By Sarah Engel, President
The grocery industry has a lot in its cart right now, and the biggest additions have little to do with what is on the shelf.
Across recent headlines, grocers and CPG brands are rethinking how they attract attention, earn loyalty, and become part of consumers’ everyday routines. The changes are reshaping nearly every part of the grocery experience, from how products are discovered to how brands connect with shoppers beyond the shelf.
Here are the recent grocery stories and trends marketers should be watching and what they could mean for brands.
AI Is Changing How Products Are Discovered and Purchased
Grocery brands have traditionally competed for visibility on the shelf. Now, they also need to compete for a place in the algorithm.
Retailers including Amazon, Albertsons, and Kroger are turning AI from a search tool into a shopping assistant that can take a consumer’s needs and translate them into a completed cart. That behavior is already gaining traction. Semrush found that 55% of U.S. consumers who have tried AI use it for product research at least weekly. Anthropic also reports that Claude-powered shopping agents have increased cart sizes by up to 35% and made shoppers 60% more likely to complete a purchase.
For brands, this makes clear and accurate product information a marketing priority. AI needs to understand what makes a product relevant before it can recommend it. Once a product becomes part of an automated order, that initial selection could shape a shopper’s purchases for months.
The next fight for visibility may happen before a shopper ever sees a search result. As AI takes on more of the journey, brands and marketers will need to rethink how they earn, and potentially pay for, a place in the cart.
The Grocery Store Is Becoming More Experiential
Experiential marketing often brings fashion pop-ups or beauty activations to mind, but grocery may be one of its most natural settings. Consumers already visit regularly, products can be experienced immediately, and brands have a built-in opportunity to turn a routine errand into something more memorable.
Kroger is putting that opportunity into practice with a month-long Wellness Tour. Designed to enhance the in-store experience, the program will bring activations to participating stores every Friday and Saturday, with larger events planned in 4 cities. Meijer is taking a similar approach by bringing health experts, screenings, demonstrations, and product discovery into its stores. Despite increased automation across the shopping experience, grocers are still investing in hands-on, human reasons to visit.
The focus on wellness comes as changing consumer priorities reshape the grocery basket. Attest found that 14% of U.S. adults currently use GLP-1 medications, while 60% are buying more produce, and 51% are buying more high-protein foods. These activations allow grocers and brands to respond with education and engagement, not just more products on the shelf.
For marketers, the takeaway is that experiential marketing doesn’t have to stop at apparel, beauty, or big-ticket purchases. Even everyday grocery products can become part of an experience that encourages trial, creates content, and gives shoppers a stronger reason to remember the brand once they spot it on the shelf.
Community Is Becoming Part of the Product Strategy
In grocery, a strong community can do more than amplify a product launch. It can shape what gets made, accelerate growth, and make a brand more valuable.
Goodles has built that momentum through a distinct personality and a highly engaged fan base. Numerator data reported by The Wall Street Journal shows that the company grew its share of U.S. shelf-stable macaroni and cheese spending from 0.8% to 7.8% in 3 years. That growth has been fueled by a community that, according to Goodles, generated 235 million organic impressions in just 90 days. Barilla’s planned acquisition shows that legacy brands are not only looking for innovative products. They are looking for the relevance and community newer brands have already built.
Aldi is bringing consumers even further into the process. More than 120,000 fans voted on social media to select upcoming Barissimo coffee creamer flavors after sales increased 35% YoY. With more than 90% of Aldi’s products coming from private labels, campaigns like this allow the retailer to build demand around brands it owns.
Together, these examples show that community can be more than the audience for a finished product. For grocers and CPG brands alike, it can influence what gets made and create demand before it reaches the aisles.
The Customer Relationship Is the Common Thread
Amid the headlines, the message remains that the biggest changes in grocery are happening around the customer relationship. Whether the decision begins with an AI recommendation, an in-store experience, or a social vote, grocers and CPG brands are finding new ways to build affinity by becoming more useful and relevant.
Ultimately, those that earn a lasting place in the cart will be the ones that understand how consumer needs are changing and turn that insight into better products, stronger brand experiences, and more reasons to return.
