5 Trends for 2009 - The Lempert Report

The Lempert Report Food News: Marketing, analysis, issues & trends and the impact on food and retail environments, specifically for the B2B food world with reporting and commentary on consumer and retailing trends by Phil Lempert. Phil can predict the future —and then help businesses and consumers understand it. For more than 25 years, Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies worldwide. Known as The Supermarket Guru®, http://www.supermarketguru.com, Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions. To see more of The Lempert Report visit: http://www.thelempertreport.com The Lempert Report for Wednesday December 24, 2008. We wish our viewers and readers a Happy Holiday and this week post our report on Wednesday in respect for the Christmas holiday. We will resume our regular schedule the first week in January 2009. Each new year brings change, and this one will be no exception. With a shifting administration, weakened economy and the increase of unpredictable weather patterns, the year ahead is ripe with possibilities. Here are our top five forecasts for the food industry in 2009. No. 5: Small Store Formats Now that Walmart, Tesco, Albertsons and Safeway are expanding into the smaller store format, we can expect to see more changes in how people shop. In the search for convenience, shoppers will gravitate to stores that offer pre-assembled meals and a smaller selection of needed items. Their hectic lifestyles also go hand-in-hand with the trend to shop more often, and for fewer items on shorter grocery trips. No. 4: Politics and Food Safety When Barak Obama takes the reigns as President, we can expect to see changes in the arena of food safety. As Obamas Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle will be in charge of the FDA. It will be his role to help improve the agencys credibility as we continue to face the challenge of keeping both our imports and domestic products safe. Daschle is also expected to take aim at the nations health care crisis. No. 3: Local vs. Locale While buying locally grown continues to be an important trend, buying by locale is also starting to come into play in a major way. Why? Local goods help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but they arent necessarily as food safe. Products grown in the U.S. and identified by locale (city, state, etc.) are helping to build a more traceable bridge between local and imported goods. No. 2: Food Brands The increase of private label brands is helping consumers keep some money in their wallets, which is a good thing, in the short term, for shoppers. However, store brands tend to follow the trends of what larger food companies are doing, we see the risk in expanding store brands as a potential loss of innovation. Much like we have seen in Detroit, without keeping ahead of the trends and creating new exciting products, our retail stores could become as exciting as a used car showroom. In order for brands to succeed and capture shoppers' trust and loyalty, they will have to continually push the envelope. No. 1: Weather and the Economy Fluctuating weather patterns are making it harder to predict crop output each season, which makes it hard to plan what to plant and how much to grow. And the unpredictable economy isnt helping matters. Retailers, consumers and farmers will need to become more flexible as weather and economic changes force the food industry to expect the unexpected. We at The Lempert Report wish you, your family and friends the happiest of Holidays and look forward to great things in the coming food year. To reach me directly, please email me at Phil@SupermarketGuru.com For information on New Products, visit our weekly videocast: http://www.ratefoods.com/