients such as USDA- inspected 100 percent grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free pork and turkey, all sourced from organic local suppliers. All are low in sugar or sugar free, and the company promotes its meat snacks as perfect for consumers who follow a paleo diet. Today, the company continues to pro- duce hand-crafted products by hand-slic- ing, marinating and packaging its meat snacks at San Bernardino, California, smokehouse, in just the way that Mirarchi first began producing them. Country Archer's jerky, meat sticks and Country Archer Continued from Page 1

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