Much has been written about retailer efforts to include pharmacy in more of their health and wellness strategies. The thinking is that the department is a logical choice for many initiatives that go beyond dispensing prescriptions and hold flu shot clinics.

The problem has been an invisible barrier that keeps retailers from integrating it into the rest of the store. The perception persists that the clinical, dispassionate environment in most pharmacy areas can’t be reconciled with the high-touch, interactive atmosphere promoted in the rest of the store.

Like most perceptions, of course, this isn’t true. Many people know from experience that talking with a pharmacist is about as intimate as one can get in a supermarket setting. You’re talking about your medical conditions, your health and the medications you’re taking.

So, instead of trying to direct customers into the store, one retailer is turning the idea on its head and bringing more of the store into the pharmacy. That chain is Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans, which announced it is setting up healthy food displays next to the pharmacy counter as part of its “eat well live well” wellness program. For instance, summer berries might be there now, replaced by citrus fruits or soup in the winter, and whole-grain snacks before the Super Bowl. MORE…

We’ve just had a chance to review some of the conclusions reached in the 2010 Market Overview from Natural Foods Merchandiser, a sister publication here at Penton Media that covers the independent operator channel. What struck us is the level of optimism these indy owners have, in spite of the recession and continued high unemployment. Among the top-line findings:

• Net profit margins fell to 5% last year, down from 8% in 2008.

• Revenues remained in the $1.2 million to $1.5 million range.

• Net sales grew almost 9% in 2009, but when adjusted for store closings, and weighted based on the number of stores per category, sales grew 3.4%.

This channel, comprised of natural products stores, health food stores and supplements stores, saw overall food sales drop along with margins — but it’s not all due to the economy. MORE…

The recession hasn’t been very kind to natural and organic retailers, but there have been a few bright spots — and the brightest one, many will agree, has been the bulk department.

Yes, bulk: Those rows of plastic bins stretching down the aisles that, at just the pull of a lever, dispense everything from trail mix to chocolate nibs to shampoo. Shoppers can save money by taking as much or as little as they want, and save packaging by using the thin produce bags that, at a growing number of stores, come in biodegradable varieties.

Bulk is cheap, and bulk is green. But bulk is also different, and that makes it a complicated opportunity for many of the retailers, especially the mainstream ones, that are jumping on the trend.

To figure out how to best manage the category, I turned to an expert: Doug Sanders, president of Sprouts Farmers Market. Sprouts now operates 50 stores throughout the Southwest, and at each one, bulk is the star.

“The dead center of our store is the bulk department,” said Sanders. “Produce and bulk combined probably take up 30% of our store.”

Inside the department, Sprouts customers can find time-honored favorites like nuts and granola, as well as more modern, gourmet fare like dark chocolate pieces and cranberry-infused trail mixes. The latter choices, Sanders noted, are doing particularly well right now, in light of consumer awareness of antioxidants. MORE…

When Hiller’s Markets does something, there are no half steps. If you read CEO Jim Hiller’s blog, A Message From The Helm, you know he posts regularly, on a universe of topics ranging from local food to the love he has for his aging Scottish Deerhound.

The 7-store chain also boasts that it has the largest selection of gluten-free items in its home state of Michigan, and publishes a gluten-free newsletter. Gluten-free foods are clearly marked on the shelf, where customers will find “Celiac Specialty Foods” as well as additional choices among Hiller’s homemade prepared foods.

The same thorough treatment is given to foods for diabetics, vegans and other diet-related categories. More recently, the grocer started stocking more low-salt and salt-free products, also clearly labeled with easy-to-identify tags.

Now, Hiller’s is embarking on an effort that complements the products in the aisle, the signage and labels and the newsletters. The retailer is launching Hiller’s Health Tours. This series of store tours is described as “a new community outreach program, staffed by nutritionists, doctors, food specialists and other medical experts.” MORE…

In Baltimore, there’s a newly appointed “food czar”. In Detroit, inner-city grocers offering fresh foods receive financial support. And in Syracuse, N.Y., a “Mobile Market” truck delivers fruits and vegetables to low-income consumers.

