A late September survey of independent natural products retailers across the country about their workforces reveals common problems, continuing pressures, and some silver linings. Midwest Retailer: “Staffing keeps us up at night.” “Staffing is the number one thing that keeps us up at night. In the old days, you could...
Here’s a number that shows current U.S. thinking: North American air-passenger traffic in May 2022 surged 203% compared to May 2021. Most of us, it appears, have decided to live with a mutating virus and return to normal life. So how does this shift in thinking impact food shopping? Most...
Those of you who entered the natural products industry in the 2000s may not know the story of the late U.S. Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT). He served six terms, and passed away on April 23, 2022. Sen. Hatch, whose home state of Utah was and is headquarters to many...
The consumer drives all—including panic buying We must view 2021 through the eyes of the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. Many retailers—of food, clothing, electronics, and more—saw decreases in 2021 without the panic-driven hoarding that boosted 2020 sales. Because of this sales anomaly, many retailers preferred to compare their 2021 results to...
We'll probably never fully replace trade shows, nor should we. But the days when you send a contingent of employees on multiple overnights to hunt for new products are likely over. We won’t spend a lot of time rehearsing why, but briefly: pandemic uncertainty, increasing cost, and reduced access to...
Why do some independents succeed while others struggle? There’s no single success formula, but clues emerge as we scan the retail landscape. An Outmoded Business Model When thinking about business models, it’s useful to take a generational view. GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe, the two largest U.S. pure-play vitamin chain...
On May 16, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control updated its COVID-19 guidance for wearing masks: “If you’ve been fully vaccinated: You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic. You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by...
Any regular reader of this magazine knows our annual retailer survey, published each March, consistently reveals that the more fresh, perishables foods a store carries, the greater its sales. Prepared foods departments literally drive sales momentum in these full-service natural organic grocery stores. So, as the pandemic hit last year,...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Part 1 of this story, 2020 Year In Review Plus What's New and What's Next for 2021, is available here. This coming March, WholeFoods Magazine will publish the results of its 43rd Annual Retailer Survey of U.S. independent natural organic retailers. We are crunching those numbers now, but wanted to...
In June, we published Part I of this series of retailer interviews about the response to the pandemic. Here, we follow up as of early October, and sincerely thank those independents who generously shared their thoughts and observations. Home Delivery Northern New England retailer: “Delivery logistics are challenging. We...
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