In his song “Let it Grow,” Eric Clapton sang about how love is so lovely, so one must “let it grow, let it blossom, let it flow.” When it comes to grocery retailing, analysts are seeing how consumers’ desire for better-for-you food and beverages have contributed to the growth of the natural and organic retail channel.
According to Chicago-based SPINS exclusive natural channel, the channel recorded an 8.5 percent growth during the 52-week timeframe ending Aug. 12, accounting for nearly $9.2 billion in sales during that time. The SPINSscan Natural tracks sales of all UPC-coded products sold in the natural supermarket channel. Exclusive to SPINS, this channel represents full-format natural product supermarkets including large associations like the National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) and the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA), small- to mid-sized chains, and independent and cooperative stores across the continental United States. The data excludes Whole Foods Market.