1. Food Manufacturing and Retailing: Tons of Opportunities… Especially in Local Communities!” Jeff Ostroff 35:37

Hi everybody.

Do you know what have been some of the biggest changes in food manufacturing and retailing since COVID arrived? How about what kinds of opportunities that might be creating for YOU whether right now.. or in the near future? If this of interest to you, you’ll definitely want to hear what myguest expert, Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru, has to say on this episode of Looking Forward: Opportunities for Job, Career, Business, and Investment Seekers.

Among other things, Phil talks about (1) how supply chain issues have changed the way food retailers are obtaining their products, (2) one key difference between food retailers and manufacturers in the U.S., and in some other parts of the world, most notably Europe and Australia, (3) one country in Latin America who’s really reining in sugar consumption, and (4) what direction food retailing might take over the next few years, including how it may tie in with the “15-minute” city concept he mentions.

In true Looking Forward Fashion, you’ll also learn about the wide array of opportunities Phil sees not only in the food business (e.g., for entrepreneurs and food technologists), but elsewhere, too. And, of course, you’ll get some great tips from Phil on how you can prepare yourself to capitalize on these opportunities. NOTE: Pay particular attention to his Instacart story.

Now a little more about Phil: For more than 25 years, Phil Lempert has alerted customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and empowered them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions. Known as The Supermarket Guru®, he has worked with some of the most prestigious companies and trade associations worldwide.

As one of America’s leading consumer trend-watchers and analysts, Phil is a speaker and author, and is recognized on television, radio and in print for his expertise. For twenty plus years Phil has served as food trends editor and correspondent for NBC News’ Today show, reporting on consumer trends and showcasing new products, as well as regular appearances on ABC’s The View, FOX Business, Dr. Oz, The Oprah Winfrey Show, 20/20, CNN, CNBC, FOX, and local television morning and news programs throughout the country.

For almost two decades, Phil hosted the syndicated show Shopping Smart on the WOR Radio Network  and now hosts the webcasts/podcasts The Lempert Report LIVE, Lost in the Supermarket and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s Farm, Food, Facts available on all podcast platforms.

Phil Lempert was one of the pioneers of the new information media, founding SupermarketGuru.com in 1994. The website is now one of the leading food and health resources on the Internet, visited by more than 9 million people each year. SupermarketGuru.com offers original video and editorial content on food and retail trends, food and beverage product ratings, analysis of trends in food marketing and retail, and features health advice, nutrition news and many other resources to empower both the food industry and consumers.

Phil is the founder and editor of The Lempert Report and also the founder of the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance which was acquired by the Association for Retail and Consumer Professionals in 2022.

He is is the author of Being the Shopper and Healthy, Wealthy & Wise. His previous books include: Phil Lempert’s Supermarket Shopping & Value Guide, Top Ten Trends for Baby Boomers and Crisis Management: A Workbook for Survival. He is currently working on his next book which will be published by John Wiley & Son: Disrupting the Food Business: Silicon Valley Culture and the Food Business.

Phil Lempert graduated from Drexel University with degrees in Marketing and Retail Management and did his Post-Graduate studies at Pratt Institute. A resident of California, Lempert’s roots are in the Belleville, New Jersey dairy farm started by his grandfather. The family food tradition carried on through his father’s work as a food manufacturer, distributor and broker and then to Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru®.

**You’ll find more information about my business, Jeff Ostroff & Associates, LLC, in the middle of this episode and by visiting https://www.jeff-ostroff.com/

On the website, you can also contact us about the various marketing and communications services we offer, such as (1) podcast hosting, creation, consulting, and column writing, (2) professional voice overs, (3) B2B/B2C interviewing for individuals and businesses looking to promote themselves or better understand their customers and prospects, (4) consulting/training on how to excel behind or in front of the microphone as an interviewer or guest, and (5) senior marketing assistance. (Hey, I’ve actually written a book about that!) You can also reach me at jeff@jeff-ostroff.com

** If you enjoy this episode, please be sure to tell your family, friends, and other members of YOUR network about it… and encourage them to listen to it, too. Also, please give it a “like” and/or a good review. And, hey, go ahead and subscribe to this podcast. :)-

Looking Forward is THE podcast about the OPPORTUNITIES created by global trends, now and into the future, and how YOU might capitalize on those: Think… jobs, careers, business start-ups, ventures, investments, life enrichment.

Guests are experts in their field, and most are C-suite executives, household names, authors, and/or from prestigious universities or similar organizations.

Looking Forward is a great source for media outlets, podcast producers, telecom companies, audio publishers, etc. to include as part of their content. This is what MTN, the gigantic telecommunications company in Africa, is doing.

To discuss revenue-sharing opportunities to distribute our content– which can be customized and reformatted to meet your needs and those of your target audience– please contact us at https://www.jeff-ostroff.com/

Looking Forward also offers a smart and affordable way for advertisers to promote their products or services, especially given its positive spin and informative, entertaining, and wholesome content.

Jeff Ostroff is an experienced, versatile marketing and communications executive. He currently hosts and produces two podcasts which he created, “Looking Forward: Opportunities for Job, Career, Business, and Investment Seekers,” and “Health Care on the Horizon.” He’s a co-host for the “MyMacD Life” podcast, which is about macular degeneration.

Jeff’s also a podcast creator/consultant, voice-over talent, event host/facilitator, producer of audio or video business “spotlight” promos, and a seniors’ (silver) marketing advisor. Jeff’s first career was focused primarily on seniors, health care, travel, and marketing. He’s the author of the Prentice-Hall Book, “Successful Marketing to the 50+ Consumer” (Prentice-Hall.)