dunnhumby's recent Food Trends study found that a third of consumers first spot a trending food or flavor on the shelves at mainstream grocery stores. This compared with 8% of consumers who stated a restaurant was the source of initial trial. Anna Saffer, Director of New Product Development, says "this gives retailers the opportunity to capitalize on these trends early and use that as an opportunity to connect with consumers."

dunnhumby's Food Service Customer Centricity Index report, finding that "experience matters as much as the food," was featured as an example of why putting customers at the center of every strategy and business process is essentiatl for acquisition, retention and competitive differentiation in 2015.

Six spaces in the 1,000-spot dunnhumby Centre Garage are now reserved for electric cars. This is the first public garage in downtown Cincinnati to have electric vehicle charging stations. 

In the year ahead, consumer preference and purchases will be influencd more than ever by specifics relating to how food is produced and packaged. 

Vice President of Client Solutions, Candace Lee, helps businesses plan for earned media. She suggests that closely observing how consumers travel along the pah to purchase, with a specific focus on what role peer influence plays along that journey is important. Brand and media tems also need to work with the customer relationship management (CRM) programs to understand segmentation and the impact those segments can have on informing earned media strategy and investment choices. 

Adriano Araujo, CEO of dunnhumby Brazil, presented customer focused business strategies and examples at The NRF BIG SHOW 2015. Joined with Edson Kawabata, Director of Strategy at Grupo Pao de Acucar (GPA) the two detailed the creation of the Club Extra program, highlighting the importance of putting the customer at the center of decisions on price and promotions, assortment, and personalized communications. 

Our data-driven science study aimed at informing the consumer packaged goods industry and revealing and predicting the future needs of consumers, has just relaeased findings on consumers food preferences. The report analyzes emerging trends, as well as verifies the validity and accuracy of the 2014 findings.

Nishat Mehta, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships, presents an argument for the creation of a financial market for data. Such a system will allow customers to put a price on their data and determine if that price is worth the benefits, helping customers maintain control over where they choose to monetize their data. 

New Solutions Unveiled at NRF Conference Provide Faster, Easier Access to Customer Insights and KPIs, Enabling Smart Decision Making and Improved Performance

Emilie Kroner, Director of Organization Enagagement, explains a key theme that every retailer and business leader can use as a building block for success in 2015: customer centricity.