Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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in recent years have had similar findings. Aspirations and action don't always meet halfway, but here's where specialty foods stand out: according to an NPD Group report released earlier this year, most consumers (67 percent) are not willing to pay more for non-GMO products, but when singling out specialty food shoppers that willingness grows to about 50 percent. Retailers and producers are taking note. And while some are tracking consumer interest to gauge their response, others have taken a stronger stance. Ramping Up at Retail Specialty store owners are typically ahead of the curve with foods perceived as "clean," often touting natural and ethical claims well before they hit the mainstream. Non-GMO is no exception. And as retailers increase their offerings, customers are responding. At Marczyk Fine Foods in Denver, shoppers have begun asking explicitly for GMO-free products and seeking out the Non-GMO Project Verified seal, says Christopher Weir, director of purchasing. "The little logo … that has impact," he says. "They gravitate toward it." Whole Foods' initiative has been an undeniable inf luence, and specialty retailers 70% increase in non-GMO certifcations in the year since Whole Foods' announcement Sales of products carrying the Non-GMO Project seal in North America is estimated at more than $6 billion Almost 18,000 Non-GMO Project Verifed products are currently on the market SOURCE: NON-GMO PROJECT 36 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com lede_GMO.indd 36 6/4/14 9:01 AM