Americans’ grocery store expenditures continue to increase as consumers look for cost savings, have a renewed interest in cooking and believe food they eat at home is healthier. Consumers also are turning to these popular destinations for their nutrition information. Supermarkets are capitalizing on their convenient nature to offer multi-faceted, holistic health services, including employing in-store or corporate registered dietitians. The beef industry must reach out to supermarket health and nutrition professionals to provide accurate information about beef’s nutrition as these individuals reach hundreds of consumers on a regular basis. Additionally, as meat case nutrition labeling rolls out in 2012, these point-of-purchase educators will play a valuable role in helping consumers decipher beef’s Nutrition Facts label information.
Discussion
Popular destinations
Supermarkets are positioned to help their customers make healthier food choices. The 2010 Food Marketing Institute (FMI) U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report indicated shoppers believe the food they eat at home is healthier than the food they eat away from home. This health benefit, combined with the cost savings of eating at home and an increased interest in cooking, resulted in consumers spending an average of $99.90 weekly on groceries – an increase of 1.5 percent compared to 2009. Additionally, the report indicated the grocery store is a popular destination – consumers visit the grocery store 2.06 times per week.
Consumers are also turning to supermarkets for nutrition information. An April 2009 survey conducted by the American Heart Association showed grocery stores ranked No. 4 as the most-used source for nutrition information – behind only food packages/labels, the Internet and health professionals. However, a separate study conducted by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) found only 13 percent of respondents ranked grocery stores as “very credible” sources of nutrition information, compared to 71 percent ranking registered dietitians and nutritionists as very credible sources of nutrition information, 64 percent ranking doctors and 54 percent ranking nurses. Many supermarkets are capitalizing on their convenient nature and the credibility of health professionals by staffing stores with medical professionals like doctors, nurses and dietitians.
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