What Kids Want From Food Retailers

Selling to Kids, Jan 24, 2001

Many manufacturers seem to have kids figured out. They like food that's fun and interactive. Give them pastries that change colors when warm and lollipops that spin with the help of a battery.

But once products hit the shelves, things go down hill, says Jill Maher, assistant professor of food marketing at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

Maher says retailers are behind the times when it comes to kids. Kids start going to the grocery store at an early age and have a tremendous influence over what goes into the shopping cart, but they're being ignored by many retailers, she says. A survey she conducted asked food retailers what they could do to make their stores more kid-friendly. The results?

"We actually got answers like, 'nothing,'" she says. "A lot think [the answer is] to give kids a grocery cart or a cookie club. "

That's not enough for today's savvy kids, Maher says. While retailers in industries like books and apparel are appealing to kids with everything from play areas to rock climbing walls, most grocery and convenience stores remain oblivious to the younger generation. It's going to take manufacturers' dollars to bring things up to speed, she says.

"You've got to make this a place they like as a child for them to like it as an adult," says Maher. "If they don't like it now, ... why go to the grocery store?" Especially, she adds, with kids being so accustomed to using the computer these days. Maher predicts shopping for food online will be very normal for them in the next 5-10 years.

Often times, the key to a more kid-friendly a store is simple. Some stores have installed mini cows that moo in their dairy department. Others have produce departments where thunder booms every time the vegetables are spritzed with water. Maher says that many times, "all [retailers] really need is for a vendor to tell them what to do."

(St. Joseph's University: Jill Maher,610/660-1615)