WHO IS THE EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHER?

September 23, 2019

Food shopping is poised to become an entirely new experience, due to the myriad of choices and brands bombarding consumers each day. Shopping was once a weekly errand for pantry-loading and to satisfy simple, daily necessities. Large stores are now faced with the new task of meeting consumers’ desire to become “epicurean philosophers.”
 

The explanation of the term “epicurean,” along with why it matters, can be found on page 14 of The Store of the Future: An Exploration and Planning Guide, the newest study from the Coca‑Cola Retailing Research Council of North America.
 

The study examines the changes coming to the shopping experience that are caused largely by the staggering growth of technology, the arrival of new competition and the emergence of new generations of shoppers.
 

The phrase “epicurean philosopher” describes a shopper with conflicting needs: the desire for enhancement of the food experience combined with the need for simplicity. However contradictory those goals seem, the reality is that new forms of commerce are providing shoppers with the opportunity to merge the two.
 

The report, which was created by retailers to help other retailers understand and consider these changes taking place in the market, can be downloaded for free at www.ccrrc.org.