Know for his film roles in “Forrest Gump,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Cast Away” and many others, Hanks also is a producer, director and writer. Attendees were given copies of his new novel, “The Making Of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece.”

Hanks talked about his life and his craft and – in the process – demonstrated that he is, indeed, a very funny man.

In experience business

In discussing his presence at the show, Hanks said, “We’re in the experience business,” adding that product and story go together.

Growing up, his dad was in the hotel and restaurant industry. 

“I never walked into a restaurant through the front entrance until I started dating when I was 16, because of my dad. We all just went in the back, past the dumpsters, in through the storeroom, past the dishwasher. Dad would be saying every hello to everybody that we passed.”

Hanks said his family now spends their summers in Greece on a small island, and he really enjoys a good Greek salad. 

“None of this produce is photo worthy when you’re buying it, except when you eat it, it’s the greatest stuff in the world, because it tastes like a tomato and it tastes like a cucumber. 

“I will say this about the experience of eating watermelon in the United States, it is really not the same as when I was a kid because there’s no more seeds in them. They look great, but they taste like a food product as opposed to tasting like watermelon. 

“And on the island in Greece, where they grow their own watermelons, yes, there are seeds. And yes, it takes a lot of work, but it tastes like candy! And we eat it with every single meal.”

Hanks said the aspect of experience is that it’s shared, the same as sitting down to a great meal, watching something on television or going to a movie.

“We can all remember a great meal that we had 17 years ago with some friends in a certain restaurant that was fantastic. Or somebody made something great at their home and we  remember what that was like. It’s the same thing as seeing a good movie. I can tell you that I saw “Swiss Family Robinson” at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, California, on a Saturday in 1967. 

“We all remember this is why we go out, oftentimes in a room with a bunch of other strangers, to sit down and partake with a few of our group, a movie and a meal. I’m gonna say they last about the same amount of time if you’ve got good conversation. A couple hours, right? Time well spent – a good meal and a good story.”

Entering acting

Hanks said he went to a three-year high school in Oakland. “I did not know what to do other than to try to survive going to high school…but what do you do other than truly goofing around in hallways between classes? I did run track and it was kind of fun. But then I went and saw a friend of mine who was in the high school play. And it was a production of Dracula…And I just thought, this is school? You can get a grade for standing up and doing that? I do that in biology class! 

“So the next thing I knew, I ended up taking every drama class that there was. This was back when California had a different tax structure and our public schools were very well supported; there was an awful lot of money. And there was a plethora of subjects – you could take drafting and you could take electrical engineering and you could take drama. And I lucked into being with a group of other people who could get up on stage like it was nothing at all.”

Hanks said he had heard once that the world is divided up into two categories, where “half of this room could get up here and do what I’m doing right now. And the other ones would run screaming in terror!”

When asked about performing Shakespeare, Hanks said he was lucky to work on a little production in Sacramento that was being directed by the artistic director of the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival. 

“He says, ‘now listen, Tom. I’ve been watching you, and I think that you could be an actor. I could use you at my theater in Cleveland, but I cannot pay you. I cannot pay you a dime. But I can give you something much, much, much, more valuable, and that is experience working in the professional theater.’ And he was absolutely right. 

“I hadn’t even really read the plays. I was one of those guys that pretended to have read a bunch of stuff. Richard the Third, oh yeah, yeah. But I didn’t know any of it. But by going in there and becoming enmeshed and working with true professionals, I was there for three seasons, three years, and came out of it with an understanding that yes, I was one of the one half of all of us that could get up on stage like it’s nothing.

“But the responsibility of getting up there was huge…in order to get better at [the job you love], you have to work at it every single moment, on or off day. And that’s what I’ve been been doing ever since, one way or another.”

Hanks then quoted a bit of Shakespeare from Hamlet, adding that “the only reason I remember it is because I had to stand with a torch, like this, and hear it 68 times!”

Telling stories

When asked about how he gives such moving performances, Hanks said, “I don’t know really how to talk about it because somehow you would have to start explaining the process, which would be like Coca-Cola explaining the formula. I don’t want anybody to know what my process is. Not that I know what my process is, anyway. I couldn’t explain it. 

“But it has been the same since I first kind of realized that this was a craft, as well as a science, as well as this very, very gossamer kind of artistic drive that is required. Every role I have taken on, there is a moment when you say ‘yes.’ And as soon as you say ‘yes,’ you’re going to do something, it grows inside you and you never stop thinking about it. And If you have eight months before you do the movie…you have eight months, then just to keep layering and layering and layering, all that stuff that might never, ever come out. 

“I’ve been asked – because I’ve written books – isn’t that incredibly different than my day job, which is being an actor? And the answer is only in this fact – that I have to set down on paper all the stuff that is inside my head. 

“If you take on a job, to be an actor, you start writing that role, stuff that will never be seen in the movie, but is a deep, deep, deep background for every scene that you are in. And the only way to do it is to ponder it, and think about it, and hold it to your heart. And when you sit down and write every morning at 5:30, it’s the same process, except you actually do have to do it in real time. You have to type it, you have to keep modifying it. 

“As an actor, I don’t have to do it, no one has to see it. But if I’m on week seven of any movie I’ve ever done, I have to come in on the day, on week seven, with a huge amount of story, imagery and emotional baggage in my back pocket. And even if it’s just on getting into a car or getting on a horse or whatever it is, all that stuff has to be in that individual moment in real time.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hanks wrote his novel. He described the writing process as “a beast that you must wrestle to the ground. But it is a magical and enjoyable experience despite the work. I wish I was good with tools. I wish I could fix a screen door. I wish I could build a house. I wish I could do carpentry. I wish I could do engineering. I don’t! 

“But the pleasure, I think, that you would get from knowing how to build a home for yourself and your family to live in is probably the same experience you have of writing a 400- or 500-page novel. It is piece by piece. It is moment by moment. It is ‘that ain’t right, let me go back.’ It’s setting it aside in order to come back and fix it. 

