Category: Operations

December 13, 2018

The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Food Retail

Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations – Private Brands, Technology for Food Marketing Institute interviewing David Moran, co-founder and chairman of Eversight A lot of futuristic movies and TV shows portray a society […]

November 24, 2018

Taking the Pulse of the Industry, It is Not Just About the Worry (Index)

Last month, FMI released the 68th annual edition of The Food Retailing Industry Speaks (Speaks) report. For many years, a prominent feature of our Speaksresearch has been what we called the Worry Index. This was FMI’s way of looking at a set of macro and micro issues to understand how much they impact food retailers’ ability to generate sales and profits. This Worry Index provided a list of what retailers were most concerned about. However, this year, in analyzing the data from the questions that historically shaped the Worry Index, we found that there were as many factors that contributed positively to sales and profits as there were factors negatively impacting the bottom line. Consequently, in a decided to move to the more positive – we renamed the Worry Index the Food Retail Pulse. We hope you detect the more encouraging note of this move as it is a recurring theme in this year’s Speaks findings.

November 16, 2018

 Preparing for Grocery Retail Free Downloads!

Preparing for Grocery Retail
Free Downloads!
Grocery Retail Vocabulary for Emerging Brands
The Journey to Increasing Sales: Steps to Building Manufacturer – Retailer Trust
5 Tips for In-Store Merchandising
Actions to Driving Customers In-Store
Understanding Supplier Diversity Certificates

November 15, 2018

B Corp: Are You Already One and Just Don’t Know It Yet?

B Corp: Are You Already One and Just Don’t Know It Yet?

The most recent Deloitte Millennials survey found 40 percent of respondents said the second most important goal of business should be to “improve society” – right after “generate jobs.”

Meg Barnhart’s experience with her 6-year-old business is that the survey results are accurate.

A year ago she and her partner, Jane McKay, opted to go through the process to obtain B Corporation certification for their company, the Zen of Slow Cooking, which produces and sells spice packets to make meals with slow cookers.

The B Corp movement is a group of 2,600 companies worldwide that have committed themselves to social and environmental goals beyond simply meeting financial targets. It is one way to satisfy consumers and employees who want to buy from and work for companies that share their commitment to social responsibility. While the consumer has been comfortable good product seals or certifications for years now, we need to recognize that the desire to interact with products from good companies is alive and well. 

If You Think Your Customers Don’t Care About Accurate Product Knowledge—Think Again

Remember the good old days when shoppers would bump into you with their carts while you were restocking because they were walking around searching for what they wanted?

Now, of course, shoppers are just as likely to bump into you because their noses are buried in their smartphones, looking for more information about products on your store’s shelves that they want.

Here’s some news: When shoppers are at home, they’re often staring at their computer screens to get information about the products they want BEFORE they hit your food retail aisles.

November 10, 2018

What is the state of the food retail industry? Top 10 Take Aways

The food retail industry is riding several positive growth trends even as it grapples with unprecedented challenges.

See the top-10 findings from the  FMI 68th annual The Food Retailing Industry Speaks report here.

As an Emerge subscriber, we will keep you informed on the trends and insights needed to succeed.

October 30, 2018

Wafflepreneur Values FMI Emerge

My partner Kyle Rood and I knew we had a great product – nutritious, easy-to-prepare frozen waffles – but we were having trouble figuring out how to turn what we thought was a brilliant idea into a real business.

We were fortunate to connect with FMI Emerge because, in the brief time we’ve been working with the FMI Emerge team, they and the people they have led us to have really helped us move Start Right to the next level. The Emerge staff and the connections we have made are now extensions of our small but mighty team.

First, we were able to talk through our situation with Emerge mentors who helped us understand that we still needed financing to improve our business processes, production, and distribution. With the help of Emerge, we have built a significant network of investors and mentors in distribution and marketing to help us continue our growth.

September 20, 2018

Listen & Learn – Learning to Use Your Label and Ingredients for Sales Growth

Beyond the Label: Learning to Use Your Label and Ingredients for Sales Growth
Free Webinar, Wednesday, October 10th.
Consumers increasingly make purchase decisions based on product information online and in-store. If your emerging brand fails to deliver the right attributes then you lose shelf space, visibility and sales.
In this free fast-paced interactive webinar, you will gain the understanding on how to take your product content to the next level. We will focus on both core and enhanced product attributes.
You will gain an overview on GS1 Certifications, SBA Packaging Guidelines, SEO and organic search considerations and SmartLabel® implementation.
Register online today.

September 6, 2018

New Mentor- Greg Arz, Natural Source Foodservice Sales

Greg Arz  today joined the FMI Emerge Community as a valuable mentor who can support emerging brands with an understanding of how to utilize outsourced sales management for the organic & natural foodservice food and beverage market. 

September 5, 2018

How the Bava Brothers Got Their Groove

Earlier this year, a childhood friend put the brothers in touch with Julie Pryor, FMI Director of Emerging Brands, who told them about the FMI Emerge community, designed to provide entrepreneurs like themselves with information and, most importantly in their case, mentors.

After a phone call with Pryor and Ed Hoffman, one of the 40+ FMI Emerge mentors, Steve said, “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the break we need.’”

That first call led them quickly to a lead on a fulfillment partner.