2020 changed the way we sell and buy groceries. It exposed inequities and serious issues in our food system. Reimagining a stronger and more equitable food system begins with leveling the playing field for natural retailers and brands. For example, while it is true that it costs more for organic products, much of the cost comes from all the layers of inefficiency in the food system.

Let’s fix this and make it easier for natural brands and retailers to thrive.

Big brands and retailers have access to resources not available in natural at any cost. But those resources commoditize and overlook what makes natural, natural—and that is good news for us. Use this opportunity to give your store and your brand a significant and substantial competitive advantage. These are some of the most effective tactics I used as a Grocery Manager as well as National Category Manager. They can work for you too!

You’ve been taught that all you need to grow and scale a brand are generic reports. Nothing could be further from the truth. The same cookie-cutter strategies and reports conventional brands and retailers use won’t differentiate your store or your brand. Here’s why this matters. Natural brands are driving the key growth trends across nearly every category and channel. Our customers are fueling those trends. Get to know your ideal customers on an intimate basis as you would a close friend. Tapping into those insights will give you instant access to actionable insights not available to big brands and big retailers. This was the focus ofHow Do You Future Proof Your Store In Uncertain Times?,the free webinarWholeFoodsMagazine partnered with me on. You can watch the replay atRetailSolved.com/FutureProofYourStore.

My free weekly webinar series was launched to answer your most pressing questions. I’ve compiled the questions asked into a 30 Days To Prosperity Series—available on the Retail Solved Brand Secrets and Strategies podcast and YouTube channel.

The strategy is simply this: Natural brands need to provide actionable insights to their retail partners that other brands overlook. Natural retailers need to identify key brands capable of supporting them at that level.

Let me give you an example of how this works. Committed LOHAS shoppers will go out of their way to buy local clean label products that align with their values. They then purchase complementary products across different categories. They do not settle and they are less price sensitive than mainstream shoppers. Therefore, they are more valuable than mainstream shoppers.

Making it easy for LOHAS shoppers to find and buy everything on their shopping list in your store while not giving them reason to shop your competition will give you the edge you deserve. This is the focus of the 30 Days To Prosperity series. These strategies are even more impactful when you apply what you learn from the #NaturallyInformed series from WholeFoodsMagazine and Trust Transparency Center.