Retailers are expanding their product lines to attract today’s sophisticated shopper.

International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) has released its “What’s in Store 2017” report showcasing the trends ahead in 2017. This year’s edition of the annual report includes a collection of over 150 downloadable graphs and tables, as well as links to white papers and trends articles.

The report shows that today’s retailers are focusing less on overall growth and more on shopper behavior, including developing smaller, more productive stores; digital retailing and online shopping; and more tailored assortment strategies by region and season.

Other findings in the book’s “Economy & Retail Trends” chapter include:

• Top hurdles facing retailers include vulnerability of regional supply chains to natural and external disasters, continued growth of e-commerce, and continued consolidation.
• Transparency, social responsibility, and traceability continue to be important issues and considerations among retailers and manufacturers.
• Private label in the United States continues to grow and is a sector that grocers continue to explore, as consumers no longer view these as no-name, lowest price, and lesser option products.

“Shopper behavior is playing a direct role in the future of the retail food industry,” said Eric Richard, education coordinator, IDDBA. “From store design and online shopping options to increased sustainability and transparency in the products, retailers are creating an engaging atmosphere—both brick-and-mortar and online—and expanding their product lines to attract and retain today’s sophisticated shoppers.”

With over 30 years of credible reporting, What’s in Store is an essential resource for dairy, deli, bakery, foodservice, and cheese departments and industries, providing vital data on retail and market trends, growth, and category changes shaping the food industry. What’s in Store is a secondary resource that is developed through both interviews with industry experts and sourcing third-party data and trends.

This year’s edition again features a continuous storyline to improve user efficiency and provide greater clarity for professionals needing to understand today’s retail world. Readers gain new insights and learn about marketplace influences through five themes:

• The Economy & Retail Trends
• Channels and Competition
• Consumer Lifestyles
• Eating Trends
• Technology and Marketing

This themed narrative is then carried into each of the product chapters: Bakery, Cheese, Dairy, and Deli. The new format, exclusive interview content, and inclusion of key insights, table interpretations, data callouts, and testimonials enable the reader to more efficiently tie back to the broader context and then dig deeper in each of the product sections.

Additionally, What’s in Store 2017 features redesigned tables, infographics that explain why the data matters, key insights, expert interviews, and more graphics to illustrate best-in-class examples.

IDDBA members receive a free copy of What’s in Store as part of their membership. Additional copies may be purchased; the price per copy is $99 for members and $399 for nonmembers.

For more information contact IDDBA at (608) 310-5000 or visit iddba.org.