FMI - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

In much the same way that shoppers no longer interact with stores as they once did, FMI members want different ways to learn. They seek experiences that will help them master practical tools, exposure to trends with insights they can apply quickly and connections with potential partners and resources that can help them solve challenges. To address these new ways our members consume information, in 2017 we instituted a number of changes to FMI education programs.

The grocery industry is at a critical tipping point. In January 2017, Nielsen and FMI embarked on a multi-year initiative to explore this unprecedented digital transformation. Initial findings from FMI’s The Digitally Engaged Food Shopper study demonstrated that shoppers are already highly engaged with purchasing food online; however, retailers and manufacturers have yet to develop profitable e-commerce strategies that meet today’s consumer expectations.

This is where FMI adds significant value to its members and their trading partners. Through our Emerging Issues initiative, we identify issues that have the greatest potential to affect the food industry in the next three to five years.

2017 was a record-setting year for the FMI Foundation. In January, the Foundation launched a completely re-designed fundraising event that included a lively cooking competition designed to accentuate the FUN in Fundraising and celebrate the good grocers do to support family meals.

FMI’s 2017 work in clarifying shopper expectations of transparency, addressing consumer concerns and highlighting community service helped better frame the food retail picture and sharpened industry focus on the customer’s craving of personalized service.