Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009 - (Page 80)

Grocery Oil Can By Bridget Goldschmidt At a time when consumers are increasingly cooking and eating at home, edible oils — particularly ones that add flavor and nutrition to food — represent a great selling opportunity for manufacturers and retailers. T 80 he days when Americans cooked most foods in butter or lard are long gone, but with more people rediscovering their kitchens during the lingering economic recession, the question of how to prepare meals healthfully yet inexpensively becomes paramount. That’s where edible oils come in. unit sales were down 1.6 percent. During the same period, olive oil, after double-digit dollar sales growth a couple of years ago, was up just 1 percent, with unit sales declining 1.5 percent, while salad/cooking oil posted an impressive 22.5 percent rise in dollar sales, with a unit sales Figures from The Nielsen Company show that for the 52 weeks ended May 16, 2009, food stores with $2 million and over in sales, excluding supercenters, saw an overall rise in shortening/oil dollar sales of 12.4 percent, on top of a 5.6 percent rise in the year-ago period, although dip of 0.3 percent. This dichotomy can perhaps be explained by the new products that have recently inundated the category: Even Crisco, the iconic maker of vegetable shortening, has in recent years bowed such value-priced oil items as a line of olive oils last summer and, this past November, a canola oil product featuring omega-3 DHA. According to David Neuman, president of Miami-based Lucini Italia, a purveyor of premium extravirgin olive oil and other high-end imported Italian food products, while high-end olive oils such as those put out by his company and lower-end items like those introduced by Crisco and Mazola are growing, the nondifferentiated brands in the middle of the category are suffering in terms of dollars and share. Taste, Health and Value Faced with doing more of their own cooking — at least for the present — many consumers are looking beyond price alone to explore a wider range of oils as a way to impart different flavors to their food, as well as to take advantage of the various health benefits these products offer. At Seattle-based PCC Natural Food Markets, a ninestore co-op selling natural and organic products, grocery merchan- Lucini Italia’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil EcoValue box is described by company president David Neuman as the “convergence of value, style and environmental responsibility.” • Progressive Grocer • August/September 2009 A H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T www.progressivegrocer.com PHOTO: CANOLA INFO http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009
Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/Spotlight: Alcoholic Beverages/Light Beer
CES: Inside the Market Basket: Economical Choices Bring Grocery Gains
Lempert Report: Earth-Friendly Isn’t Everything
Store of the Month: Kosher Country
Executive Insights: A View From Tops
Independents Report: Become a Leader Your Associates Will Follow
Perspectives:Wegmans Food Markets: How Two Halves Make More Than a Whole
Independent Thinking: N.G.A. Annual Independent Grocers Survey: Cream of the Crop
Fall Promotions: Tailgating Takes Over
Proteins: Meaty Alternatives
Fresh Developments: PG Looks at the Latest News From the Perimeter
Beverage Alcohol: Keeping the Aisle Afloat
Culinary Oils: Oil Can
Frozen Desserts: Frozen Desserts Heat up
Family Planning: Up Front With Family Planning
Vitamins and Supplements: Healthy Sales With a Capital ‘D’
Pharmacy: Dealing With Diabetes
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products
Equipment: Lasting Impressions: The Shopper’s Perspective

Progressive Grocer - August/September 2009