The Retail Food Industry in 2003

E.B. 99-05Managing a successful business is a dynamic process, which requires the continual adaptation to pressures from competition, suppliers, and consumers. The retail food industry may be especially dynamic compared to other industries due to its intense level of competition and the prominent role food plays in the lives of consumers. Further, companies on the forefront of this industry are those that proactively seek to anticipate changes in the business environment. Thus, the purpose of this report is to provide the reader with a glimpse of what the future might hold for food retailing. To achieve this goal, 55 senior level executives from the food industry were surveyed in the summer of 1998 concerning the issues shaping the future of food retailing. It is anticipated that the information gleaned from these executives can help industry decision-makers as they prepare their companies to compete successfully in 2003