“But the process is as satisfying as scratching an itch that that must be scratched. When I’m on the clock and I am saying OK, I have a deadline or I have I have a time where I could invest in writing, I cannot wait to get to bed the night before. It’s 9:45, I start brushing my teeth so I can be in bed by 10. Because I’ve got to get up at 5:30 in the morning and have three or four hours alone in order to write. And it’s the most exciting part of the day. Then, of course, I’m a wreck.”

Hanks shared a story about watching actor Kirk Douglas on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Douglas was talking about his autobiography, “The Ragman’s Son.” Doing an impression of Douglas’ distinctive voice, Hanks said Douglas shared that ‘the secret of writing is rewriting’ Hanks agreed with that assessment.

“You do, you just go down and you flood this thing and you go like crazy at it. And then you go back and you just keep honing and honing, and it never stops being incredibly pressure filled, without a doubt. But at the same time, ridiculously rewarding. Different, certainly, from being in a movie because no one is changing my clothes for me, no one is telling me I have to do something. It’s all just me sitting down with the keyboard.”

Hanks shared that he collects typewriters and they number over a hundred. “Why? I think, maybe, madness?”  

“Most of the typewriters I have are worth 50 bucks apiece. And when I sign them, they’re worth 52 bucks apiece!”

No genre preference

When asked if there is a genre he prefers, Hanks answered no. “Because there is no substitute for a story well told. I gravitate toward only the stuff that is incredibly engaging. I will say this, there is a whole kind of adventure movie, a whole type of genre movie, that is fantastic. And you love to throw yourself at it. It’s great.”

Referencing Shakespeare again, Hanks said there is a line in Hamlet where the players are told that their job is to hold the mirror up to nature. “And that’s what I still go for now. I think the best movies are funny and dramatic and real and authentic…so it’s all about that authentic engagement that goes on.”

Hanks has done several roles, in addition to writing screenplays, centered around the military and war.

“I will tell you the the reason I keep going back to the concept of people in the military, I did stuff that requires no small amount of research. I’ve also been involved with a number of organizations that take into account everything that happens after people serve in the military. 

“When I was  in the formative years – I was born in 1956. I’m 66 years old – I’m going to say until I was in junior high, every single adult in my life – every relative, every caregiver, every parent of a friend, had the war – World War II – as this great divider in their lives. 

“And I remember being fascinated by the 1930s, the Great Depression, because I’ve always read history and what really happened to people. If you read John Steinbeck, you’ll learn about the Great Depression. So my dad and all of his cohorts, which by the way, in 1966, were in their 40s, so they were still young people. They grew up at a time where strep throat could kill you, or kill your sister. They grew up at a time where the only way you could fix your dental ache was by having the tooth removed. There was a difference between going to bed with just enough to eat and going to bed hungry. So that’s how they grew up. Right? 

“Then the war comes along, right about the time they’re getting out of high school. And for the next five years or so, they’ve put their lives in total stasis. They had no idea what was going to happen for about four years, from 1939, to somewhere around 1943. That’s when the tide turned. 

“So for those four years, who’s going to win this thing, the Nazis? The Japanese empire? Is the world going to be broken up into free and enslaved? That was literally how they woke up every single day – not just the men who were serving, but also the kids who were 8 years old and the moms who were trying to get by themselves.

“And their lives were broken up into three very distinctive acts that they talked about all the time. Being a little kid at dinner, my dad and somebody else are all talking about it – ‘that was before the war.’ And ‘before the war ‘became this gestalt for that was when things were safe, but scary. Then, ‘well, that was established during the war,’ and that meant who knows what’s going on. 

“There were sayings, you know, Golden Gate in ’48, that means the war would be over in 1948. There was ‘They’re not done ‘til ’51.’ They had no idea that the war was not going to go on until 1951. 

“So I have always been kind of fascinated [by this]. They were talking about the war like it was when the kraken came down from on high and held sway over everybody. Then the rest of their lives, ‘Well, that was after the war.’ And they’re talking about that third act.”

Hanks’ new book, which he pointed out is a novel, not a memoir – “because that would be a waste of time, because you’re getting it right now” – is the experience of a 19-year-old kid who went off to fight the war in Japan. His experiences acted as a catalyst for a character in the movie.

“It’s like a superhero movie, but the root of that character does come down to this, why I’ve read history a lot. And if I was playing a guy like this, I would search out this kind of detail.”

Hanks said he was reading a story about Fred Smith and FedEx, “And I did not realize that they had airplanes – jumbo jets – filled with nothing but letters or packages that flew across the Pacific Ocean every day. I did not know that. And I thought, well, what happens if one of those goes down? Eight years later, we have the motion picture [Cast Away]. That’s how long it took.”

He said he had read how outlaw motorcycle gangs, which were a product of the 20th century, came about. Veterans, typically Marines, “came back from fighting in the Pacific War, and had done so much hellacious things and seen so many hellacious things, that there was no way these one-time 19-year-old kids, who are now in their early 20s, could go back and become insurance salesman. 

“They spent their money on war surplus motorcycles and lived as they did as soldiers…so I took that character…the difference between 1941 and 1945 were so brutal and so complete, that this guy was lost. And his nephew ends up writing a comic book that is about him that ends up stirring a motion picture director, who was looking for a very specific kind of dynamic, and that’s how movies are made.”

Hanks said all the movies he has been involved with have been “populated by fascinating people with amazing stories of how they ended up in this very specific place…the telling of a story in a movie means everybody has to understand the story they are telling, the movie they’re making, the theme they are examining, they have to know what that is. And when they do, it works. And when they don’t, it might not work. It’s all kind of like a crapshoot anyway, sometimes, but it’s the stories of the people on any individual day, showing up on time, knowing what they want to do and having a good idea in their head in order to make it better.”

Hanks said he has written screenplays as well, which are “kind of like writing blueprints. But even inside there, you have to communicate the movie, the fading, the idea, the pacing, the heart of it. Taking it over into a novel just means I got to control absolutely everything. When you write a novel, you’re the art director, you’re the costume designer, you’re the film editor, you get to do it all. When you’re making the movie, it’s part of a great collaborative process.”

