Alternative Formats Threaten Supermarket Dominance.

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. -- The competitive environment in food retailing has evolved dramatically over the past decade as supercenters and dollar stores have chipped away at the territory once championed by the traditional supermarket. Traditional grocers continue to grow in volume but are losing share to the faster-growing, non-traditional grocery sector. That trend and others on market share shifts, including a first look at 2004 data, will be reviewed at The Outlook for Food Retailing Through 2008, a webinar from The Food Institute featuring Willard Bishop Consulting on Jan. 18.

Don't count out traditional grocers just yet, however. One area of growth is limited-assortment stores where brands are beginning to find ways to systematically displace private label by delivering more of what the retailers "want to give to their customers." In addition, there is also some strength below the surface within conventional supermarkets where we see the growth of the natural/health food supermarkets.

"It's evident that traditional retailers must find and deliver on meaningful points of difference. We can expect a lot of emphasis from traditional retailers on differentiation strategies while, at the same time, they place less emphasis on products and prices that'll be available across the market," commented Bill Bishop, of Willard Bishop Consulting.

Food sales at supercenters operated by industry giants such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Meijer are getting ready to surpass food/drug combo stores. According to new data from Willard Bishop Consulting which will be presented at the webinar, consumer packaged goods manufacturers and other suppliers can expect that they will increasingly be asked to accommodate their go-to-market strategies to play specific roles that help individual retailers successfully deliver their own value propositions.

Sign up today for The Outlook for Food Retailing Through 2008, The Food Institute's webinar at 2:00 PM (EST) Jan. 18 where you will find out what's driving these changes and how to react to these changes. Furthermore, you will have an opportunity to have your specific questions answered directly. Click here or go to http://www.foodinstitute.com/WBCwebinar.cfm to register today. You can also call Sue Antista at 201-791-5570, ext. 12 or e-mail [e-mail] for more information.