It is official. Wellness and sustainability are key areas of focus for major retailers. The masses have spoken. Natural, organics and sustainability are no longer niche preferences. It's gone mainstream.

Walmart has stated these as their top priorities. And Target has announced a very similar focus to Wall Street. If you visit the websites of these two retailers, this focus is prominent.

Grocery retailers and national drug stores have also claimed a stake in this growing market. Everywhere you turn now, you can't miss this growing trend.

And brands are responding. Nestle, General Mills and major CPGs are pivoting to align with the shifting trends in "better for you" foods. And the Fancy Foods Show in June was dominated by natural, healthy foods.

This blog post focuses on Target's journey into wellness and sustainability.

Target has embarked on a journey to expand its selection of wellness and sustainable products. This video is a must-watch for any vendor of Target or brand seeking to sell to Target.

Learn more about Target's Sustainable Product Index and Made to Matter.

Some great facts about Target's Natural, Organic and Sustainable focus:

Sales of natural and organic products at Target has been outpacing category growth by 50%.
In 2013 natural and organic sales at Target grew 4 times faster than the Target grocery business.
98% of Target guests purchase natural or organic products.
There were 16 vendors in Made to Matter 2014 and 31 Made To Matter brands in 2015. Made to Matter 2016, which is currently being reviewed by buyers, will likely be bigger.

I just wrapped up Made to Matter 2016 final round pitch presentations today and will share more about what I learned in a future post. But I promise you, Made to Matter 2016 will be big.