Craft services on set

Getting back around to food, Hanks said on a set, there is a caterer who will make meals, but there is also “the crafty truck or the craft service table, and the artistry that goes into making sure that food is fresh and good and different, with a great variety, stuff that is so good and healthy for you and stuff that will kill you over time. 

“Doughnuts have become what we call, ‘Do you have any good glazed rings of death?’ Because I’m going to tell you that no matter how good I am with my physical regimen for a movie, if they have the rainbow sprinkles, slice half of that for me. I’ll just have half of a glazed ring of death. You’ve got to have it. 

“But it’s almost like there’s a science to it. In the morning, we need the healthy stuff, so there’ll be oatmeal and that type of stuff. And a lot of fruit. You can eat every type of food you can have, then out comes the comfort food later on. ‘Hey, we can get this pizza.’ ‘Oh, perfect slices of peanut butter and jelly.’ ‘Uh oh, here comes the macaroni and cheese!’ And they bring it around to you because there’s a lot of people on the crew…that can’t get down to the craft service.

“If you subscribe to this role of nutrition, eat the right food about every three hours – a little protein, a little fat, a little carbohydrate – about every three hours through the day, this is how you can live, thanks to the craft service table. I think if I had an ounce of discipline in my body, I would be the healthiest motion picture maker on planet Earth, because I would just eat off the craft service table and eat perfect food throughout the day. But damn those glazed rings of death!”

For more information about the show, visit iddba.org/iddba-show/about/iddba-2023.

The post Hanks’ Talk On ‘Experience Business’ Entertains, Informs appeared first on Shelby Report.

IDDBA’s Whitney Atkins, VP of marketing, and Heather Prach, VP of education, spoke on how current trends will shape the future of the association, its members and the industry.

Prach said consumer buying patterns are evolving faster, and “if our industry and individual companies don’t stay ahead, it’s easy to fall behind. The trends we launched in December are proving to be growing, and they’re solid and they’re safe. They are overarching concepts that are taking us through this current fresh grocery climate.”

She said flexibility is what it takes to stay ahead. “We need to be fluid and flexible and evolve from rigid and legacy patterns.”

IDDBA’s five guiding trends are written using data analysis, consumer responses and take into consideration a shopper survey conducted in May, with 1,500 consumers giving feedback, Prach noted. 

“These five trends really enable the manufacturers, retailers and marketers to tell the consumers’ stories, which is exactly what What’s In Store Live 2023 does. What once was content marketing has now become storyteller,” Prach said.

She added it is important to consider the five generations of shoppers when discussing trends and consumer insights, as their preferences, behaviors and actions vary greatly.

They are: the Silent Generation (1928-45), Baby Boomers (1946-64), Gen X (1965-80), Millenials (1981-96) and Gen Z (1997-2012).

The silent generation is the oldest group. Often referred to as traditionalist, its members are generally conservative in their shopping habits and tend to prioritize quality over price. 

Baby Boomers are known for consumerism. They tend to prioritize convenience and value for money. Generation X is known for financially conservative behavior, and includes cautious spenders. They’re also tech savvy and prefer online shopping. 

The Millennials are tech savvy and heavily reliant on e-commerce. They prioritize experiences over material possessions, and social responsibility and brands. 

Generation Z are digital natives whose shopping habits are shaped by social media. They value personalization, authenticity and sustainability. Members of Gen Z tend to be the most willing to invest in higher priced products that align with their values. 

“There’s a sizable current divide in consumer behaviors right now, with the rapid change in technology and large viewpoints on governance,” Prach said. “As new generations emerge with their unique characteristics, this will create further shifts in consumer trends and expectations in future decades.”

She said the number of Millennials has exceeded the Boomer ranks, and Gen X is expected to surpass the number of Boomers in 2028. 

“Soon, it’s predicted that the amount of households led by people under 40 will outweigh the amount of people over 40,” Prach said. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, inflation is taking its own toll on consumers. Debt levels are rising and savings decreasing.

“All of this has resulted in wages not keeping up with inflation rates,” said Prach, adding that cutting the SNAP emergency fund has greatly affected the dollars spent on food for nearly 25 percent of consumers. All of this has continued to “keep a very home-centered world,” she said. 

While this is in favor of food retailing, it also presents challenges that come with change. “However, where there’s change, there’s opportunity,” Prach said.

Following IDDBA’s five guiding trends is one way to maximize those opportunities. The trends include: Whole Health, Whole Heart and Whole Self; Consumer Defined Convenience; the ABCs of ESG; Worth the Value; and Innovation and Technology.

Atkins said there is no longer just one type of consumer. “The need for balance – in-store, online and through marketing messaging is evident.”

Whole Health, Whole Heart and Whole Self

Healthy combines physical health and emotional well-being, Prach said, as consumers are more educated about nutrition and physical health and want to know what they’re putting in their bodies. 

“It is no longer taboo to talk about mental health or the overall pursuit of happiness,” she said. “There’s almost 80 percent of people that relate emotional well-being and healthy. There’s a balance here to combine indulgence as a treat and happiness, while still remaining healthy.” 

There’s not one definition for healthy. It can vary based on viewpoints that are generational or regional, on food allergies or results-based diets. 

“There’s a wide range of these physical callouts that each individual is looking for,” she said.

Any and all attributes of a product should be clearly called out, as shoppers have become label readers. 

“I think we were all riding a fine line of mental stability and uncertainty in the last few years. So there’s great comfort in indulgence. Consumers are looking to indulge occasionally and feel good and celebrate.”

Dominique Delugeau, IDDBA board chair, stated in a video message that people are looking for cleaner, better ingredients. They also are looking for smaller portions of higher-priced items.

“People want to eat less of the best…it’s an indulgence, but they’re not going to necessarily walk away from a certain cheese because of the price” but perhaps will buy less of it, he said.

Prach noted that today’s families are smaller and more people are living on their own, with 70 percent of households without children. 

