Lauren Bartel (Category Manager), and Sarah Super (Wellness Strategist)
We wanted to take a moment to reflect on our trip out to Anaheim this March. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, from members to industry partners. This year, Expo West felt full of opportunities, partnerships, and connections. Here are some of the top wellness and grocery trends we encountered at Expo West that we think are worth keeping an eye on!
INFRA Partner Connections
One of the first things we noticed was the number of INFRA brand partners present. We've been delighted to see so many new brands reach out and partner with us in the last few months, and Expo really highlighted those new and planned partnerships. Brands like Hume, Blume, Bioptimizers, Mary Ruth's, Nantucket Spider, and Source Naturals & Planetary Herbals are just a handful of the brands we've added to our INFRA Deals program this year. These brands are so excited to find placement in our member's stores because they understand the next-level customer service, education, and support independent retailers offer their shoppers.
Top Wellness Trends
In terms of innovation, there was a lot to take in! It's great to take a quick walk through the grocery halls around lunch - and the dill pickle chicken nuggets, mochi gummies, and Korean appetizers certainly hit the spot - but in our world of wellness, there was also plenty of on-target innovation. We saw yet more growth in both the world of functional fungi and magnesium options. Women's health and wellness trends continue to gain traction in both nutrition and body care, and powders such as marine collagen, blue spirulina, and hydration blends were also very on-trend.
Applying the Trends to Your Store
But how might these trends translate to your store? Well, your core shopper will most likely go through menopause (and experience PMS, perimenopause, or pregnancy), and that set should grow as the options for supporting various hormonal stages expand. Feminine hygiene options are also so much more nuanced than they were five or 10 years ago, so we recommend that you make some space and apply a 40% margin (or lower).
Similarly, we'd recommend making sure you have powders represented across multiple categories - mushrooms, sleep, stress, minerals, electrolytes, collagen, beauty, etc. Mushrooms offer a particularly fun opportunity for cross-merchandising with an adventurous grocery manager. There are so many functional foods, beverages and powders, along with the traditional tincture and capsule set. What would it look like to build a cross-departmental mushroom display? Many brands offer creative collateral for visual interest, and mushroom-themed gift options abound if you wanted to add linens, mugs, or books as well.
What piqued your interest in California this year? If you found brands or trends that you want to share, we'd encourage you to post in our Communities discussions to share your discoveries with your peers: Products, Promotions, & Purchasing (naturalfoodretailers.com)
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