Dive Brief:
- Stop & Shop has launched a digital nutrition program for customers called Nutrition Partners, according to a company press release. The program will also be introduced in stores when it is safe to do so, the retailer said.
- The free program will allow customers to set up consultations with registered dietitians in addition to offering webinars, educational materials, recipes and virtual cooking demos featuring items like turkey burgers and energy balls.
- The initiative will provide consumer with access to information on topics including healthy eating, meal planning and preparation, shopping list development, food allergies and weight loss.
Dive Insight:
Stop & Shop’s announcement follows efforts among several other retailers to bring nutrition services online amid COVID-19, and is well-timed as cases surge again and many Americans begin to retreat back into their homes.
According to a statement from Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid, the retailer is looking to support health and wellness for its communities as more customers spend time at home cooking their own food.
Since the pandemic began, other retailers, like Giant Food and Weis Markets, have taken steps to shift services to a digital format to keep helping customers during the public health crisis. Giant has offered weekly classes on topics like healthy eating and disease management, and also ran a month-long social media campaign focused on nutrition.
Weis Markets partnered with Healthie, a telehealth platform that allows customers to consult with registered dietitians through video chat, and in March ShopRite launched a virtual chat program to connect consumers with its team of registered dietitians.
Nutrition services have been a focus for Stop & Shop for a number of years. In 2012, the grocer launched a nutrition-oriented magazine for kids and started a program to identify gluten-free products on store shelves. The grocer joined the Guiding Stars labeling program, which ranks products based on nutritional content, in 2018.
