Supermarket Perimeter - February 2021 - 14

" I think retailers are going to increase their stock on grocery staples
such as pasta, rice, beans, and other canned goods that have longer
shelf lives, " she said. " I think this is true for the frozen category as well. "
Barons' perimeter departments, meanwhile, will deﬁnitely look
different going forward. Take the self-serve bulk bins that were hit so
hard during the pandemic.
" The convenience and safety of pre-packing bulk items has become
a real hit with our customers so we're not sure if we'll ever go back to
self-serve bulk bins, " she said.
Grab 'n go, pre-packaged entrees, on the other hand, were trending
upward before the pandemic, and that should continue post-pandemic,
Shemirani said. They were a big hit for shoppers sick of cooking at
home but unable or unwilling to go out to eat.
" Customers loved these as quick meals prior to the pandemic and relied
on them even more when 'cooking fatigue' set in during the pandemic. "
Other areas of the fresh perimeter that suffered disproportionately
during the pandemic remain question marks heading into the new
normal, Shemirani said.
" We would love nothing more than to re-open our self-serve salad
bars, hot bars, olive bars and soup bars, " she said. " If you can believe it,
we've had customers asking us when they'll re-open. "
While Barons is expecting to keep its self-serve bars closed and to
continue stocking the bars with pre-packaged olives, salads, entrees
and other foods, the retailer will wait to take the lead from its customers

as to if and when they can reopen them. " We're very hopeful that we
can reopen the self-serve bars. "
Barons is also responding to manufacturers who are limiting their
product selection, which will mean limited choice for the customer -
which, Shemirani said, isn't a bad thing.
" Retailers will have to stock their shelves now on what products are
available to them, which will lead to more creative merchandising. "
The pandemic, she added, has challenged the retail grocery industry
in so many ways - Barons, she said, has " learned so much while
continuing to learn so much. "
Being forced to adapt and change has made the industry more
ﬂexible and more nimble, she said.
" While we make efforts to plan for the rest of the year, we know that
those plans can change in a moment - and we'll be ready for it. "

Health to the forefront
Moberly expects to see some retailers increase their labor and staff
their hot-bars and salad bars to allow the same level of customizability
consumers have previously had, while allowing their employees to
serve consumers to ensure a level food safety.
Another area where retailers can engage with shoppers in 2021, he
added, is supporting them in their quest to be healthier. While health
and wellness are already major factors in consumer decisions (65%
of US adults claim to eat healthy foods most or all the time), more

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