IDDBA’s “What’s In Store 2017” report outlines key trends across channels.

Today’s shoppers place high value on convenience and seamless shopping experiences, according to “What’s in Store 2017, ” the latest edition of the annual trends publication from the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA), and What’s in Store Online, a collection of over 150 downloadable graphs and tables, as well as links to white papers and trends articles.

Other findings in the book’s “Channels and Competition” chapter include:

• The greatest percentage increase in store count has come from non-traditional channels, including warehouse clubs, supercenters, dollar stores and convenience stores.
• Despite the growth of e-commerce in food retail, brick-and-mortar stores are most important to the digital-savvy Millennials and Gen Zers.
• Food retailers are the No. 1 source for convenient meal solutions, outpacing both restaurant delivery and online meal/ingredient kit channels.

“Today’s consumers have a growing selection of food channels to choose from and they are seeking services and experiences in addition to just purchasing groceries,” said Eric Richard, education coordinator, IDDBA. “Retailers in tune with consumer shopping patterns can set their stores apart from other retail channels—both traditional and nontraditional—and enable them to better compete in the ever-evolving retail market space.”

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. Through five themes, readers gain new insights and learn about marketplace influences. They are:

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

This themed narrative is 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 inform readers why the data matters; key insights; more original 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.