Blogs

Through extensive research over the past few years, SPINS has been reporting on the rise of the Values-Oriented Consumer and their purpose-driven approach to shopping, seeking out brands and retailers whose core values overlap with their own.  One store merchandising tactic that helps attract these types of shoppers is emphasizing “local” support and connection to the community.  After all, buying and sourcing locally has a positive, measurable impact that any Values-Oriented Consumer can appreciate. 

• $68 out of every $100 spent at locally-owned businesses stays in the community – giving shoppers a sense of purpose with their basket.   

• Additionally, local businesses donate 250% more to local charitable causes – explicitly demonstrating their values and beliefs to shoppers.  

Embracing “local” can take many forms for independent retailers. Utilizing visible signage in-store and online to highlight a specific connection to the community is a tried-and-true method, and one that INFRA member Nature’s Cupboard employs directly.  Both store locations have photo walls dedicated to local farm suppliers in their South Lake Michigan community, and their website has an individual page profiling each farm in detail. INFRA member Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery in South Carolina also love their local producers, dedicating a full wall with a rotating collection of cards featuring each producer with items currently on shelf. 

“Local” can also be represented by direct and indirect engagement and support of a community.  For example, INFRA members Rising Tide in New York and Kimberton Whole Foods in Pennsylvania select a local charity to support each month through a reserved portion of store sales, ensuring their communities grow along with them.   

“Local” can even be exemplified by the vendors you place on shelf, ensuring and highlighting the vendors’ backgrounds and values that align with your own.  As a Midwest Guy, I believe this can especially be achieved by supporting local farmers. Take A-Frame Farms, a fully Regenerative Organic Certified farm in western Minnesota run by Luke and Ali Peterson.  While maintaining a soil-friendly farm is admirable enough, A-Frame’s output is utilized by no less than six separate Natural Food brands – buckwheat for Lil Bucks and Seven Sundays cereal, Kernza for Patagonia Provisions Kernza Beer, wheat for Bakersfield Flour, flax for Crapola Granola, and sunflowers for Simple Mills snacks. Talk about a local impact!  Extra bonus fact – all but one of those brands showed double-digit growth at INFRA last year! 

Another recent favorite is Painterland Sisters, who utilize the milk from their own family farm to make certified organic, pasture-raised, non-GMO skyr yogurt and use their own success to lift other farmers in their Pennsylvania community. Painterland Sisters sales at INFRA are also growing, they jumped nearly $300,000 last year.  

Keep it natural, keep it local, and as always, we’ll see you at the INFRA Annual Conference!