“The average household right now is 2.5 people and that’s the lowest rate that we’ve ever seen. Sizing for the meal planning and the amount of guests is important here for health, for value and for waste concerns. Offering sizing options is key to covering your customers’ needs. Healthy plays out in many ways.
Atkins said today’s marketing strategy plans are built around segmentation, targeting and positioning. While mass marketing still plays a role, consumers want and expect personalization through the technology of loyalty programs, social media and e-commerce.

Prach said 77 percent of consumers surveyed say it is fine to occasionally eat some treats. Retailers are creating balance in the merchandising and portion sizes from deli and bakery. 

Consumer Defined Convenience

The second guiding trend, consumer defined convenience, is continuing to grow in grocery retail, foodservice and c-stores. 

“The on-the-go lifestyle is back…feeding the family has become a balancing act between money, health, taste and time,” Prach said. 

Pizza is an example of this convenience. It can be ready to eat and still be customizable, served hot and in-store. Retailers can customize a bake-at-home option or one that consumers can create with some pre-made ingredients. 

“This is a great illustration of how life is about continuums and how that can really play out by taking one concept with many options of execution. Home cooking burnout helps our categories and fuels this trend.”

Prach said 41 percent of shoppers are cooking mostly from scratch, while 50 percent mix scratch with semi- and fully-prepared items. Just 9 percent is mostly shopping fully prepared items. 

Shoppers want convenience as an option, and this is led by grab-and-go options, where 55 percent of consumers want easier shopping in the grab-and-go, Atkins said. She also noted that shoppers may be thinking of future meals while they’re in the store. They want to know their local retailer will have a reliable selection of grab-and-go, along with easier preparation items.

Providing customization for the consumer is pushing the demand for ordering systems, delivery, make-on-demand and staffing for rush times.

“Home delivery and e-commerce have been difficult for our categories to execute in retail, but they would be worth the investment. There’s a bit of margin loss with the delivery services, but 46 percent of shoppers are wanting that option,” Prach said. 

Maximizing the e-commerce platform to give recipes, meal solutions and meal planning can increase sales. Prach said there’s also room to upgrade sandwiches to fresh baked bread in the deli, or a small indulgence upgrade to brioche bread, bagel or croissant. 

“Service is still important to our departments for customization.”

Cross merchandising is another way to increase sales with a focus on convenience, Atkins noted.

“Cross merchandising has always been a way to grow sales and profits. It’s also designed to scream convenience,” she said.

Loyalty shopper data is invaluable when addressing the need for personalization, Atkins said. With this data, retailers can make plans to address overall shopper profiles in a store or group of stores.

Also, delivery and takeout present a “huge opportunity” for grocery retailers, as 60-80 percent of people are doing restaurant takeout whereas 30-40 percent are doing grocery retail takeout or delivery.

“There’s a huge gap here. And where there’s a gap, there’s an opportunity to close it,” Prach said. 

Atkins said loyalty will emerge by adding marketing messages to ensure implementation. The same cross merchandising and marketing can be used on e-commerce platforms. 

“Curbside is here to stay. It’s convenient, it’s quick and it provides options for the family meal, or even that moment when you remember you were supposed to send treats to school,” she said.

Restaurants innovated quickly with curbside as a means to survive during the pandemic. Retail delis can now take advantage of the consumer adoption by working with online technology, Atkins said. 

“Marketing has to create the narrative, whether it’s ad plans, digital ads, social media. But the store has to deliver,” she said, noting that adoption of these programs or offerings takes time.

“Convenience will forever lead the forefront in consumer shopping behavior. Consumers will be forever time starved, that’s never going to change,” she said.

Atkins added that c-store operators have been focused on the future of their customers, even pre-pandemic. That led to their success in leading innovation and technology to meet the customer where they were.

In helping to attract consumers during the busy breakfast hours, Prach said What’s In Store Live is showing opportunities in breakfast. Two technology components in bakery include a coffee bot and a bread bot.

“The coffee bot is a full solution to adding a coffee shop feel to the bakery without needing to use the extra labor. And there’s a bread bot. Warm bread comes out every six minutes. These are not shown to replace these categories but to be used in addition – to bring theater, free of labor and to create a consistent product that your customers can learn to rely on,” she said.

The ABCs of ESG

ESG – environment, social and governance – is becoming more widely known and talked about among consumers. Atkins said a colleague broke it down as follows: Sustainability is what a business does; it is internal. ESG is how a business reports. It is external.

Prach said ESG is going to be much more important to the later generations who grew up learning the importance of the planet and recycling. “ESG now takes that conversation beyond just recycling and sustainability for the environment. It is shifting cultures to model a full 360 impact. It is taking into consideration the amount of energy used in all aspects of the product life cycle.” 

According to Atkins, ESG is important “because consumers say it is,” adding that “it is forward thinking for the future of our food supply.”

Prach said as interest in the planet and animal welfare are growing, it is important to call out those attributes on packaging. “Consumers are interested in a story. They want to know the backstory of the ingredients and the personalized stories of the producers, the farmers and even the animals involved.”

Atkins said ESG reports the story, “which comes full circle and helps you retain and gain internal stakeholders like investors and employees while retaining and gaining customers.”

Worth value

Guiding the fourth trend is a reminder that value is in the eye of the beholder.

Prach said this trend’s message is not about price but about affordability and products being worth the value. 

“Consumers are really seeking ways to save. Some of these benefit us as retailers, whereas some others really mean that we have some pressures of our own,” she said.

Consumers are trying many different things – buying less, wasting less, looking for deals and promotion. “Teach customers how to use the full product and their leftovers while lowering your in-store spoilage as well,” Prach said. 

Several concepts of this may be seen in What’s In Store Live, such as getting creative with boards and snacking. “Anything can be added to a board. This is a great way to get creative with ingredients you have left in the cupboards or the fridge.” 

While consumers are reducing their restaurant spending, there is an opportunity for retailers to maximize growth in dairy, deli and bakery for dinner, as well as lunch and breakfast.

