Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 5th Edition

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Natural and Organic Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition

The marketplace for natural and organic foods and beverages is undergoing tremendous expansion and change. At the retail level, while Whole Foods Market remains the dominant natural foods supermarket chain, itfaces challenge from Trader Joe’s and No. 1 supermarket operator Kroger Co., which maintains almost 2,800 stores across the country under regional banners including Kroger, Ralph’s, and Harris Teeter. Kroger now sells about $11 billion in natural and organic food products annually, making it the third-largest player in organic foods industry after Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Meanwhile, drawn by attractive consumer demographics, a higher growth rate than conventional foods, and a healthier aura, major food companies and private equity firms are buying or making large investments in natural and organic food and beverage companies. For example, in July 2016, France’s Danone SA announced that it will acquire The WhiteWave Foods Co. in a $10 billion transaction by the end of 2016, while General Mills claims it is now the third largest natural and organic food maker in the United States. In addition, responding to consumer demand for more company transparency and cleaner formulation, big brands are overhauling products and portfolios in hopes of winning over natural-leaning consumers. Many consumers seek out organic (36% of the 1,914 U.S. respondents surveyed by Packaged Facts) or natural foods and beverages (42%) when shopping for food. In particular, a good selection of organic fruits and vegetables can be a game-changer in determining where consumers grocery shop.

Report Scope & Methodology

This completely revised report, Natural and Organic Foods in the U.S., Fifth Edition, is divided into six chapters. After the Executive Summary, the Overview chapter presents an overview of this dynamic market segment, analyzing sales and industry growth potential, and identifying key issues and trends that will affect the marketplace through 2021. The next chapter, Retail Trends, examines the upsurge of retail competition, profiling 17 retailers including Albertsons, Amazon.com, Costco, Farmers Markets, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, and more. The Marketers chapter lists major marketers and their natural/organic brands, discusses the influx of private label into this marketplace, and profiles seven key marketers and their marketing positions. Marketing and New Product Trends highlights key trend in the natural/organic market, including clean label, ingredients trends, and trends by food and beverage categories. The Consumer chapter analyzes data from a proprietary Packaged Facts National Consumer Survey conducted in July-August 2016, examining consumer attitudes and behaviors toward natural/organic foods and beverages as well as retail shopping patterns. Included are copious tables, charts, graphs, and illustrations that reinforce and make points in the text easy to grasp.

In addition to the Packaged Facts consumer survey, our primary research for Natural and Organic Foods in the U.S. entailing interviews with members of the industry, and on-site examination of products in retail stores. Secondary research involved evaluating and comparing data and reports from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and trade associations such as the Organic Trade Association (OTA); and reviewing more than 600 articles in consumer and industry publications, websites, and blogs; annual reports, earnings call transcripts, and marketing literature of individual companies; and other reports by Packaged Facts. Secondary research involved evaluating and comparing data and reports from government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and trade associations such as the Organic Trade Association (OTA); and reviewing more than 600 articles in consumer and industry publications, websites, and blogs; annual reports, earnings call transcripts, and marketing literature of individual companies; and other reports by Packaged Facts.