Resolutions for Shoppers and Stores

We’re a week into the New Year – so what kinds of resolutions are consumers making this year? Forty-four percent of the SupermarketGuru consumer panel is resolving to improve their eating habits. Down a whopping 41 percent from 2013!

January is a time when many people resolve to improve various areas in their lives, most commonly their health and diet.  According to Forbes magazine, approximately 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions (one of the most popular resolutions is diet & weight loss).  But guess what? Only about 8% actually keep them. 

In an exclusive SupermarketGuru.com consumer panel survey, The Lempert Report set out to understand if consumers are changing their eating habits this year.  Surprisingly, only 44 percent of consumers plan on improving their eating habits for 2014, down a whopping 41 percent from last year! Meanwhile, forty-one percent do not plan to change their eating habits, while 15 percent have not yet decided.

What eating pattern or diets are consumers most likely to choose? Most commonly consumers are trying to eat more “clean”, low sugar, low calorie, low carb, low fat, and the Mediterranean diet.  Paying closer attention to portion sizes were also mentioned as well as making better choices overall and, less junk and processed foods.

Knowing that your customers are making resolutions this year, The Lempert Report suggests you help them focus on being healthy and realistic. A realistic resolution is a good resolution!  Encourage healthy eating and a more active lifestyle by hosting in store promotions throughout the winter. Make these critical lifestyle changes easy for consumers to adopt; they will thank you for it. 

Help shoppers plan ahead: Pre-slice fruit and vegetables are a great grab on-the-go option to have at home and to bring to work/school to snack on throughout the day.  The idea is to make fruits and vegetables just as convenient as the bag of chips.

Incorporate fun themes into store promos like Fruity Fridays, Smoothie Saturdays, Sweet Potato Sundays or Try a New Veggie Tuesday.  A transition to a healthier lifestyle can be made much easier when it’s done in an entertaining way!