Dive Brief:

• ShopRite has unveiled Healthy Holidays, a campaign centered on helping shoppers eat better during the indulgent season, according to a news release.
• The campaign includes in-store sampling, signage and downloadable recipes promoting better-for-you versions of holiday favorites. A no-bake pumpkin pie recipe ShopRite promotes, for instance, calls for reduced-fat sour cream and skim milk.
• ShopRite will run the campaign through December, and promote it through the company’s circular, social media channels and website.

Dive Insight:

People like to indulge over the holiday season, but they’re not always happy with the after-effects of doing so. According to a recent study by Cornell University that examined consumers in the U.S., Germany and Japan, people gained an average of 1.3 pounds between Halloween and Christmas. Getting rid of that extra weight, researchers found, took as long as five months.

ShopRite’s new campaign hopes to connect with shoppers who are mindful of the holiday’s negative effects to their health. Healthy Holidays, which is part of the grocer’s broader Well Everyday initiative, provides clear and useful tips for these individuals, including store signage highlighting the nutrition benefits of sweet potatoes and other favorites.

As ShopRite and other retailers know, health marketing is a good way to gain customer loyalty. The northeastern retailer, which operates more than 270 stores across six states, began hiring dietitians more than a decade ago, and now employs dozens that travel around to stores offering nutrition advice, specialty diet counseling and more.

But retailers need to keep in mind that consumers often say one thing but mean another when it comes to health. According to a Nielsen survey from 2014, 75% of Americans say they can manage their weight through proper nutrition — but 91% admit to snacking on candy, chips and ice cream throughout the day. More than one third of U.S. adults qualify as obese, per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So while grocers can build sophisticated health campaigns, they can’t afford to do so at the expense of less-than-healthy meals and snacks. But the fact that shoppers are buying more produce and fresh items these days indicates increasing interest in healthy eating. Studies also show there’s considerable confusion as to what, exactly, is healthy and what’s not.

ShopRite’s campaign could have a real impact for health-focused shoppers. At the very least, it promotes a healthy image for the company, which could help it stand out from retail rivals.