For the past decade, food retailers have experienced declining customer counts and shrinking baskets. Retailers have hoped for food inflation to make up for those declines, but that is wishful thinking of old. The industry is littered with examples of retailers who have chosen to be laggards in regards to understanding change in consumer demand, technology and competition. Factors such as the "Amazon Effect", Walmart's expansion, and a host of other challenges have hit the retailing industry.

Food retailing has seen steady growth in competition and in order to succeed, retailers must understand how to differentiate themselves.

A recent report from Jones Lang LaSalle found grocers that performed well in 2017 focused on healthy foods, affordable offerings, private labels, and improving digital platforms. It predicts trends for 2018 will include smaller and more focused stores, data driven technology, blockchain, partnerships and consolidations, and rapid checkout.

Trading relationships between retailers and manufacturers have also been impacted. Collaboration is becoming a necessity for big food manufacturers and retailers. CPGs need to understand how much time they should invest in this type of collaboration and the best strategies for execution.

To help your company address these challenges and prepare for the future, join The Food Institute and Inmar for the 2018 Future of Food Retailing webinar on June 6 at 2 pm ET. Inmar’s analytics experts Jim Hertel, Senior Vice President, and Craig Rosenblum, Senior Director, will dive further into five key steps for competing successfully in the future:

1. Eliminate price image as a vulnerability
2. Develop scalable omni-channel capabilities
3. Differentiate your stores
4. Increase the presence of private label products
5. Evolve with changing eating trends

This event is sponsored by food, consumer and agribusiness group BMO Harris Bank and Mazars LLP.

Please note: If you would like to register but cannot attend the live event, a recording will be sent to all registrants once the webinar has concluded.