The issue of food deserts — communities without access to fresh foods and produce — is no longer the elephant in the room for U.S. cities. Thanks to a considerable amount of advocacy and media attention, fueled in recent months by the Obama administration’s focus on the problem, municipalities all over are finding creative ways to increase the delivery of healthy foods to the people who arguably need them most.

Supermarkets are key partners in this process. Wegmans, for one, sells produce at cost to Syracuse’s Farm Fresh Mobile Market and offers access to its network of local farmers. Modeled after a similar effort in Oakland, Calif., the Mobile Market makes a dozen stops each week throughout the city and accepts food stamps, as well as EBT cards and WIC funds. Hen House Market in Kansas City, meanwhile, has taken a similar step, partnering with local growers’ co-op Good Natured Family Farms to hold inner-city farmers markets.

One of the most interesting new programs is Baltimore’s “virtual supermarket”. Customers can order fresh foods online, and then collect them after they’re delivered to a local library.

This and other programs are far from perfect, however. MORE…

It’s likely the heat of summer is starting to play at a location near you! For many it means more outdoor grilling. Yes, it’s hot, but cooking outside keeps the heat out there, the kitchen cool and makes it easier to clean everything up.

There’s still plenty of ways to get your customers eating healthy. Fresh, crisp, cold, and “hot” are the operative words for foods of this season. Fruits and vegetables are at their best; cold soups are a great way to cool with taste. And “hot” — as in peppers, seasoning and spices — are a natural way to flavor chicken and other meats and everything from soup to dessert.

With the growing emphasis on reducing our intake of sodium, introducing foods with some heat is a healthy way to entertain the taste buds. So let’s look at some quick ways to introduce some summer heat to our outdoor sizzle:

• Cold soups are a natural. Gazpacho is a great fit since it can take advantage of summer tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, celery and peppers. Like salsa, make it mild or hot and alter the texture to your liking. Serve it chunky or blended for a smooth soup. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, a touch of cilantro or a dusting of cumin. MORE…

Spartan Stores announced that it was expanding the Michigan’s Best program it started last year to support home state farmers, processors and manufacturers. The expanded program kicked off Fourth of July weekend in nearly 100 Spartan-owned stores under the Family Fare, D&W Fresh Market, Felpausch, Glen’s, Glen’s Fresh Marketplace, and VG’s banners, as well as 250 independent grocery stores it services in Michigan.

The fact that it’s Michigan we’re talking about means the program has definite economic undertones. This isn’t local for local’s sake – Spartan promotes Michigan’s Best as a significant booster to the state’s ailing economy (from April 2006 to May 2010, Michigan consistently reported the highest unemployment rate in the country; Nevada recently beat it out by 0.4%. Michigan’s most recent number stands at 13.6%).

“Buying local helps keep Michigan residents employed,” Alan Hartline, Spartan’s executive vice president of merchandising and marketing, stated in a news release. “It also benefits communities by boosting the local and state economy by creating more jobs.”

He goes on to say that local products such as fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier options because they can be on the shelves within hours of being picked.

“Local products also have lower food miles, meaning they are shipped shorter distances, which requires less gas and is better for the environment,” he added.

But make no mistake – in this case, “local” means jobs. The news release cites statistics from the Michigan Department of Agriculture showing that, if each family in Michigan started spending $10 per week of their grocery bill on Michigan products, “we would keep more than $37 million in Michigan, each week.” MORE…

Could we be living in the dawn of a compostable age? From the look of things so far this year, it seems so. We’ve seen compostable potato chip bags from a major manufacturer, compostable coffee cups, meat trays, produce bags and more. Even the largest retailer in the world is composting these days.

So why now? Well, after years and years of not being quite good enough, the technology to make solid, cost-efficient compostable packaging has arrived. And driving that technology is increasing consumer consciousness about the massive amount of waste we produce. Can you blame them? They don’t want this world to end up like the one depicted in Wall-E — a depopulated wasteland filled with skyscraper-high piles of trash.

