Retail

It’s crunch time for retailers. To attract new customers, retain current customers and plan for long-term, consistent sales growth, several retailers revealed new stores, marketing strategies and location plays over the last week.

With consumer desire for healthy and natural items firmly solidified, Hy-Vee announced it is ready to expand its HealthMarket to a wider array of its stores. The expansion is part of several corporate restructuring efforts at the company’s West Des Moines headquarters.

Retailers like Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market and 7-Eleven are redefining their strategies and expanding their store counts to see their profits bloom this spring.

An annual health and wellness progress report conducted by Consumer Goods Forum found that 66 percent of reporting companies reformulated products in 2016. But of those companies, roughly 27 percent made their policies regarding nutrition and product formulation public.

With millennial consumers taking root in cities, retailers have realized it’s time to adapt and create store formats that appeal to this unique generation. In the Boston metro area, Ahold Delhaize has been quietly testing their own urban format: bfresh market.

In the last year, SHANTI has seen 300 percent growth, according to the company. It’s now sold in over 500 stores including Whole Foods Markets Florida region and Bed Bath & Beyond nationwide, and is adding more in the months to come. And with an official partnership with Team U.S.A. goalie, Hope Solo, it doesn’t look like they’ll be making any back passes in marketing efforts, either.

After the holiday season winds down, consumers approach the new year filled with good intentions and New Year’s resolutions centered around healthy eating, personal growth, and financial goals around savings. This year, retailers including Aldi, Whole Foods Market and Earth Fare have approached January with their own resolutions around similar topics.