The Top Ten SupermarketGuru Stories of 2015

Our 2015 year in review of the most popular stories we ran on SupermarketGuru.com and in our newsletter.

It’s been another fascinating year in food, and we’ve compiled our top ten stories of the year - the ones read the most by our newsletter subscribers and visitors to our website. Here’s what happened in 2015. 

10. Hispanic Millennials Could Drive the New Food World - This topic continues to stay relevant as our Hispanic population grows. Supermarkets setting their long-term strategies should do so with eyes trained on Hispanic millennials – because they’re projected to be the fastest-growing and most influential population group in the United States.

9. Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum: What’s the difference? - We’ve all wondered what those weird sounding ingredients are in so many foods. And in a time where more and more people want to limit processed foods and keep the ingredient list on the package short, it seemed like a great time to explain the functions of these common ingredients. 

8. How Much Sugar is In Your Fruit? - Sugar has become our enemy! On the other hand we keep hearing about how we need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but should we be concerned about the sugar in the fruit we eat? Are there some that are best to limit than others?

7. Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Help You Lose Weight? - Weight loss is always a hot topic, and research is continually changing our method of approaching our diets. We have learned that some people are genetically predisposed to risks in being overweight, but sturdies suggest even if you can't change your genes, you can change the outcome of what will happen in your body! And this includes your weight!

6. The App Review: Eat This Much - There’s an app for everything these days, and we do our best to test and review as many food apps as we can in our App Review series. And as we see more shoppers looking for personalization and the assistance of dietitians, it’s no surprise that this app was popular with our readers. 

5. Experts Weigh In On Winning End Cap Design: Part One - This one is for retailers! We talked with expert, James Fraser, SVP Retail Strategy, Hunter Straker North America, about the how, wheres and whens of end caps and his signature “keep it simple” approach. In addition, Jason Katz, SVP Hunter Straker Digital North America  weighed in on digital integration with displays.  

4. What’s That Big "B" on the Label? - As more certifications and label claims make appearances on products, it can all get confusing! How does one keep up? You may have noticed this year a big “B” showing up on more products - a certification that could appeal to shoppers interested in buying from businesses that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

3. ALDI Makes a “Free-From” Move that Changes the Supermarket Game - Everyone from hipsters to homemakers is talking about Aldi. And the announcement made in October of this year by CEO Jason Hart to remove certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils and added MSG from all of their exclusive brand food products by the end of this year gives you one more reason to shop at ALDI.

2. Product Reviews: SupermarketGuru’s Top 12 Hits for 2014 - Phil’s Food Reviews video series is one of our most popular features, and our number two story this year was our review of our top products in 2014. From hummus to sardines, we had some great ones! And don’t forget to check out our review of 2015’s best new products!

1. Faking Food Allergies Backfires on Others - Did you notice this year even more people going gluten-free and talking about their food allergies? Has it become increasingly difficult to host a dinner party or a child’s birthday party? More people are asking for allergy-free meals even though they aren’t medically allergic to anything. The downside is how this affects the seriousness of those with true allergies, but on the upside, more awareness has grown when it comes to food allergies and more steps are being taken to protect those in danger, particularly children.