We now live in a world where bad news goes viral in seconds, where lawyers eagerly watch for and sue companies over misleading labels, and where shoppers can use free mobile apps to learn exactly what’s in a food product and how its maker rates from a sustainability perspective.

All of this is helping to shift power away from the corporation and to the consumer, proving that the era of giving lip service to transparency is over. If you don’t believe us, just consider the growing number of consumers now clamoring for the mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms.

The good news for natural products retailers is that many of the brands you carry are well ahead of this macro force and are building transparency into their supply chains, manufacturing processes and packaging. Expect to see more innovation on the transparency and traceability fronts in 2013 and stay in good stead with your shoppers by doing what you can to foster greater transparency between the products you sell and the people who buy them.