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What retail decision makers really think about better-for-you foods

Retailers are looking for better-for-you brands that can deliver not just health positioning, but also credibility, value, proof, and strong execution, says Eat Well Global.

Whilst there is clear consumer demand for products that address health and nutrition, better-for-you is not an automatic win for brands, warned Eat Well Global, a US-based strategy and communication agency specialised in the food and beverage industry.

It surveyed 50 retail leaders across the US and combined these perspectives with quantitative data to understand what is driving the success of better-for-you brands at retail.

The key takeaway of the study was that health and nutrition is emerging as the clearest growth opportunity for retailers – but only when grounded in credibility.

“Credibility has become a core attribute retailers and consumers expect from better-for-you brands,” wrote the authors of the State of Better Food in Retail report, which was published in April.

This research revealed that even in a retail landscape constrained by margin pressure and shopper price sensitivity, demand for health and nutrition is a major opportunity; in the survey, 48% of retail leaders said they saw health-driven shoppers as a meaningful growth opportunity.

“Health is viewed by retail leaders as a sustained engine of innovation and a key driver of future growth,” wrote the report’s authors.

However, Eat Well Global warned that better-for-you is not an automatic win, as 40% of participants said it only drives growth when “executed well”.

What does a ‘well executed’ product mean?

When it comes to what retailers are looking for from better-for-you products, credibility stands out as a key consideration; in the study it ranked just below price / margin structure (62%), and alongside innovation / differentiation (52%) as one of the top three factors that influence whether a brand earns initial placement.

There was also evidence to suggest that retailers evaluate better-for-you products differently to “regular” products; 34% of participants said that better-for-you products need to outperform conventional brands in terms of credibility to secure a listing.

Additionally, 37% of those surveyed said credibility and transparency are critical attributes for better-for-you brands in 2026, ranking between pricing (45%) and differentiation (31%).

Eat Well Global said these expectations highlight a key tension it has been observing over the years: consumers expect credibility and transparency, but brands and retailers are not always meeting that bar.

The company said that the lack of consumer trust in nutrition claims in particular is a major barrier.

The study highlighted three key factors that have been identified by retail leaders as limiting trust in nutrition communications. These are: variations in definitions, such as ‘healthy’, ‘clean’, and ‘natural’; the complexity of regulations and claims standards; and inconsistent or unclear information from brands.

“The issue is that consumers are more sceptical and more likely to question brands and health claims. Retailers know this and are giving initial placement to better-for-you brands that can demonstrate credibility,” wrote the authors.

“Credibility has become more than a communication issue and now directly influences what gets on shelf,” they added.

Four ways of building credibility

Brands that win in this climate will be those that build credibility as a system, through insight-aligned strategy, compelling portfolios, and credible communications, said Eat Well Global.

It outlined four ways in which brands can do this, starting with choosing a “hero attribute”.

“Move beyond broad better-for-you positioning toward the specific benefit spaces retailers build around,” the agency advised.

“The report shows that retailer demand is concentrating around specific, functional spaces – high protein, lower sugar, fibre and digestive health, functional benefits, clean label, and portion or weight management – not broad wellness language. Brands need to choose the one benefit space that gives them the clearest role in the category,” it said.

Secondly, Eat Well Global emphasised the importance of a clear proof system. In other words strengthening claims, evidence, and portfolio logic so retailers have a clear rationale for why they should list a better-for-you product.

“This is about making the case stronger behind the scenes…It is about building a more convincing case: stronger claims discipline, sharper reason-to-believe, and clearer portfolio logic that helps retailers understand why the product deserves space,” wrote the market researchers.

In this respect, “good execution” equates to a cleaner claims hierarchy, fewer vague statements, and more proof points, as well as portfolio that feels “deliberate, not patched together”.

Thirdly, brands need to reduce ambiguity and make a product “instantly understandable”, according to Eat Well Global. They can do this by simplifying front-of-pack and digital shelf language so the lead benefit is easier to understand quickly; reducing competing messages, vague wellness descriptors, and unnecessary complexity; and ensuring that social content reinforces product truth.

Eat Well’s final recommendation is to build one health story that holds up across packaging, merchandising, digital channels, and retail selling.

“The report shows that better-for-you performance is shaped across the full retail journey – packaging, shopper education, merchandising, digital shelf, partnerships, and retailer-facing communication. This is an execution and alignment issue,” wrote the authors.