The changing landscape of supermarkets

After a devastating pandemic, it is easy to see changes in how we purchase food. Bi-weekly trips to the supermarket have given way to online orders and contactless delivery. One expert believes that the new trends won’t stop there.

COVID-19 triggered long-term changes in the food industry, and Phil Lempert, known as the Supermarket Guru, says U.S. Soy is poised to capitalize on the trends but farmers will also need to change the way they do business.

"It's about the relationship," he says. "Relationship with the shopper, the relationship with the retailers and the relationships with manufacturers. You need to promote the soy story to every one of these manufacturers, and they are looking for new products packed with protein and health benefits."

That was one message Phil Lempert delivered to United Soybean Board (USB) directors and others during a Zoom call and appearance at a USB meeting. Lempert has dedicated his life to analyzing supermarket trends and consumer habits.

Known as The Supermarket Guru®, Lempert is an author and speaker who alerts customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends. In 1994 he founded SupermarketGuru.com. A leading food and health resource on the Internet, visited by more than 9 million people each year. Lempert makes regular appearances on NBC News' Today show, Fox News and CNN.

Polly Ruhland, CEO of USB, welcomed Lempert during the board meeting.

"There are only two points in the system where new material enters the soy chain," Ruhland said. "One is you, the farmers, of course. The other is where money enters the system. Money only enters the system at the consumer level. So if farmers want to make money, it's a good idea to pay attention to what consumers want and what consumers are thinking."

Lempert believes that the work to brand U.S. Soy has positioned farmers ahead of unstable fads and positioned the protein as part of a long-term trend.

"You are on the mark," he said. "The wind is at your back, and don't forget that. The most important thing to consider is the difference between trends and fads."

For Lempert, Trends are long-lasting and explainable. Alternatively, fads are spur of the moment and fade quickly.

"Think sea monkeys from comic books," he says. "That's a fad. Fads make headlines quickly, and they fade just as quickly."

Lempert says that trends have multiple brands and consumers across all ages and ethnic groups.

"There is no crop more important than soy when we look at the land, the soil, the air, the water,” he says. “You need to pat yourselves on the back, and you have a miracle product that you are growing from a health standpoint from a planet standpoint. You should be proud of what you grow and be out there to tell the world about your message."

What is the future of the supermarket? Lempert believes that the pandemic produced changes that won't soon disappear. Grocery stores will continue their sanitary measures to increase customer service. Shopping by appointment could become a reality to limit the number of customers in the store, and there could be scheduled times for elderly shoppers or shoppers with specific needs.

"The front half of the store is going to be fun," Lempert says. "You can talk to Betty, the baker or the butcher. All of the fresh produce and bakery items will be available for me to choose and it will cut down on my time in that store."

He says that the back of the store will have prepackaged items, think staples, that you choose before visiting the store and will be ready for your purchase. He says that that is a change from the current model's inefficiencies.

"To find a handful of items today, you have to walk past 40,000 products," he says. "That's not very efficient."

Lempert told the farmer leaders that plant-based foods are an emerging trend, but it will be essential to dispel the misinformation for soy to capitalize on the momentum.

"There's a lot of confusion about soy," he says. "We need to capture those shoppers' misconceptions and correct them. After we cross off those three things (misconceptions), let's look for another three things. This is a 365-day-a-year job."

Lempert says that understanding the consumer is crucial for success. Finding the wow in soy and telling the consumers that story will make it the preferential ingredient in many products.