3 Ways Grocers Can Up the Ante In the Cheese Aisle

Consumers continue to count on the grocery store to offer delicious meal options without a hassle—and now that many shoppers have been preparing most of their meals at home for a number of months, new and exciting flavors and recipes can offer a welcome alternative to consumers’ standby recipes.

Elevating and expanding offerings doesn’t necessitate drastic changes to grocers’ product selection, however; a handful of delicious, high-quality ingredients may be all consumers need to take their home-cooked meals and snacks to new heights.

1. Make it snackable

As consumers continue to eat at home more often, leveraging crave-worthy snacks for shoppers to enjoy between meals can be a great way to boost cart averages.

According to Technomic’s 2020 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, 41% of consumers say they typically consume snacks at work—and with a large percentage of consumers continuing to work at home, this creates an opportunity for grocers to offer variety and quality to keep things interesting.

Specialty cheeses up the indulgence-factor while minimizing—or even eliminating—any prep work for the consumer. Schuman Cheese’s Cello Snack Packs, for example, bring the perfect balance of simplicity and elevated flavors with expertly curated combinations of cheeses, nuts and dried fruits in a portable container that’s ready for consumers to open and enjoy.

2. Make it indulgent

In the same vein, specialty cheeses afford the same upgraded experience in a meal as they do in a snack, especially as consumers seek a way to shake up their typical recipes.

Grocers can offer in-store marketing to suggest premium cheeses for home cooking and help educate shoppers on attributes of specialty cheeses—which options will provide a creamer texture or a sharper flavor, for example—to help develop familiarity and keep customers coming back for more.

For example, grocers can offer inspiration for an elevated mac and cheese with authentic Swiss Gruyere from Margot Fromages in lobster mac and cheese, or Schuman’s Cello Copper Kettle Parmesan in an ultra-craveable bacon mac and cheese.

3. Make it plant-based

The rising trend of consumers demanding more plant-based options is not one to ignore. And, according to Technomic’s 2021 Center of the Plate: Seafood & Vegetarian Consumer Trend Report, consumers’ standards for quality in plant-based foods are on the rise, with consumers keeping flavor and uniqueness in mind as they shop.

Products such as Schuman Cheese’s Vevan Ched and Mozz slices and shreds offer bold flavor and supreme meltability in the flavors that are most likely to find their way into consumers’ favorite recipes. Vevan’s authentic taste and texture make for a delicious dairy-free cheese that will satisfy vegan and omnivorous shoppers alike.

Whatever consumers are craving—from craveable snacks, to upgraded offerings, to plant-based options—Schuman Cheese offers a way to bring elevated flavors to the table through approachable products consumers will come back for again and again. To learn more, visit schumancheese.com.