December 18/Chicago/Business Wire -- For a period of time, the center store was a bit of a white elephant within the grocery industry. Competition was heating up, and retailers were working to bring differentiation to their stores. So, perimeter departments, such as meat, produce, and fresh bakery, received a great deal of time and attention, and the center store was left to fend for itself. Today, however, center store departments are playing an integral role in serving CPG shoppers and are capturing nearly two-thirds of CPG dollars and 70% of unit sales, representing an opportunity worth more than $440 billion. The current edition of SymphonyIRI Times & Trends, “Center Store: Driving Growth from the Inside Out,” explores center store sales and share trends, as well as emerging strategies CPG marketers are leveraging in an effort to drive share and revenue.
“The center store has truly become the heartbeat of the store,” says Susan Viamari, editor of Times & Trends, SymphonyIRI Group. “Consumers are turning to home-based eating and self-reliant health and beauty care to save money, and the center store has benefited greatly from these consumer rituals. It’s no surprise that competition is heating up, so differentiation will be the key to ongoing success. This is difficult in the center store, but it’s not impossible.”