As consumer concern over inflation continues, shoppers are looking for value in the traditional sense of the word, Atkins said. They are planning their shopping trips, comparing their store with competitors for prices and promotions.

“Saving is top of mind, and this is how shoppers are making the decisions,” she said.

Identifying store brands in the deli and bakery departments can appeal to the 46 percent of consumers who are more likely to purchase store brands. Creating and supporting digital solutions, along with personalization, “continues to be imperative in the buyers’ journey,” Atkins said.

She noted that IDDBA offers year-round value through its What’s In Store digital reporting and monthly category reviews, along with live and on-demand webinar series.

Prach said dairy, deli and bakery have a household penetration of 98-99 percent. “It’s not about getting the customer to our areas, but it’s more about getting them to purchase items that they wouldn’t normally grab.” 

Innovation and Technology

In discussing the fifth guiding trend, Prach said the pandemic caused the industry to jump five to 10 years forward in the area of e-commerce “because there wasn’t a choice.”

She said technology is about creating efficiencies. “In its current state and into the foreseeable future, it can be partnered with customizing and service to continue to deliver those positive experiences.”

On social media, influencers are growing. Prach suggested retailers let their team and customers celebrate the brand or store. Digital price tags reduce labor and self-checkouts are commonplace.

She suggested creating an app and a subscription program to build loyalty. Digital screens allow for instant change and marketing and can be used to drive sales or in idle time.

“People are learning how to cook, how to use ingredients and get inspirations digitally. Three of our generations are using digital much more than any other source,” she said. 

Prach also suggested staying ahead of viral trends and merchandising.

“Food is fuel and nutrition as much as social and entertainment. It is now becoming art in the presentation and a fun way to explore flavors. Social has brought food to the top of the conversation…but remember, the digital and the social worlds move fast. So you need to stay ahead and take some risks here.”

Atkins said retailers shouldn’t be afraid to create experiences in their apps but should make them easy to use. Offering payment options also is important.

Atkins said the market size of the global online food sector was reported at $770 billion, with $460 billion attributed to the grocery delivery segment and $300 million in meal delivery.

She noted that it is estimated that it will reach $1.4 trillion in 2027. 

“So if we go back and think about the five generations of shoppers, it would likely be unreasonable to think every shopper will use online, ordering and shopping through an app. But when you think of the growth numbers I mentioned, those are huge dollars that simply cannot be ignored. Retail companies recognize the importance of having shoppers’ attention, whether in store or online.”

Prach said the What’s In Store Live area this year is focusing on innovation and technology. “We’ve got AI and automation; they’re being explored in every industry and food is no exception.”

In addition to the coffee and bread bots, virtual reality is being used to train employees on how to clean a slicer. 

“There’s a much higher retention rate for employees who walk through the whole process rather than using videos and job guides. Think of this for broken glass, spills, the slicer cleaning, stressful customer interaction, etc. All can be completed through virtual without using up additional labor.”

A delivery bot may be seen on the show floor. Badger Technologies has a bot that scans for planogram execution and out of stocks.

Show attendees were encouraged to visit the What’s In Store Live area to see these and other examples of IDDBA’s Guiding Trends.

For more information about the show, visit iddba.org/iddba-show/about/iddba-2023.

The post What’s In Store Live Focuses On Innovation And Technology appeared first on Shelby Report.

Progressive grocery retailers actively engage their communities in many ways, including advertising, social media, and their weekly circular, whether it’s print or digital. 

As creators and users of these materials, grocers have a responsibility to consider copyright when making or using creative expressions, such as photographs and artwork.  

NGA hosted a recent webinar that explained the basics of copyright, owners’ rights and how certain services provided by the Copyright Office can help someone enforce those rights. The discussion was led by Jessica Chinnadurai, an attorney advisor in the Office of Public Information and Education at the U.S. Copyright Office. 

Here are some key takeaways from the discussion:

What is a copyright? Copyright protects original works of creative authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression. Protected works include literary works, music and lyrics, dramatic works, choreography, pictures, graphics, sculptures, motion pictures, sound recordings and architectural works. “Fixed” means written down or recorded in some manner and for a long enough period of time that it can be perceived, reproduced or communicated. Copyright protection begins automatically when the work is fixed.

Who is a copyright owner? To be an owner, you must be the author of a work – either the work’s creator or, for a work made for hire, the employer of someone who created the work as part of their regular duties, or someone who commissioned a work by agreement. Generally, copyrights last for the life of the author plus 70 years or, for works made for hire, 95 years from first publication or 120 years from date of creation, whichever expires first.

What rights do copyright owners have? Owners of copyrighted works may reproduce their work, prepare “derivative works” based on the work, and publicly display or perform their work. 

What if you’re not the copyright owner? To use copyrighted work, you may obtain a license from the owner, or follow the Copyright Act’s exceptions or limitations. For example, you can use anything in the public domain, which includes work for which copyright has expired and work that’s “insufficiently creative.” 

Fair use. Copyright law allows case-by-case evaluation based on use for nonprofit educational purposes, the nature of the work, the amount of the work used vs. the whole, and the impact of the use on the potential market value for the owner. 

Copyright registration. Protection is automatic the moment an original work of authorship is fixed. Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required but recommended since it’s necessary in the event you pursue litigation to enforce a copyright.

The Copyright Claims Board provides judicial resolution of all disputes, including infringement and misrepresentation as well as damages; monetary awards cannot exceed $30,000.

For more information, whether you’re a plaintiff or defendant in a dispute, visit ccb.gov or copyright.gov, or contact Asktheboard@ccb.gov.

To hear all the exclusive insights presented in this webinar, view the recording at attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/7253569899273005740.

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As such, opportunities to spend time away from the store can be few and far between. Yet, it is essential for the ongoing success of one’s operation to strategically take some time away from business in order to work on the business. Events such as NGA’s summer fly-in, fall executive conference and winter show are designed for just this purpose.

