Dietitians are Valued Voice for Rice with Consumers

 
Jan 11, 2017
Rice sampling during Kroger's Wellness Festival
Valued-Dietitians-@-Kroger,-Wellness-Festival-Rice-Sampling
ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. shoppers consider their primary grocery store an ally in their health goals, and look to in-store retail dietitians to help navigate the grocery aisles to make healthier choices when it comes to food.  

“Nutrition plays a vital role in prevention and management of chronic disease,” says Samantha Woulfe, a community dietitian at Jewel-Osco, a supermarket chain with 185 stores across the Midwest.  “We like to show our customers that healthy choices start in the grocery store and promoting rice is important because rice is a versatile and budget-friendly way to incorporate healthy grains into family meals.”

Last fall, USA Rice partnered with Jewel-Osco’s “Build a Better Basket” program where U.S.-grown rice was promoted to shoppers through the retailer’s quarterly newsletter, weekly ad circular, blog, social media, and through in-store, point-of-sale signage.  

“With an overall 12 percent sales lift in the rice category and customer interaction via social media, we feel it was a successful campaign,” says Wolfe.  “In the future, we hope to work with USA Rice for another promotion and show a higher increase.”

As the number of retail dietitians is increasing, they are becoming a more integral part in helping grocery chains meet sales goals.  “As retail dietitians, we want to help our customers realize the full array of healthful options available to them inside our stores,” said Allison Kuhn, director of retail dietetics at The Little Clinic at Kroger.  “The ability to share relevant, up-to-date information about commodities, such as rice, means more peace of mind, convenience, and better choices for our shoppers.”

USA Rice sponsored tasting and learning stations at The Little Clinic’s wellness festivals at Kroger stores in four cities including Denver, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Nashville. “USA Rice was a great partner for our in-store outreach providing simple recipes and nutritional information that was beneficial for our shoppers,” said Kuhn.

“Sharing resources, such as the retail dietitian toolkit, with a greater network of retail dietitians helps USA Rice continue to build relationships with this influential and credible audience,” said Paul Galvani, chairman of the USA Rice Retail Subcommittee.  “This spring, we’ll be working with retail dietitians at Redner’s and Hannaford Supermarkets to conduct in-store rice demos as well as include rice in multiple shopper communication channels.”


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