Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 19

D
riven by lifestyle changes, convenience food items
continue to increase in popularity, and they have been
for more than a decade. COVID just put that demand
into overdrive.
" In an instant, our customers went from eating half of their
meals away from home to cooking and eating nearly all their
meals at home, " said Nate Stewart, senior vice president of
perishables for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee.
" Many customers have longer workdays as they work remotely
or transition back to the workplace, and these customers still have
to prepare dinner and are looking for time-saving tips and easy meal
solutions. "
That makes convenience items more attractive than ever. Even
at-home chefs appreciate convenience -cooking is more fun if
some of the tedious work is done ahead of time, like chopping or
dicing vegetables. And nearly two years into the pandemic, he
added, some of those lifestyle changes and habits are sure to last
long term.
The pandemic has also greatly increased the willingness of
shoppers to buy fresh foods online, Stewart said.
" Hy-Vee has been known for its fresh departments for decades,
and our Hy-Vee Aisles Online customers want their favorite Hy-Vee
During COVID, many consumers
became comfortable buying fresh
foods online, adding to the ways
in which convenience shapes the
modern shopping experience.
perishable favorites just the same as our in-store customers. Although
we launched Aisles Online more than six years ago, the pandemic
significantly increased its popularity. We've found that our customers
are now very comfortable ordering fresh items online. "
Hy-Vee trains its employees to choose only top-quality produce
and other perishable items for its Aisles Online customers. Key to
selling fresh items successfully online is communication, Stewart
said. For instance, Hy-Vee texts or calls customers regarding any
questions or substitutes.
COOKING AT HOME - CONVENIENTLY
Regardless of what the next stage of the Covid Era looks like, consumers will build on their (for many, new) home cooking skills,
and they will look to convenience-aimed products to help them. Look for more instant pot kits and other meal solution products
to be among the convenience-centric items to make a big splash in 2022, according to Chicago-based IRI.
The post-COVID innovation landscape will see more products designed for small kitchen appliances and more meal kits with
varying degrees of prepared food, said Joan Driggs, IRI's vice president of content and thought leadership.
" There are big opportunities in meal solutions, " she said. " Even though you may consider yourself a cook, a lot of times you're
just looking for something that offers an extra layer of convenience, even if it's just for part of that meal component. "
One of the first suppliers to get on the Instant Pot bandwagon is Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods. Tyson Instant Pot Kits
are designed to cook in the Instant Pot multicooker in 20 minutes. The fully prepared kits contain chicken, rice and sauces.
Varieties include Hatch green chile chicken and rice casserole, Cajun-style chicken and rice, and teriyaki chicken and rice.
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Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022

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