Nonfoods

Stevia was one of the stars at last week’s Natural Products Expo East. Hundreds of new products making use of the all-natural and calorie-free sweetener are expected to hit the market in the coming months.

Sustainability means different things to different people. Asked to identify what the term means to them, consumers most frequently respond “the ability to last over time” (76 percent) and “the ability to support oneself.” Sustainability is also strongly associated with environmental concerns, whereby consumers are being challenged to develop and express an “eco-consciousness” in their daily habits and purchases. Thus, nearly half of consumers associate sustainability with conserving natural resources and with recycling.

The food industry continues to provide U.S. consumers with valuable information on staying healthy. But the challenge remains in the retailers’ hands to help those consumers — retail customers — determine which message, which lifestyle, which choice is right for them.

Zola has launched a new low calorie Açaí juice naturally sweetened with Stevia.

In this fifth of a six-part series, Dave Nazaruk, senior vice president, retail business development for StayWell/MediMedia USA, a leading provider of patient education and consumer health information, continues his exploration of the role of retail in revolutionizing health care and the economy.

As the latest in a series of executive changes occurring at Supervalu, Duncan Mac Naughton, 47, has resigned as EVP of merchandising and marketing. No reason was given for his departure, which follows on the heels of the departures of two other senior executives -- Mike Jackson, Supervalu’s former president/COO, and Kevin Tripp, EVP and Midwest Retail division president -- who both left the company in mid-August amid a realignment of the Minneapolis-based retailer’s leadership structure.

Coming so soon after last fall’s near-collapse of the global financial system, the 2008 holiday-shopping season was doomed from the start. Now, with an economic landscape that features some signs of recovery alongside plenty of lousy numbers (and plenty of consumer anxiety), how can we expect 2009’s holiday-shopping season to pan out? Some early forecasts suggest we’ll see another less-than-robust season, though one that offers some opportunities to marketers who are in sync with the current consumer mood.

It’s not news for grocers that consumers are looking for deals and more bang for their buck. But this year’s “What’s in Store 2010,: the trends report from the International Dairy•Deli•Bakery Association™ (IDDBA), confirms that many consumers have changed their spending habits, with more than half of shoppers saying they’re buying less in the deli and prepared foods areas.