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Retail World finds out how the health and wellness trend, propelled further by Covid-19, is driving the popularity of natural and organic products. BTy Nicholas Rider. he health attributes of a product are now a key consideration for many consumers, a factor that, according to some, has been accelerated by the pandemic. Golden Grind co-founder Sage Lamont, for instance, told Retail World: “Consumers are inclined to pay more attention to their health and wellness when a health crisis occurs. This was also seen during the \\\[UK’s\\\] ‘mad cow’ crisis in 2000.” Two of the most common terms associated with healthier products are ‘natural’ and ‘organic’. Consumers are choosing products with such descriptions, across all categories of the supermarket, for a variety of reasons, including lifestyle, diet and sustainability. Ms Lamont says food labelled ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ attracted “huge” growth in 2020. “The global pandemic ... saw consumers take interest in bettering their health and wellness through natural and organic foods,” she said. Significant growth wasn’t just limited to food, though. Natures Organics Personal Care Marketing Manager Elise Synnott notes that in 2020, ‘natural’ hair care brands in grocery grew 15.5 per cent (IRI AU Grocery Scan, 2020 vs 2019). This growth, she says, contributed 61 per cent of the total hair care category growth. In personal wash, Ms Synnott adds, ‘natural’ brands grew 62 per cent, increasing share to 25 per cent. “Qualitative studies highlight consumers have an increasing interest in natural products,” she said. “In personal wash, the number of households that purchased natural products grew 26 per cent, compared with four per cent growth in shoppers that purchased non-natural products.” “It’s not enough to use fluffy terminology to market and sell a health product. The product must have the ingredients and efficacy to back up the notion that it’s a health product.” Ms Lamont advises retailers and brands that customers are becoming increasingly educated, with unlimited access to information. “As a result, they’re savvier than they’ve ever been,” she said. “What this means for the natural and organic categories is that brands need to be authentic in their product claims. It’s not enough to use fluffy terminology to market and sell a health product. The product must have the ingredients and efficacy to back up the notion that it’s a health product.” A retailer addressing the natural and organic trend is ALDI. Speaking to Retail World, an ALDI Australia spokesperson says the retailer has looked to increasingly cater to customers’ changing nutritional preferences over the years. “We’ve noticed that many shoppers are now more passionate than ever about their dietary choices, so we regularly adapt our range to suit these preferences,” the spokesperson said. “In the last few years, we’ve expanded our Just Organic and Oh So Natural ranges to include everyday essential products such as kombucha, olive oil, natural peanut butter, almond butter, granola, coffee, tea, butter and oats. “We’re always working to provide our customers with new, innovative and healthy products and we anticipate our health range will continue to grow.” ALDI says its health strategy doesn’t stop with the products themselves. “We also take our responsibilities in product merchandising and promotion seriously,” the retailer said. “For example, we completed a two-year project at the end of 2020 to update our store format. In the new store format, you won’t find any ‘unhealthy’ products promoted at the end of each aisle. “We know this may not be like other retailers, but we’ve always been proud to be ‘Good Different’. Instead of unhealthy products, we’ve replaced these ‘end- caps’ with healthy displays so customers can find their favourite Oh So Natural and Just Organic foods with ease.” TO PAGE 36 NATURAL & ORGANIC Nutrient dense bone broth available in ready-to-use liquid or powder. Simmered for 24 hours, convenient for busy lifestyles, Australian made and manufactured. Australian Grass Fed Beef and Free Range Chicken Gluten Free No Added Salt Just one cup is an instant warm hug A fresh addition to your grocery line team@brothandco.com.au 1300 704 000 brothandcoAU APR, 2021 RETAIL WORLD 35