If there was ever a time to consider a business resolution, it’s now. After a year like none other, business resolutions rooted in social and environmental justice offer retailers a chance to reframe their business goals to meet the new way consumers are shopping: with a purpose, driven by their personal values.

According to a recent Porter Novelli/Cone Purpose Biometrics Study, 72 percent of the 1,192 Americans surveyed say it is more important than ever to buy from companies that reflect their values. When asked about social and environmental issues, 76% say supporting like-minded companies help them feel they are doing their part.

While it is important to understand and respond to this year’s emerging food trends, it may also benefit your bottom line to have your SKUs reflect the social values that resonate with a majority of your store customers. From supporting diversity to championing local brands, the following three purpose-driven resolutions can help your business build a stronger community of customers.

1. Diversify your shelves

Many more Americans are waking up to the systemic inequities disproportionately affecting BIPOC communities and are calling for change. The Black Lives Matter movement has compelled businesses worldwide to release public statements acknowledging systemic racism and promising to do better for the black community. This year, retailers have the opportunity to make good on that promise.

The 15% Pledge asks retailers to commit 15% of their shelf space to the goods of black-owned businesses in an effort to accurately reflect the current proportion of black people in the U.S. population. Regional efforts such as The Shift Fellowship in New England, also work to support emerging BIPOC CPG entrepreneurs by removing traditional barriers of entry and providing market access through a network of retail and distributer partners such as Mable and Associated Buyers.

Increase the diversity on your own shelves by browsing Mable’s collection of BIPOC-owned brands.

2. Shop like the future depends on it

A record-breaking year of wildfires, hurricanes and heat waves have battered the country and made millions of Americans aware that climate change is no longer a far-off threat. That sobering reality has many shoppers seeking more sustainable food sources and substitutes for brands they may have routinely bought in the past.

Upcycled brands, such as Renewal Mill, a California-based baking company making flours from the byproducts of plant milk production, are also gaining traction with eco-conscious home cooks. With food waste cited as a main contributor to climate change, companies selling products made with ingredients that would otherwise be discarded can create a more sustainable and resilient food system—attracting environmentally conscious consumers as new customers.

Shop Mable’s collection of brands that put sustainability first.

3. Keep it local

While the world’s stay-at-home mandates have made shopping online the new normal, small businesses will be happy to know another trend is also at play. During the pandemic, consumers have renewed an interest in shopping small to keep their local business communities strong. According to a Nextdoor survey, 72% of members reported a commitment to spend at local businesses more often after this crisis.

This shift from big-box stores to small neighborhood retailers intersects nicely with the well-established demand for more all-natural and organic brands in groceries. Championing local brands has the added benefit of keeping local economies vibrant and healthy. Vermont-based Garuka Bars, for example, uses raw honey from neighboring Champlain Valley Apiaries in its energy bars.

Discover nearby brands by shopping Mable’s regionally-based collections.

* * *

Bringing it all together

Today’s consumers want a deeper connection to where their dollars are spent and expect to see a company’s values in practice. Offering value-aligned brands on your shelves is one of the best ways to differentiate yourself from competitors and give your customers the chance to invest in a better future the next time they shop your store.

To help educate your customers on your products, Mable has designed free shelf talker templates that call out your aligned values. Get them delivered to your inbox below.