EDITOR’S NOTE: Healthy Holidays

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and Christmas and Hanukkah looming, grocers seeking to further nourish their bottom lines would be wise to focus on helping shoppers make the most nutritious choices for the season. Indeed, the holidays shouldn’t be an excuse to jettison one’s commitment to healthy eating entirely, although smart indulgences can certainly be permitted.

What can supermarket operators do to encourage shoppers not to fall off the healthy-eating wagon? For starters, they can stock plenty of lower-sodium, no-sugar-added, gluten-free and reduced-fat versions of holiday favorites, place them on prominent display, advertise them in weekly circulars and further sweeten the deal with discounts and cross-promotions when possible. Additional incentives include recipes using the healthier products (like the ones recently offered by Dannon Oikos, in-store sampling, and spotlighting better-for-you items in e-newsletters and social media forums.

Such moves may not convert all consumers, especially during periods that many view as prime time for festive food free-for-alls, but they will aid those who are trying to stick to healthier eating habits maintain their diets (and waistlines) during a time normally fraught with culinary temptation. Perhaps most important for grocers, these tactics will inspire lasting loyalty in shoppers, who’ll know that their go-to grocery store has their back when it comes to health and wellness.

All of us at Progressive Grocer wish you healthy sales as well as a healthy, happy holiday season.