Through a special arrangement, what follows is a summary of a current article from Private Label Buyer, presented here for discussion.
As the population of "localvores" -- consumers who regularly purchase locally grown/procured products -- grows, retailers will continue to think of interesting ways to better serve this consumer type with their alternative store formats and private brands.
Brian Dyches, FRDI (Fellow of the Retail Design
Institute), managing director of
Atmospheric Group, a Laguna Nigel, Calif.- based international retail strategy
firm, said he believes the days of the parking lot are highly numbered -- years
from now, some retailers in certain U.S. regions could replace parking lots
with their own miniature farming communities.
And Mr. Dyches noted that retailers won't limit these "community farms" to where the parking lots used to be.
"They're going to use those rooftops to grow their own items and become localized farmers," he added. "And those [retailers] that are community-oriented will actually lease out space in those environments [to consumers], so that if you want to come and grow melons, you can grow melons."
How does this relate to locally procured products the retailer exclusively offers?
"What you don't consume, you'll be able to sell to the grocery store for credits," Mr. Dyches said, adding that stores can turn around and retail those products to consumers under their own brands.
Discussion Questions: Are community farms an answer for retailers looking to address the increased demand for locally grown fresh food? What other alternative strategies should retailers explore to reach localvores?