Canadian Retailer - Summer 2016 - 29

itians. With so many New Age charlatans
operating in the healthcare arena, the certified educations of registered dietitians give
customers greater sureness in the advice
they're given, says Miller.
Healthy made easy

Grocers mount dozens of health-related
initiatives each day. An important one, available at most grocery stores with in-store
dietitians, is guided tours for school groups,
scout troops, and customers recently diagnosed with diabetes. For diabetic customers, the dietitian takes the customer through
the store, shows them foods suitable to their
new dietary needs, and teaches them how to
read labels. For those who don't know how to
prepare the meals, the dietitian and resident
chef can make the meal in the store kitchen
and deliver one-on-one counselling to help
the customer adjust to their new realities.
The response to these initiatives has been
"wonderful," says Yurchesyn. According to
Emily Foster, a dietitian with Loblaw, the
many initiatives have had measurable in-

creased health outcomes, including lower blood pressure and
lower blood sugar readings.
For most customers, the biggest roadblock to healthier eating is time. The reality is that many people don't know how to
buy healthier food. Loblaw and others are taking cues from
marketing initiatives in Europe and creating "meals in a
box"-a program that gives customers a copy of a recipe and
all the ingredients to make that meal in one spot. The program will reduce food waste and do the legwork needed to
eat healthier. And because customers get the exact portion of
ingredients the recipe calls for, they might be more willing to
try healthy meals using ingredients they wouldn't normally
buy, like pine nuts. Who wants to buy a one-pound bag of pine
nuts so they can have the quarter-cup the recipe needs?
By creating environments that sustain beneficial behaviour, like healthy eating, grocers hope to build their customer
base in a positive direction-towards the produce section, if
you will, and away from the pork rinds.
Foster says the services component, like dietitians and responsive pharmacists, are an integral part of the equation. Dietitians help with sampling products and discussing food choices.
By having a dietitian endorse a product, they can generate lift,
even if the product has a higher ticket price. "We are a customer
service role," she says. "We improve customer service and turn
questions [on the floor] into health conversations."

38AWARDS
North America's most iconic brands rely on our packaging and
design solutions to break through the noise. Purchase decisions
are made in the blink of an eye. We make those 3 seconds count.
12 PAC GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS
9 STORE BRANDS INNOVATION AWARDS
9 VERTEX AWARDS

4 PLMA SALUTE TO EXCELLENCE AWARDS
4 RETAIL COUNCIL OF CANADA, CANADIAN
GRAND PRIX NEW PRODUCT AWARDS

IMPACTFUL DESIGN.

WINNING SALES RESULTS.

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Contact: Robert Lewocz | Content Group
robert.lewocz@stjoseph.com | 416.248.4868

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Summer 2016