Dive Brief:

• ShopRite is launching a “family meals” campaign for September in conjunction with the Food Marketing Institute’s National Family Meals Month, according to a press release sent to Grocery Dive. The campaign will be featured in social media content, TV commercials, circulars, digital ads, dedicated online pages and billboards.
• The theme for this year’s ShopRite campaign is “From Our Family to Yours,” showcasing the 50 families who own and operate ShopRite’s 276 store locations across the Northeast.
• ShopRite has added in-store events for this year’s campaign, including food demonstrations hosted by in-store dietitians, cooking classes and events aimed at helping families find ways to share meals together. Shoppers can also pick up a free recipe book.

Dive Insight:

September is associated with the end of summer and back-to-school for families with children, and many households are looking to get back into some sort of evening routine. September is also a precursor to the major holiday months, which means campaigns like ShopRite's can prepare families for other holiday-focused promotions to come.

ShopRite has been focused on ramping up its in-store offerings and improving customer experience. The retailer added a shoppable recipe offering in April. It also recently opened what it describes as a "state-of-the-art" store in Connecticut featuring a community room, a culinary center and an on-site dietitian. It also offers prepared foods and dishes from in-store eateries like the Grill and Sizzling Wok and Sushi.

A few other retailers are acknowledging Food Marketing Institute’s Family Meals Month, including Hy-Vee. Children ages 12 and under can eat free at the retailer's Market Grille restaurants with the purchase of an adult entree. The company is also sharing family-friendly recipes featuring simple ingredients daily on social media. Last year, Festival Foods offered a YouTube series aimed at children, while Giant offered in-store tours and cooking classes.

“What began as a campaign to shine a light on the importance of family meals during September in 2015 has grown exponentially over a period of four years into a verified societal movement with approximately 230 partners — food retailers, suppliers, collaborators, media and celebrities — participating,” FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin wrote in a recent blog post.