For guidance and inspiration day to day, there may be no better opportunity than NGA’s Engage Series: Store Operations Summit, taking place July 24-26 in Kansas City, Missouri.

This summit is aimed at store leaders who are focused on operations and merchandising and have core responsibilities geared toward growing the bottom line for the business.

We want attendees to leave our Engage Series events equipped with tactics to address the challenges of a dynamic food retail landscape. 

This summer’s summit is the latest in our series of ops-focused educational events, which has garnered a great response from attendees who have embraced the opportunity to hear expert advice, learn best practices and share solutions for common challenges.

“It was immensely helpful to have a panel of experts from various fields. I gained many good ideas, but even better was making those connections with those people in the industry,” noted one past summit participant.

“I am blown away by the event over the last couple of days. I enjoyed everything and I got some great ideas,” said another attendee.

And how’s this for a boost: “This was the shot in the arm I needed and can’t wait to bring some of these ideas to our management team.”

The experience isn’t only educational, it’s interactive. In-store experiences, industry guest speakers and unbeatable networking make the Store Operations Summit the perfect event for professional development that benefits business.

Ops-focused store leaders looking to bump up their store operations quotient should make plans to attend. We know it can be tough to get away, but participants will return all that much more equipped to propel their businesses forward.

Hope to see you all in Kansas City. 

For more information or to register, visit web.cvent.com.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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The fly-in began with advocacy training to prepare NGA members for their Congressional meetings on June 7. Training was conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation, an advocacy training organization in Washington D.C., and showed NGA members how to get the most out of their meetings. 

“NGA members know firsthand how a lack of antitrust enforcement and excessive swipe fees are hurting their business,” said Christopher Jones, NGA SVP of government relations & counsel. “By completing this comprehensive advocacy training, attendees [are] able to effectively communicate their needs during congressional meetings.” 

Attendees then heard from Jonathan Kanter, assistant attorney general of the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, about how swipe fees and the unfair advantages of power buyers are harming community grocers.

“Independent grocers and their wholesalers serve as the backbone of communities across the U.S., but Swipe Fees and the unfair advantages of power buyers are preventing dynamic small businesses from reaching their full potential,” Jones said.

“Jonathan Kanter has ushered in a new era of stricter antitrust scrutiny in the food and agriculture and payments sectors and is well-positioned to provide updates to fly-in attendees that are directly impacted by these issues.”

With Farm Bill negotiations ongoing in Congress, the June 7 sessions briefed NGA members on how to navigate Farm Bill lobbying during the fly-in. During the panel session, moderated by NGA VP of Government Relations Stephanie Johnson, attendees heard from two experts in the field who have Farm Bill wins under their belt: James Glueck, a former top staffer for Agriculture Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Roberts, and Barbara Hilden, who has decades of advocacy experience in the food industry.

“As deliberations continue in Congress on the 2023 Farm Bill, NGA has been working with lawmakers to ensure the needs of the independent sector of the food retail and distribution industry are adequately addressed,” Johnson said.

“James and Barbara…explored with fly-in attendees how a Farm Bill comes together and the potential speed bumps along the way. Independent grocers [left] this session understanding the key themes necessary to advocate for their interests with lawmakers during Tuesday’s meetings.”

The first day of the fly-in concluded with political analyst, commentator and best-selling author Chris Stirewalt, who discussed 2024 presidential politics and what its impact will be in Washington D.C.

“Chris Stirewalt has been a trusted voice in U.S. politics for many years, providing a candid and clear analysis of the current political climate, which has always been appealing to busy grocers that are understandably more focused on their day-to-day operations than what is happening in Washington D.C.,” said Greg Ferrara, president and CEO.

“I know attendees [found] this information valuable as they make their way to the halls of Congress this week to advocate for the interests of the independent grocery industry.”  

For more information about NGA, visit nationalgrocers.org.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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“I think it’s interesting, as we start asking customers about their eating approaches, most customers said they don’t like using the term diet…and what’s really interesting, ‘my personal diet’ is the second highest rated eating style, behind ‘healthy heart.’”

Stein said 65 percent of customers are trying to follow some type of eating behavior, and “health mindedness” is very much on their minds.

Also, nearly 70 percent of customers say they are looking for callouts or information when they are shopping in the department “so they can understand what resonates with them.”

According to Stein, retailers must be talking about nutritional callouts in the bakery department.

FMI also asked consumers about better-for-you approaches. For example, when asked what they thought about artificial coloring, the response was split in half between those who prefer it and those who don’t.

“What I really thought was interesting, is when you look at what resonates with them for better for you – real ingredients; the use of fruits or vegetables to avoid things that they think are bad for them, like artificial flavors; smaller portions – and this really applies to the products that they often make at home.”

FMI is telling retailers they must address health and well-being in the bakery, Stein said. Talking about indulgence can also be part of that topic through portion size and mental health – people wanting to be able to indulge. “I would really strongly recommend that, as an industry, we think about that.”

Convenience is another factor driving consumers. This includes how the bakery is laid out. Nearly 81 percent of customers said commercial should either be in the bakery or adjacent to it.

“They want to see the commercial bread pretty close to that…clearly that resonates with them.”

The report also looked at when consumers are shopping during the day. Stein said a large number of people are shopping before 2 p.m., “so they’re looking for freshness. And they understand that the earlier you shop, the fresher the product is going to be, the more abundant choices you’ll have.”

On sustainability, Stein said almost 73 percent of those surveyed wanted to see multi-use packaging. “They’re looking for functional packaging. If that package performs for them, helps the product integrity, keeps food safe – they’re all for that kind of packaging.”

At the same time, however, about 75 percent of those surveyed are concerned about environmentally-friendly packaging.

Consumers also want to be able to see through the packaging to view the product, with 93 percent expressing that desire. “So we really have to be careful how we’re taking labels and things of that nature and hiding product, single cake slices, things of that nature. You really want to be able to highlight the product.”

On the topic of value, Stein said the report breaks it down into four areas: quality, relevance, experience and convenience. While during these inflationary times consumers are money conscious, sometimes they make decisions contrary to that. One example is the growth in produce departments of value-added cut fruit and cut vegetables.

