We returned from another great weekend at Natural Products Expo West. As we mentioned, we have a great time every year surrounded by people who care about humane, sustainable, and natural food.
We also host a great breakfast with our team and our partners from the world of natural food. This year, we hosted a panel of journalists who focus on food. It was great to hear from them on the power of consumers and where natural food is heading. They had some great insights and we are excited to share the ones we found most interesting.
Overheard at our gourmet breakfast event and food trade journalists:
• People are looking at the “social ingredients” of a product, including corporate responsibility, non-GMO certifications, humane certifications and more.
• People want more knowledge about where their food comes from. This requires commitment and collaboration from retailers and food producers to learn alongside shoppers.
• There is no “best” format for every retailer. Rather, each must have a handle on its consumers and demographic to best serve them. For instance, some major retailers are rolling out e-commerce but are still maintaining their brick and mortar stores.
• Coming trends include sustainable packaging, farm-to-fork stories, crossovers from brands, wellness, solutions that go beyond the aisle and encompass the whole store, and transparency.