Companies that aren’t assessing their packaging right now should beware. It’s their embracing of “green” marketing and sustainability that has led many consumers to look more closely at every aspect of what they’re buying. Any backlash manufacturers and retailers feel would be a somewhat self-inflicted.

And yet, there are questions about compostable and biodegradable packaging. Do consumers actually do it? Do they know it doesn’t mean simply throwing something in the trash and letting it magically melt away? Composting is not a very glamorous process. It involves soil and worms, and usually attracts unwanted company. My parents’ compost pile in Kentucky gets everything from raccoons to deer, who sidle up to the tall wooden box like it’s a drive-thru window. MORE…

Having recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Bi-Lo is back in the game and looking to grow. One of the first orders of business is to enhance their health and nutrition profile. To that end, the company just launched Bi-Lo thrive!, a multiplatform program that provides nutrition education and identifies healthful foods in stores. A key part of that program is Monica Amburn, Bi-Lo’s new dietician, who spoke with Refresh this morning.

What are some of the opportunities and challenges for a dietician working in the supermarket industry?

It’s a very different environment for a dietician coming from the healthcare industry, like I have. I’m trying to learn the dynamics of the business, the politics, and how food even gets into grocery stores. It’s really just putting the pieces together, then being able to get your message across to the consumer in a way they understand. Getting a clear message across is the challenge, and I think that’s why retailers are bringing in dieticians these days. We’re really the people best trained to talk about food.

What will your day-to-day job be like within the new thrive! program?

I’m trying to figure out how I can reach as many people in the Bi-Lo market as possible without me being there every single day in person. I go from Chattanooga to Charleston, and that’s a very large radius for one dietician. So I’m working on our new publication and making sure that’s accessible, working with the media, and slowly but surely making it into the market, doing store appearances and seminars.

How will this unfold at the store level?

We have a dedicated endcap display in all the stores that features products I’ve talked about in the thrive! magazine. My picture will be part of that signage. We’ll also add shelf talkers to items that I’ve featured. As my themes change the signage will move to different items around the store.

So what’s the main message you want to get across to shoppers?

It’s not a vegan, tofu plan I’m trying to get across. Let’s take the way people in the South eat, but let’s make it just a bit healthier. I’m all for small changes and substitutions.

Is there a favorite dish or recipe you’re anxious to share?

You know, I went to a store this past weekend and sampled a recent recipe that was great — a Caribbean Summer Salad. It has corn and black beans and peaches in it. We sampled it in the store, and it went over very well.

Candy manufacturers have always flirted with positioning their products as “healthy” treats. They’ve had stints in 100-calorie packs, cut back on the sugar in some cases, and touted super nutrients like antioxidants and omega-3s.

But unlike with their salty, baked and fried brethren in the snack aisle, this hasn’t been anything extensive. And it’s all come with a knowing wink and a nudge, since, c’mon, this is candy. Everyone knows that can’t actually be good for you.

Well, times are changing. With obesity woes high on the national agenda, not to mention some stars-are-aligning trends in the food industry — including the popularity of functional foods, and nutrition labeling that has consumers thinking healthy thoughts in every aisle — the candy industry is going on a bit of a diet.

At the recent Candy Expo in Chicago, manufacturers unveiled a lineup of slimmed-down goodies, including sugar-free chocolates and bars boasting healthful compounds like phytonutrients. Reformulations like this could help consumers think differently about sweets — but most manufacturers know people will always think “indulgent” when they think of candy. So what do you do? Cut down the portions. Hundred calorie packs are one way to go about this, and manufacturers are growing even craftier in rationing their products. Snickers 2-to-Go is two bars in a resealable wrapper, designed to be eaten over time rather than in one sitting. Companies like Sweetriot and Hershey’s Reese’s candy, meanwhile, now come in calorie-light nibs. MORE…