Innovative ideas from all aspects of business are of interest to supermarkets, food manufacturers, brokers, distributors, and others. The International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association commissioned Datassentials to study innovation in relation to new shopper technologies, social media, new food trends, nutrition, and a host of other areas.

Consumers were asked to provide feedback on more than 190 innovative concepts, products, and ideas. We used three primary data sources as the basis for the study:

1. Over 3,000 consumer surveys
2. Interviews with 20 experts from various categories (technology, food, etc.) with insights on potential innovations for the deli / store
3. A review of notable food / flavor trends via Datassential's MenuTrends system—which tracks over 1 million items from more than 6,000 distinct North American restaurant concepts

Datassential - 2011