Local produce - could food retailers catch a seasonal cold?

Even though virtually anything the heart desires is available with just a click, a growing movement of sustainability advocates are (and to be precise, we are not talking about the disagreeably pious ‘wear-it-on-a-T-shirt’ types here, but maybe it’s your colleague or neighbour), consciously navigating and in some respects rejecting certain benefits of ultimate convenience and choice – opting for a more local and seasonal approach to food shopping, because to them, it just makes good sense and also feels good.

Call for better food supply chain scrutiny

There are an increasing number of organisations campaigning for better scrutiny around responsible food management, including the UN’s Sustainable Gastronomy Day, to be held on 18th June.  Calling for a reappraisal of our food supply chain – the initiative considers where the ingredients are from, how the food is grown, how it gets to our markets and eventually to our plates. Could this spell that a shake-up in UK food retailing is looming?

Possibly. Retailers are equipped with vast amounts of data, enabling them to predict trends and identify patterns in our shopping habits. Sophisticated market and category analysis will have prompted grocery businesses to showcase local provenance as a key unique selling point within their marketing plans. With national coverage, it’s been possible for retailers such as M&S to feature regional or local growers and farmers on their ‘above-the-line’ campaigns – appealing to an audience keen to support British products and locally sourced goods.

Farm shop chic

Consider the rise of the local farm shop. Who doesn’t love whiling away an hour or two, sampling (if you are fortunate) the characteristically intoxicating display of locally produced wines and spirits – and loading up on the farm’s fresh meat, fruit and veg?

Farm shop ‘sustainable chic’ is the modern take on its older cousin – ‘shabby chic.’ With cues from the natural world, the calming environment triggers a reset mode, encouraging the shopper to browse beautiful arts and crafts, slowly and deliberately picking their way through the extra-wide aisles, around low-level display gondolas and plinths, or handmade repurposed display cupboards – rewarded with clear sight lines across the store, with none of the irritating circling and zigzagging back and forth.

Point of sale display is thoughtful and concise. Products ranges are tight and merchandised in clearly defined categories, often surrounded by glass, natural wood, stone or living plant materials. The overall environment strives to be the restful antidote to the traditional grocery store setup, better ventilated and well-lit, which undoubtedly contributes to the inevitable indulgent, feel-good response we experience, even as we come away a few pink notes lighter than we’d planned.

Sustainable food production – Are the avocado’s days numbered?

So, what might the future look like for food retailing if more of us seek out the humble conference pear as the snack of choice, when autumn approaches? How many of us will celebrate our local rhubarb harvest – ditching the much-maligned, exotic avocado as we attempt to reduce our food miles?

Initiatives such as the 15 minute city planning concept may be the catalyst for change and could already be on one or two of the sharper grocery giant’s war-gaming radar – as they try to conjure how a disrupter might challenge the status quo, possibly in the form of ‘scaling up’ the farm shop model, or partnering with a subscription based fruit and vegetable home delivery outfit, like ethical operator Modern Milkman.

While causing some disquiet in specific communities anticipating a more sinister purpose, the theory is rooted in ensuring residents have access to employment, amenities and services, such as shops, healthcare, education, entertainment and green spaces, all within 15 minutes walking or cycling distance. The bonus trade off, is a reduction in local car and bus journeys – reducing air pollution and lowering our individual carbon footprint.

Reimagining 21st Century food retailing

But even as extending the farm shop model and creating a more extensive network of ‘home grown’ food producers, supported by a local workforce, supplying local shops that feed local people – does seem to be rolling back the years to the pre-industrial age, you can envisage the benefit of overlaying current long haul and overseas supply chain routes to supplement customer choice. It’s like using global connectivity to mop up the odd extravagance here and there, with a premium price ticket of course.

The Impulse Point of Purchase design team is continuously evaluating the retail POS display environment and acting on shopping trends to innovate where it adds value most, offering our clients ever more flexible, more sustainable, bespoke permanent and semi-permanent display solutions – smoothing the path to commercial cleaner, greener, food retailing.