Concentric’s Bob Shaw contributed thoughts to Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer’s October 2017 issue, weighing in on the massive challenges ahead for traditional retail grocery. In the article, “Under Attack!” by Denise Leathers, Bob and other CPG brand and retail experts offer opinions on the state of things and, of course, some solutions. With increasing competition from Lidl, Walmart and e-commerce, particularly Amazon, intense downward pressure on margins, he suggested that retailers need to be less reactive and more inventive.

My best tip for surviving a price war is to resist throwing all money into price-trade spend and focus on building loyalty with top 20% of customers instead.—Bob Shaw, President, Concentric

Despite lingering online threats, Bob suggested that DTC (direct to consumer) models are not focused on refrigerated and frozen—yet, and brands can take adantage of that right now by leaning in to what they already are great at: prepared meals and convenience. Add quality to the mix and refrigerated and frozen brands can stay relevant and even find new shoppers. He points to upward trends in grocerants and meal kits as evidence of the consumer appetite for convenience mixed with quality. Check out the article by clicking on the thumbnail to the left to download or view a PDF of the article.