Already a hybrid of restaurants and retail, grocery foodservice programs straddle concurrent shopper interest in convenient, high quality, good-tasting, nutritious and safe meals, snacks and drinks. Consumers may not be able to share a utensil at the hot food or soup bar, but they do share many common needs that can be met at a store’s foodservice area.

To specifically tackle the tough subject of racial equity, FMI is partnering with the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) in an initiative to facilitate food industry conversations around the issues of Racial Justice, Inclusion and Diversity. The goal of the initiative is to create a safe environment that encourages food organizations to have productive, transparent exchanges and work together to promote a more inclusive and equitable future for everyone in the food industry.

As private brands grow into robust brands in their own right, it’s more important than ever to get the word out to shoppers. That’s why FMI recently explored whether getting store associates more engaged can make a difference. In conducting research for our annual private brands reports, we surveyed food retailers on whether front-line store associates are engaged with private brand products and in-store execution.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a giant learning experience about many things — and one of these is how consumer perspectives are shifting.