Anthony Balderrama 
Top Findings from New Hope’s Natural Products Expo West Virtual Every year, the most innovative brands and retailers go to New Hope’s Natural Products Expo to stay on top of the industry’s latest trends and to understand what store shelves will look like in coming months. Even though the expo was once again virtual, the sessions … Read more 8 Trends (and Innovative Products) Set to Drive Grocery Sales
Challenges for New and Established Pet Store Owners Coming out of the Pandemic are Real It’s not news that the last year has been (and continues to be) a challenging time for pretty much everyone. Pet store owners had a unique set of obstacles: Creating a safe store experience for customers and their employees, competing with big-box … Read more 5 Innovation Challenges for Pet Store Owners and How to Leverage Pet Retail Data
Plant-Based Market Growth Continues to Impress Plant-based products might seem like a ubiquitous topic in the health and wellness industry, and it is—for a good reason. Today, plant-based products sit at the intersection of several consumer priorities, which create a business opportunity that retailers and CPG brands are paying attention to. With so much talk about how hot plant-based products are right now, you might … Read more The State of Plant-Based Products and 3 Tips to Stay Ahead of the Evolving Market
Data Drives the Manufacturer and Retailer Relationship High-performing brands are always looking at data and reevaluating their next move. Having a pulse on what’s happening in stores lets them plan intelligently and find opportunities to claim more shelf space, market share, and ultimately build a long-term relationship with their retail partners. SPINS solution architect Kevin … Read more Collaboration with Retailers: Answering the Right Questions About Performance and Promotions Leads to Better Buyer-Supplier Relationships
Consumers Add Clean Chocolate to Self-Care Plan Chocolate is certainly a popular treat at Easter time (and at Halloween and Christmas), but shoppers don’t need a holiday to indulge. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen shoppers are eager to put a chocolate treat in their shopping baskets as a way to treat themselves during lockdown—especially when self-care is … Read more Clean Chocolate Trends for Self-Care Shoppers: 4 Trends to Watch in 2021
The Importance of Optimizing Your Product Assortment with Data Successful retailers rely on market trends to understand what the current landscape looks like and where it’s heading—even in the middle of a volatile year. In fact, the unpredictable nature of the last 12 months illustrated the importance of having a close eye on your shoppers’ behavior and optimizing … Read more Product Assortment Using Data: Why The Right Mix Sets Innovative Retailers Apart
Approximately 18.3%–or 1 million—of U.S. businesses are minority-owned, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data. Black or African Americans owned approximately 124,551 businesses throughout the U.S. Although that’s a sizeable portion of the market, that still means shoppers who want to support Black-owned businesses have to do some extra work just to locate those products—and it’s gotten harder over the last year thanks to COVID’s effect. … Read more 11 Black-owned Wellness Brands to Put in Your cart and On Your Shelves
Plant-Based Choices in Every Aisle Plant-based diets might not be new, but you couldn’t tell that from looking at store shelves. Over the last few years, innovation and customer demand have moved the category beyond the longtime staples (i.e., plant-based meats and milk alternatives) and into a variety of new plant-based offerings across the entire store. Throughout 2021, innovative plant-based brands will greet wellness-focused … Read more Plant-Based Trends in Every Department: 7 Innovations to Watch for in 2021
Earth Fare made its name as a pioneer in the natural grocery space, focusing on organic and natural products that don’t contain artificial ingredients. Throughout its history, Earth Fare has grown from a single store to a regional chain, and like all retailers it’s had to navigate a competitive market along the way. Today they’ve established themselves … Read more How Earth Fare Market Relies on Data for Insights, Innovation, and Convenience
Functional Ingredients Become a Type of Medicine The idea that a mindful diet can improve overall health is not exactly new—especially to anyone in the natural and wellness space. Last year, COVID led more shoppers to take this approach and consider the long-term health benefits of what they eat and drink. With a strong immune … Read more 2021 Functional Ingredients Trends: Food As Medicine Becomes a Priority for Shoppers