Progressive Grocer - December 2008 - (Page 40)

Shopper culture How lifestyles are changing the rules Reimagining convenience foods Next to price, there seems to be nothing more dear to consumers than convenience. But do they define it the same way that you do? By Harvey Hartman ore and more American consumers are cooking and eating at home. That’s not in dispute. People are actually taking the time and making the effort to prepare meals—and we’re not talking here of Monday meatloaf, Saturday mac and cheese, or salad with a splash of dressing. Cutting across nearly all age groups, today’s consumers are expressing interest in M preparing a truly globalized range of cuisines at home. And with a new generation of consumers growing up to be one of the most epicurean on record, the future for convenience food products is bright indeed. The thought that consumers might value convenience comes as no surprise, of course. Hartman Group research finds that about two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers say it’s very, if not extremely, important to them when shopping for foods and beverages. So consumers value convenience—but what level of assistance are consumers looking for from food companies? For its part, the food industry, broadly construed, has identified and solved the problem of convenience for us, over and over again. We now enjoy convenient parking, convenient locations, entire convenience stores, and, of course, convenience foods. Yet are these offerings really in step with today’s convenience-minded consumers? From World War II on, convenience foods have transformed the way entire generations of American consumers cook and savor food. Even today, the role of convenience foods in American kitchens and diets owes a great deal to some 50-odd years of food history. After a half-century of innovation, from TV dinners to string cheese, what hasn’t been done that mar- Where the next big things show up first. 20,000 attendees. 600 exhibitors. 1 jam-packed event. The NAFEM Show brings the future of the foodservice equipment industry to the present. We are the industry’s premier event, and there’s always plenty to stop you in your tracks. So, go ahead and take in every delicious detail. The NAFEM Show is what you make of it. Co-located with The NAFEM Show Register today — www.thenafemshow.org For more information, call +1.312.245.1054 or e-mail thenafemshow@nafem.org. 40 • Progressive Grocer • December 2008 A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.thenafemshow.org http://www.thenafemshow.org http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - December 2008

Progressive Grocer - December 2008
Contents
Front End: Onstead Becomes Interim Bi-Lo C.E.O.
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Shelfstable Juices/Vegetable Juices and Drinks
Market Snapshot: .Seattle-Tacoma,Wash
Retailer of the Year: Taking the lead
Lempert Report: Obama Prepares to Tackle Food Industry Issues
Independents Report: What Grocers Need to Know About Market Day
Consumer Research: Reason for Relevance
Shopper Culture: Reimagining Convenience Foods
Wake-up Call: The Ballad of The Egg Man
Eggs: A Kinder, Gentler Egg
Shelf-Stable Juice: Making a Splash
Post-PMA Show Analysis: High Yield
Niche Pork: Go Whole Hog for Local
Pharmacy: Chronic Customer Service
Technology: A Small-Town Grocer Discovers Digital DIY
Equipment Innovations
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - December 2008