Progressive Grocer - March 2010 - (Page 96)

Grocery Green to Grow On Parents’ increasing concerns about the environment have led large and small manufacturers of baby food — and the retailers that sell it — to offer more eco-friendly options in the category. By Bridget Goldschmidt hort of sourcing everything their babies eat at area farmers’ markets from local fruit and vegetable growers and dairy and livestock farmers, and then processing it themselves, what can conscientious parents do to ensure that they’re purchasing the greenest baby food possible? Today, moms and dads worried about the environment needn’t do so much work to ensure the most environmentally sustainable food products and packaging. Many baby food manufacturers — both major players and relative small fry — have been making green offerings a major part, if not the centerpiece, of their overall business strategies. For any holdouts who may still believe that environmentally conscious parents represent only a tiny niche market of the baby food market, consider this: While the overall category experienced a decline of 4.6 percent in dollar sales in food stores with $2 million and over in sales, excluding supercenters, for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2009, according to The Nielsen Company, some of the only increases came in the natural baby cereal and biscuits, and natural junior baby food segments, which saw impressive spikes of 22 percent and 53.2 percent, respectively, driven by new product introductions in response to growing parental interest in pesticide- and additive-free products for their offspring. And the purchasers of such ethically positioned products as green, natural/organic,• Progressive Grocer • March 2010 S humane and Fair Trade tend to be remarkably loyal, despite the economic weather: A recent study from Packaged Facts uncovered “a sizeable number of consumers who will purchase typically more expensive ethical products even in economically challenging times,” while research released by Burst Media earlier this year found that shoppers are willing to pay a premium for products they know are made from environmentally friendly, organic materials. So, with that in mind, and recalling that baby food is one of the big so-called “gateway” categories for consumers to become interested in natural and organic items, it’s easy to make the connection between greener baby food products and higher rings at checkout. That’s why green now figures big in the manufacturing and marketing strategies of many baby food manufacturers. “At Gerber, we focus on continuous improvement in agriculA H E A D O F W H AT ’ S N E X T tural and manufacturing practices to ensure that sustainability is part of our business model,” notes Christina Lawrence, head of integrated marketing at Florham Park, N.J.-based Nestlé Infant Nutrition, which owns the iconic Gerber brand. “Since the In keeping with their late 1990s, we have commitment to environproduced and marmentally sustainable keted organic prodpackaging, Plum Organics ucts, providing parand Peter Rabbit Organics both offer product in BPAents with an extra free pouches. level of confidence in the quality of products through external certification.” Embracing Sustainability In keeping with that commitment, “[t]his year, we are introducing the NatureSelect subbrand to our Gerber purees to help remind moms of the inherent wholesomeness and strict quality guidelines that are part of all Gerber products,” adds Lawrence. “NatureSelect products meet Gerber’s high quality standards and align with moms’ increasing interest in transparency in food production.” Over at Beech-Nut, a company culture embracing sustainability has led to a whole new venue for the manufacture of the venerable brand’s trusted product lines. “[In] early www.progressivegrocer.com http://www.progressivegrocer.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Progressive Grocer - March 2010

Progressive Grocer - March 2010
Table of Contents
Nielsen’s Shelf Stoppers/ Spotlight: Dairy/Yogurt
Green Grocer Awards 2010: Seeing Green
Multicultural Marketing: Use Your Common Census
Harold Lloyd on … “Making a Difference”: The Employee’s First 30 Days: It’s Now or Never
The Lempert Report: Enter the ‘Koodies’
Independent Retailing: Keep Cash Flowing With Trade Terms
Progressive Grocer’s 2010 Meat Operations Review: Value on a Platter
Progressive Grocer’s 2010 Seafood Operations Review: Seafood Hits its Stride
Executive Insight Series: Lasting Impressions: Forward Thinking
Produce: Tracking the Transition to Traceability
Meat: Heinen’s Freshens up Service Benchmarks
Natural/Organic: Nature’s Best on Ice: Natural and Organic Frozen Foods
Frozen/Dairy: Cold and Colder: Trends in Frozen and Dairy
Baby Food: Green to Grow On
Green Promotions: Along for the Ride
Foodservice: Loaded for Bar
Case Study: Clean Carts
What’s Next: Editors’ Picks for Innovative Products

Progressive Grocer - March 2010