Poll results: Where's the major opportunity for grocery right now?

People used to buy all their groceries at supermarkets that looked pretty much alike.

Today, however, shoppers have a dizzying array of store formats to buy from, and grocery stores themselves are developing specialties to cater to shoppers' unique tastes.

Which one of these offers the best growth opportunity in the grocery business? That’s the question we asked in Canadian Grocer's most recent online poll.

Not surprisingly, the two top answers both had a strong fresh food component.

More than a quarter of you (29%) said the best opportunity for grocery stores is to become health havens. “Pharmacies, dietitians and health clinics combined with fresh groceries are the future,” you said.

READ: Loblaw to test health store format

That answer barely beat out a fresh-obsessed focus. Twenty-seven percent of you voted for “Grocers will look more like farmers’ markets”

VIEW: Take a tour of Country Grocer in Nanaimo

With more people looking for quick meal solutions, 22% said HMR represents the next big thing, agreeing with the statement that “grocers will not only look like restaurants, they’ll serve more restaurant-quality prepared food.”

READ: Welcome to the new HMR

Canada is an urban country. Most of us live in cities and with condo booms in places like Toronto, 18% of you said the biggest opportunity lies there: “Grocery combined with condo living is a match made in retail heaven.”

READ: Grocery stores key to condo boom

But most of you didn’t think much of our last option: “Gas bars with more food are the next big thing.” Only 4% of you voted for it.

READ: Fast and fresh at the corner store

This week’s poll question: Should Sobeys keep the Safeway banner after it closes its purchase of Safeway Canada? To answer, go to our home page. The poll is in the lower right corner.