“We all know on a per-pound basis that’s much more expensive than buying fruit or veg in its regular form, but for them that convenience is a value.”

When looking at value in the bakery department, FMI talked to consumers about impulse purchases. “Clearly, the eyes decide,” Stein said. “If you look at the eye-catching displays, a lot of customers go in and end up buying products that they had no intention of buying.”

The report found that bakery “is clearly a big impulse area.”

As far as freshness factoring in what consumers buy, more than 56 percent said they are looking for the date and time it was baked or processed. The majority are conscious of fresh and consider items that say “baked today” or “made in-store.”

“These are other other things that you can shout about in your bakery departments so it resonates with the consumer,” Stein said.

When talking about innovation, he said the report looked at why that customer is buying in the store versus at home. The report found that 61 percent said they wanted the item to be made in the store.

The Power of Bakery report is available on the FMI website, at FMI.org.

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“We’re most excited that we have actually hit our 2019 retail registry numbers,” he said. “And 2019 in Orlando was a record year for us. So that’s exciting for the industry.”

He said it also is exciting for the exhibitors, as there are more than 9,000-plus registered for the event, which continues through Tuesday.

Haaf recently took over as president of the association, following the retirement of Mike Eardley. Haaf has more than 30 years of retail foodservice and culinary experience, most recently serving as VP of foodservice and Starbucks operations for K-VA-T Food Stores in Abingdon, Virginia.

Haaf has embraced his new role as president. While he has been in retail for several years, he said watching the show from behind the scenes has been a revelation.

“To actually come now and see it all come together – and all the hard work that the exhibitors put into it, and just the teamwork that happens to put it all together – is exciting. I can’t brag enough about our staff, about the supporting teams and setting it all up.”

Haaf said this year’s show boasts great speakers, noting Sunday’s keynote by Parma Lakshmi and the What’s In Live presentation by IDDBA’s Whitney Atkins, VP of marketing, and Heather Prach, VP of education. “Our team did a great job providing trends and where we’re headed with things.”

Monday’s speakers included Alton Brown and Tom Hanks.

As to what comes next after the show closes in Anaheim, Haaf said he’s looking forward to planning the 2024 show in Houston, Texas.

“I think there’s been so much excitement that people are already pre-registering for Houston in 2024.”

He added that the association’s focus is on “IDDBA, 365 days a year.”

“We love being the premier show in the industry. That’s still our ultimate goal,” he said. “But we also want everybody to understand – and I think what we’re trying to communicate is – hey, we’re not just the show once a year. We’ve got great resources for networking, education, job aid, supporting things that can help the industry and retailers and manufacturers alike all year long. We’re here 365 days.”

Haaf said the IDDBA team will spend a lot of time focusing on spreading that message, “whether it’s marketing it or whether it’s coming up with more things we can do for the industry.”

For more information about the show, visit iddba.org/iddba-show/about/iddba-2023.

The post New President: Association More than Show, ‘We’re Here 365 Days’ appeared first on Shelby Report.

April fresh produce sales reached $5.9 billion. “The strengthening demand for fruit in reaction to deflationary conditions is a very positive sign going into the summer months,” said Joe Watson, IFPA’s VP, retail, foodservice and wholesale.

“There is typically a lag between improvements in pricing levels at retail and strengthening demand. We certainly saw that for fruit as well. But fresh fruit has experienced positive unit and volume growth for two consecutive months now and that bodes well for continued strength going into the big summer and grilling seasons.” 

Weekly fresh produce sales averaged between $1.41 billion and $1.57 billion. “April year-over-year weekly sales comparisons were highly affected by the timing of Easter and Passover which moved forward by week,” Watson said. “This explains the sales pressure the third week of April when going up against last year’s Easter sales. 

“The difference in inflationary levels between fresh, frozen and canned is staggering,” said Jonna Parker, team lead, fresh for Circana. “The average price per pound for fresh produce was flat whereas the price per pound across frozen fruits and vegetables increased 21.3 percent between April 2022 and April 2023.”

Fresh produce pound sales had been trailing behind year ago levels since April 2021, but had seen steady improvements since the third quarter of 2022. In April, pound sales exceeded year-ago levels by 0.6 percent.

The increase in fresh produce volume sales was driven by fruit, that experienced a 2.1 percent increase in pounds sold in April compared with April 2022. Vegetables did not quite reach year-ago levels, but moved within one percentage point of the April 2022 levels. 

“Fruit sales were a mix of dollar gains and losses and a mix of unit gains and losses in April,” Parker said.

“Avocados are a perfect example of the pricing conundrum in the current marketplace. The average price per pound for avocados was down 26.6 percent in April 2023 versus April 2022. This prompted a year-on-year increase of 10.5 percent in pounds, but it meant dollar sales fell by 19 percent.” Other items with increased volume sales were melons, mandarins, pineapples and mixed fruit. 

Items with increased dollar sales in April compared with last year were berries, bananas, melons, pineapples and mixed fruit.    

“Vegetables experienced a more mixed performance in April,” Watson said. “Three items increased pound sales, being onions, peppers and cucumbers, though more managed to grow year-over-year dollar sales with the help of price increases.

The dual power of value versus convenience can be seen in sales for both lettuce and salad kits, the number three and four sellers. However, whereas lettuce grew dollar sales, salad kits’ sales decreased in both pounds and dollars. 

In April, fresh vegetables added $41.6 million in additional dollars versus April 2022 whereas total fruit lost $10 million year-over-year. 

Berries were the biggest contributor to new produce dollars, followed by potatoes, melons and lettuce. Melons increased on the combination of inflation and increased demand, whereas the additional dollars for berries, potatoes and lettuce were inflationary gains.

While the meat department had the highest sales in April at $6.5 billion, produce was in second. While the meat department experienced a decline in dollar sales, the produce department was the only one to achieve dollar and unit growth versus April 2022 levels. 

