Tree of Life has demonstrated itself to be among the most progressive thinkers in the area of integration. The company's proprietary “Smart Assortment” system identifies the demographics of each store's trade area before offering advice on what products to carry and how to merchandise them. Regarding integration of health and wellness items, six key questions form the basis of Tree of Life's analysis:
- Do you have the right consumer?
- Are you known for carrying natural and organic products?
- Do you have space for a store-in-store format?
- Are you committed to staffing the section with knowledgeable people?
- How do you merchandise gourmet products?
- How do you communicate at the shelf or in the aisle?
After evaluating responses, each store is guided through the product-selection process and given a list of promotional strategies inten ded to help boost sales. Common recommendations include hanging signs over the section and using bump-out shelving, green strips and shelf tags, noted Rick Moller, natural and organic category director for the Jacksonville, Fla.-based specialty food distributor.
“I believe that the next wave will be integrated, but segregated sections,” he said. Natural and organic can be shelved near mainstream products in the same category, but retailers should group them together to call out the difference, Moller added.
Tree of Life has been working closely with supermarkets across the nation to help them incorporate organics and naturals into the mix.
