It has been one year since COVID-19 lept into the headlines and became the only story that mattered.
Looking back, what lessons can we take from what has happened?
I asked the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group this question:
One response from the group pointed to home cooking as a big trend that may continue after the pandemic fades.
Another mentioned how that COVID-19 has taken away in-store activations such as product sampling, forcing food brand to rethink “whether their packaging communicates their value proposition and brand promise.”
Another commenter spoke to pandemic’s effect on local food demand.
I would love to hear more from the industry on this question.
One recent retail report that flashed through my inbox the other day was the 1010Data State of Grocery Report.
The 13-page report looks at a number of statistics related to online grocery, include the big gains of Instacart and Target in that space.
A new term for me in the report is BOPIS, or big box buy online, pickup in-store.
The report states that Walmart’s investments in stronger “BOPIS” technology prior to the start of the pandemic helped it grow its share of total grocery BOPIS sales to 10%, up from 3% in 2019.
I thought this conclusion from 1010 Data to be important as well:
“Because of the desire to be healthier, we anticipate online sales of fresh/perishable items to continue to grow as more consumers gravitate toward fresher at-home dining options. Walmart is currently testing refrigerated boxes that store grocery orders outside of customers’ homes to preserve freshness.”
TK: The rise of grocery subscription models is also explored, and that certainly is something to watch. The report said that year-over-year performance for fresh produce in online grocery during all of 2020 was better than 150% more than the previous year. To which I say, is that all?