For more produce news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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Eardley recently reflected on his years in the industry and his plans for retirement.

Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eardley worked at his father’s small supermarket when he was young. While in college, he began working part-time with D&W Food Centers in Grand Rapids. That job led to an almost 30-year career with the company.

His boss at D&W asked Eardley to take over the deli. Even though Eardley said he didn’t know much about the department at that time, his boss recognized his love of food. “He said, delis and bakeries need to take care of a customer need…so we really started focusing on what the customer need was that we were filling and how did we do that.”

Eardley recalled how the late Carol Christison, then president of IDDBA, took him in the mid-1990s to San Antonio for a retail management forum and introduced him to H-E-B. When D&W was sold, H-E-B reached out and asked him to come to Texas. There, he served as director of deli, cheese and prepared foods. 

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Eardley served on the board of directors for IDDBA. Christison died in March 2014, and the board began a search for her replacement. Two board members contacted Eardley and asked for input as to what to look for when hiring a new president. 

He put together a position paper on six influencers, or foundational elements, that he saw as changing the industry: food safety, consolidation, technology, competition, lack of young people seeking jobs in the industry and building a sense of community and connection. After reading his paper, the board asked Eardley to interview for the position. “They agreed with what my vision was and hired me.”

Beginning his new role in August 2014, he said the first thing he did was “to learn.” He sat down and talked with every staff member, from receptionist to vice president. He brought back the association’s long-range planning committee to help define IDDBA’s role going forward.

After looking internally and externally, they came to realize that buyers and sellers intersect around food. 

Eardley said he often talks about bakeries and delis being less about products and more about customization to customer needs. “We give you that opportunity to customize the product mix – what you need – instead of telling if you want this, you have to buy this.”

IDDBA is “an essential resource and a leader to enable those buyers and sellers to align. And if they’re aligned, then we can deliver those relevant solutions to the consumer to fill their needs. We help them find the answer to their needs.”

As IDDBA has evolved over the years, Eardley said changing the show to become customer focused, making it easy to shop and have conversations was important, along with providing education and relevant information to members.

“I feel great that we’ve moved those things forward.”

The COVID-19 pandemic and two years of no IDDBA Show and no revenue was one of his most difficult challenges. “We had to focus very much on how are we going to hold ourselves together so that we can fill the needs of the industry as we come back together. I think we were able to do that.”

He said IDDBA staff has “done a phenomenal job” working alongside the board of directors and to achieve the long-range planning goals. 

“It’s a challenge. It’s managing through change, but I think those things that challenge you make you stronger in the end. I firmly believe that Dave [Haaf, new president and CEO] and the leaders that are here are going to be able to come back around.”

While he can’t predict the future, Eardley said he believes the areas of deli and bakery need more networking, not less, adding it is “very necessary to still get the industry together in one place.” 

Consolidation of companies, new technology and increased competition are bringing different people to the show now.

“I think that IDDBA is uniquely positioned to bring the people together to find solutions for the evolving industry.”

Eardley said the association is focused on attracting young people to the industry, whether through scholarships or bringing students to the show floor. This year, a group of culinary students from Los Angeles will be working in the What’s In Store Live area.

“They’ll see our show floor, and they’ll have time to have conversations and networking opportunities with the exhibitors and retailers. They’ll be able to see how the work comes together in the supermarket world. And we’re hoping that some of those culinary students are going to say, you know, this is a much better opportunity for our future than working in a restaurant.”

Noting that a number of his contemporaries are retiring, Eardley said “it’s pretty necessary that we bring new, free thinkers who can really take our focus of taking care of a customer with needs for higher quality food and take them to a whole other level.”

Eardley, who describes himself as focused on lifelong learning, said he is looking at retirement as a career choice. He has a three-ring binder, separated into sections – needs, wants, desires and directions. He has a bookcase filled with books he has wanted to read over the years but “never had the time to do it the right way.” He wants to devote time to reading, exercising, relaxing, volunteering and staying in contact with people who can challenge his thoughts and ideas.

“If you don’t challenge yourself, you’re going to get old and you’re not going to be happy. I hope to have conversations, and I hope that somebody decides that I can help them, whether it’s my ideas, my knowledge, my skill sets. I would hope that somebody could see that value to their work. Whether it’s a phone call or whether it’s a consulting gig, I’m wide open to that as long as it’s positive for me and positive for them.”

Eardley will miss the staff and board of directors at IDDBA and all the people who have helped him to learn, grow and evolve over the years.

“That’s why I have that call section in my book. I don’t ever want to lose those connections with all the people that are out there. It’s pretty amazing how many people do so much and stay so connected in this industry.”

Eardley will be recognized at a celebration for his retirement at 6 p.m. June 5 at the IDDBA Show.

For more information, visit iddba.org.

To read Eardley’s retirement announcement shared by The Shelby Report, click here.

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“Announcing our main stage lineup always comes with such anticipation and I am honored to make the official announcement,” said Whitney Atkins, VP of marketing for IDDBA. “Without further ado, IDDBA will welcome Padma Lakshmi, Alton Brown and Tom Hanks to center stage.”

Padma Lakshmi is an Emmy-nominated food expert, television producer, host and a New York Times best-selling author. 

Lakshmi is the creator of the Hulu series Taste the Nation (winner of the 2021 Critics Choice Award) and serves as host and executive producer of Bravo’s two-time Emmy-winning series Top Chef. 

A Peabody Award-winning cook, Brown created, wrote and hosted “Good Eats” as a leader of the first Food Network generation, revolutionizing culinary programming.

Brown, a best-selling author, film maker and TV personality, will share with attendees how he creates food and culinary entertainment and experiences that are enjoyed by millions around the globe.

Hanks, an award-winning actor, producer, director and writer, needs no introduction to a stage. He recently debuted his novel “The Making Of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece” on May 9. He is also the creator of Hanx For Our Troops, a consumer packaged goods company with 100 percent of the profits benefiting veterans and their families.

For more information about the 2023 IDDBA show, visit IDDBA.org.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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