Personalization is not only one of SupermarketGuru’s trends for 2016 but was also the theme of a recent SupermarketGuru.com quick poll. So the “have it your way personalization” trend goes well beyond the Burger King slogan, as segmentation and personalization continue to grow in importance. Shoppers want retailers to recognize and inspire them – every shopping trip, every product, every time.

Hartman predicts that by 2020 mid-market consumers will become more selective and continue to upgrade their culinary and healthy eating skills. Not just for food seeking Millennials or the top one percent – personalization will become pervasive. And according to results from the Supermarketguru.com quick poll, consumers are very interested! When asked, “If you could buy foods and beverages at the supermarket customized to your tastes, would that appeal to you?” Sixty-six percent said yes while 22 percent responded “not sure.” The latter clearly not sure about what the possibilities could be!

And for those who are interested in customization, 48 percent would be willing to pay more for the products. How much more? Thirty-four percent would pay up to 10 percent more, while 50 percent said up to five percent more.

Food retailers will need to curate their offerings and understand what their customers’ wants and desires truly are if they want to grow and compete with online sellers who continue to hone their offerings based on purchase history algorithms.

So what categories are most desired for customization? In descending order, the top ten are: Bakery (51%), Prepared dishes (51%), Pizza (46%), Salads (46%), Salad dressings (39%), Deli (35%), Cheese (33%), Snacks (31%), Yogurts (29%), and Trail mix (27%).

Personalization moves from being a plus for some to a must-have for all.