Obviously, essential fatty acids (EFAs) are not a new category for most natural products retailers. “Due to the vast health importance of EFAs, most retailers already dedicate a strong, ongoing commitment here,” observed Andreas Koch, marketing manager, Barlean’s. However, he noted, the regular staff turnover at most retail operations means ensuring consistent training and updated education for employees as well as for shoppers.
“The retailer needs to be educated on the pros and cons of all EFA sources before he can educate the consumer,” said Mitch Propster, CEO, Core Naturals. “There is strong interest fueled by consumer curiosity, but this is still a fairly young market, which can lend itself to misinformation and miscommunications to consumers.”
To help in the education effort, companies are prepared to offer in-store training, can connect retailers with possible expert speakers for consumer lectures, supply brochures or shelf-talkers with the facts on EFAs, and have updated their Web sites for both retail and consumer knowledge. Rally Ralston, managing partner, Salba Smart Natural Products, even encouraged retailers to request scientific publications and substantiation for product claims to add to the resource library on hand. “By doing this, the consumer can be assured of what they are really buying and the product’s applicability to their condition, instead of unanswered questions and spending good money on the wrong product,” he said.
Additionally, consumers looking to make optimal use of whole-food sources of EFAs could benefit from in-store demos using ingredients such as flax oil on a salad or hemp milk in a smoothie. Companies such as Navitas Naturals and Manitoba Harvest offer recipe pamphlets that can be displayed with products to offer shoppers ideas on how to increase their intake of omega-3s naturally.
Ultimately, the goal for retailers should be to offer the best selection of high-quality product options for shoppers. “Retailers can begin to educate consumers by inquiring about dietary restrictions and needs,” said Dean Mosca, president, Proprietary Nutritionals Inc. “This type of information, as well as the age and sex of the person, will provide useful information for guiding product selection. Retailers readily understand the value of omega-3s, and the need to provide options to the consumer.”