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2 months ago | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
You could say 2024 was the year natural organic products took first place in the food retailing universe, outpacing conventional groceries by nearly two percentage points: up 6.89% vs. 4.95%; and adding a record $7.137 billion in natural sales to reach $110.75 billion across the eight U.S. food retailing channels we track annually at Retail Insights. Who’s first and who’s last? Let’s find out.
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2 months ago | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz |Maggie Jaqua
What are your goals, your pain points, your bright spots? Independent natural products retailers answer that question in our 2025 Annual Retailer Survey, now in it’s 47th year. This survey is designed to go deeper than the data, to help industry members understand the state of independent retail. Hear directly from our respondents on top challenges in our “Retailers Sound Off” section on page 8, and take a deep dive into the numbers on these next nine pages.
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2 months ago | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz |Maggie Jaqua
Thank you for participating in WholeFoods Magazine's 2025 47th Annual Retailer Survey. To show our gratitude, here is your advance look at key findings from the survey. If you are an independent natural products retailer, you can compare your results to stores in this survey that are most like yours by calculating your perishables as a percentage of total sales.
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Jan 16, 2025 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
It’s Hard to Know What Trump Will DoNorthwest Retailer: “On NPR, I heard that the FDA announced and maybe is implementing new standards for what the label ‘health food’ means. They said there will be certain standards, such as the amount of certain food ingredients, like sugars, for you to be able to call it health foods. I see that as good. “The year that just ended has been successful and is a turnaround. Our fiscal year is October to September.
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Oct 24, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
In this third and final installment of our DSHEA at 30 series, we continue our discussion of the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) with industry trade associations, whose memberships include retailers, manufacturers, brands, raw materials suppliers, and industry advisers and consultants.
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Oct 24, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz |Maggie Jaqua |Richard Ortega
Read More Read More Editor's Letter Read More Merchandising Insights Read More Read More Read More Read More Editor's Letter Read More Merchandising Insights Read More Read More
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz |Maggie Jaqua
How are our industry trade groups and organizations supporting advocacy and helping to move the industry forward? And what actions are needed now? Read on for key insights. In this third installment of WholeFoods Magazine's DSHEA at 30 series, we continue our discussion of the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) with industry groups, who tell us how they are advocating to preserve access to healthful natural products.
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Jun 13, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
Before the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) became federal law 30 years ago this October, the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) regularly terrorized natural products retailers, raiding their stores and pulling product off the shelf in an attempt to curb the industry’s free speech right to tell the public the health benefits of natural products. Fast-forward three decades and we’ve learned preserving that freedom requires constant vigilance.
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Apr 10, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
If you are like most U.S. independent natural products retailers, you are in business because you believe in the products. And like many who started their stores years ago, you may be thinking of winding down your involvement. Here are, in no particular order, some things to think about. Depending on their capabilities, you are either fortunate or not-so-fortunate to have children who want to take over. Capable offspring can bring new life and improved operations.
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Feb 22, 2024 | 
wholefoodsmagazine.com | Jay Jacobowitz
U.S. natural organic retailers had strong growth this year in six of the eight U.S. retail channels we track in the Retail Insights® Universe. Only pharmacy chains, independent pharmacies, and vitamin chains suffered sales declines. Natural organic retail sales reached $103.6 billion, up $4.3 billion from last year’s $99.3 billion, a 4.38% increase. Altogether, natural organics make up 10.13% of the $1.023 trillion we are estimating for total U.S. food-store sales.
