The food retail sector has been undergoing profound transformations in the way it exists when considering the last ten years. Due to changes in consumer habits and technological advancements, the previously clear division between restaurant purchases and supermarket purchases has been lost, making the sector more heterogeneous. According to the research "Retail Reinvention: A Framework for Future Growth", developed by Euromonitor in partnership with the National Retail Federation (NRF) and presented exclusively at NRF Retail’s Big Show 2025, Despite the, in 2023, 72% of global food sales came from supermarkets, local grocery stores and hypermarkets, these sectors have shared space with discount wholesalers, buying clubs,food e-commerce and food delivery services, withdrawal ordrive-thru.
"Youdrive-thrusare expanding beyond traditional networks offast foodand now they are adopted by coffee shops, bakeries and even casual restaurants. Another important trend is the merging of retail with food services. This includes the increase of ready meal stations in supermarkets and the integration of kitchens‘ghost kitchens’in large supermarket chains. These are culinary operations that prepare meals exclusively for delivery or takeout, often sharing space with other brands to reduce costs, explain Michelle Evans, Global Lead,Retail and Digital Consumer Insights at Euromonitor International and author of the study, who gave a lecture at the event about the research.
According to her, the consumers' search for convenience, cost-benefit, health and sustainability, especially in North America, is transforming the way they buy and consume food. An example of this is the fact that, in the world, 60% of customers say they prefer brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainable practices. They are also willing to pay more for more nutritious products that have superior taste, just as they prefer locally produced food. In this scenario, the challenge for retailers is to ensure convenience for the consumer in everything they want and need and, at this point, digitalization occupies a central position.
Michelle suggests that technology will be essential for the continuous growth of the food retail sector, whether in physical or digital space, because it helps improve the customer experience. The study conducted by her shows that 58% of consumers already research on their mobile phones before making food-related purchases, what happened ten years ago did not happen. Furthermore, for 2025, there is an expected growth of 5% in online food purchases. "This is already happening in the larger stores", what is: the purchase starts in the digital, but ends in the physical store. The customer searches for the restaurant's website or app, but go to the store to see the product and have the experience of being there, sit there and spend some time. The physical space then becomes a hubof experiences, that gives the opportunity to try products and have someone to assist and ensure personalized service, "assisted", comment Pedro Albuquerque,co-founder and Director of New Business at RPE –Retail Payment Ecosystem,company specialized in payment solutions.
This movement suggests a new dynamic in retail, that is investing in private labels, while brands are acting more like retailers, strategy used to retain customers and create more identity, in addition to offering more profit margin when well applied. In addition to being possible to practice it at all stages of the buying journey, she has a special role in the payment stage. A seamless payment journey, without friction, it can be the cherry on top for a positive purchasing process. The retailer can also offer their own cards that guarantee discounts or easier payment options, like a larger installment plan. Depending on the client's needs, it is also possible to guarantee lines of credit or loans, explain Albuquerque.
For the specialist, the most interesting thing for the retailer is to create a business plan according to their reality to ensure financial structuring, risk mitigation is a strategy that takes into account the specificities of the food retail market. "RPE can assist the retailer in developing a business plan for financial structuring and provide a cutting-edge technology platform so that they can operate a product in retail". Furthermore, we provide all the support for him to manage the operation. The platform iswhite label, so it can operate in supermarkets, hypermarkets… This will ensure operational efficiency, technology is a journey of more fluid and facilitated consumption for the customer, "without friction".
