July 2014

One of the most noticeable, yet difficult to measure, industry trends of the past year has been the tendency to turn to collaboration and tackle industry-wide issues. The Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) is a shining example of such partnerships.

As the economy stumbles out of recession, CPG retailers are trying to make sense of new opportunities–and pitfalls. • Which consumer behaviors are likely to persist beyond the recession? How are retailers betting on the future with market moves?

The amount of research, interviews and surveying that go into preparing this issue is mind-boggling. It's our editorial team's job to sift through it all once gathered, and carefully select the nuggets of information that will serve our audience best.

Calls for a higher minimum wage for front-line retail workers are becoming commonplace, while executive compensation and tenure is receiving closer scrutiny.

Food safety is the No. 1 priority of food retailers. Proactive prevention and vigilant food safety management is key to selling safe and wholesome food.

The Retail Experience of the Future exhibit at FMI Connect in Chicago featured research from PwC's report "Front of the Line; How Grocers Can Get Ahead for the Future". These are the topline learnings:

Collaboration is nothing new in the world of grocery retailing. But as the industry has evolved–and continues to do so on an almost daily basis–the scope and importance of collaboration has significantly changed.

The late Steve Jobs once said, "You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new."

In the annual Shopping for Health survey, FMI and Prevention magazine explore changes in shoppers' behavior, preferences, and concerns related to food purchasing and preparation.

As the pace of technology accelerates, retailers are scrambling to get their websites and mobile apps to stand out in an increasingly crowded field.

Wow, a brand new world is shaping up. These are my lofty predictions. What are yours? – Harry Stagnito, President and CEO, Stagnito Media