When today’s consumer thinks of a healthy grocery store, retailers like Whole Foods or Sprouts probably pop into their heads first. Now, retailers like Kroger, CVS and even Walmart are taking aim at the health-conscious consumers. 

While that might seem like bad news – it isn’t. Your store likely carries many of the same products and services that these other stores carry and if you don’t, they’re quite easy to get. So let’s take a deeper dive into the trend and see how it can lead to sales and loyal customers. 

Why? 

According to Food Marketing Institute research, health and wellness are becoming an equal value in food purchase decisions – grocery shoppers are looking specifically for “fresh, natural and minimally processed foods with beneficial ingredients that help fight disease and promote good health.” Other research in the Supermarket News 2019 Whole Health Survey showed trends and growth in health and wellness categories.  

It’s time to help your shoppers choose wellness in your stores. Take credit for the products and services you are already offering. If you have a full pharmacy or nutritionist on staff – call that out. Make customers take notice of the bounty of healthy options in your produce department. Use signage to call out natural and organic wherever possible. 

What is Wellness?

It is the active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. Wellness is the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal. It’s a journey that you can help your shoppers travel. Wellness encompasses not only quality healthcare, but also nutritious eating and education, disease prevention and self-care. 

Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness. It can include anything from taking daily vitamins, to taking a relaxing bath with essential oils and candles. As you can see, wellness and self-care encompass a wide variety of activities and products that can be found throughout departments in your store. Take inventory of what you offer – are you calling out these trends?

According to GMDC, 9 in 10 consumers desire retailers to be more involved in their personal wellness

Start with Choose Wellness

With the breadth of wellness, where do you start? VMC has created the Choose Wellness program to help stores of any size and product assortment ensure they are guiding their consumers along the wellness journey with a goal of eventually becoming the preferred destination for wholesome, holistic, end-to-end consumer wellness needs and self-care solutions. 

Talk to your VMC Sales Specialist to sign up for the Choose Wellness Program – you’ll receive your free sign kit and launch packet. This signage can be placed around your store to help guide your customers on their wellness journey. VMC’s in-house Registered Dietitian Jennifer Egeland has worked with a wellness and pharmacy team, industry associations, and AWG/VMC department leaders to develop criteria and guidance on placing your signs effectively throughout the store. 

Choose Wellness is an evolving program, so signage placement and educational materials will change seasonally. We encourage participating retailers to find an employee who can be a “wellness champion” for their store and ensure that the signage is placed in the correct areas. They can help to educate other employees on the program. Educational materials for social media, website, in-store audio and other marketing communication channels are also developed for retailers. The Choose Wellness program is a full store marketing program that will continue to develop and help AWG/VMC retailers compete in this evolving market space.

Top 10 ways to drive dollars with wellness

  1. Implement the Choose Wellness Program. Contact your VMC Sales Specialist to get started.
  2. Use the Choose Wellness logo to call out nutritious products in your weekly ads and through your digital marketing channels.
  3. Offer new natural, organic and specialty food products in your store. Talk to your VMC Sales Specialist about these opportunities.
  4. Explore the CBD potential. CBD is a non-intoxicating component of the cannabis plant and this trend is growing rapidly! CBD products treat a variety of conditions by interacting with many vital systems in the body, and has a large amount of therapeutic potential. VMC offers several CBD products and is growing its mix. 
  5. In your meat department, call out leaner cuts of meat or those that are antibiotic-free in store and in your weekly circular such as chicken or seafood. Provide recipes for customers who have less experience cooking with these selections. 
  6. Offer healthier options for pet food, including Blue Buffalo.
  7. Provide healthier options in your checkout lane. According to GMDC, 63% of consumers said that if stores offered healthy checkout lanes, it would improve their impression of that store. 
  8. Draw attention to self-care products including scented soaps, essential oils, candles, etc. 
  9. Expand your self-care selection to include face masks and bath bombs – both growing in popularity. Ask your VMC Sales Specialist about the new partnership with Primal Elements.
  10. Check out the expanding product line of Clearly, Clearly Organic and Clearly Gluten-Free products. Give customers a way to do wellness at a lower price point.

ENGAGE HEALTHY MARGINS: Contact your District Sales Manager or local VMC Representative for more information