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Posts Tagged Wegmans

Up, Up, and Away: Coffee and Everything Else

Mar 3

Posted by admin in beverages, coffee, food universe, news

Time to start thinking about those pennies you’ve randomly tossed into the deli counter change dish. They will start to make a bigger difference when you tally your personal food costs. No matter how many times we’ve heard the expression, “food costs are going up,” we’ve seen the changes, but figured these would be short-term rises. Now the story is quite different. Everyone seems to be on the bandwagon announcing that food costs continue to spiral. Lots of finger-pointing about the whys, but the reality remains the same: Costs are up.

The USDA started the flood of announcements a few weeks ago. Today the UN’s food body chimed in on the seriousness of the escalation. Record highs being reported. Hardly need major groups to create headlines as we have little difficulty making those personal pronouncements within the confines of our own houses. Yet, there are some good news stories that deserve shout-outs.home_graph_1

About the same time frame as the USDA headliner, Wegmans said enough. As in enough: They will not raise prices through 2011 on the 40 most precious foods that all families need and use. YES, we applauded.

Today Costco reported its earnings and announced it would hold prices as long as possible before having to pass them on to the consumers. Does this mean we’ll need to build extra storage space to contain products that will inevitably spike?

No, I think a simple round of applause to both these companies and a heads-up to others. Join the price-stabilization train. Now.

Everyone needs help.

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The BPA Controversy

May 1

Posted by admin in Environment, FDA

On this side of the food blog world, I believe strongly in removing bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical from our food and beverage containers. It seems logical that we move in this direction as so much research indicates the long-term harm from these types of containers. A week ago a number of food industry groups and even some business groups including the US Chamber of Commerce voiced opposition to this strategy.

Let’s review the issue. The recent negative response is in fear of new regulation that the FDA will assume over food production. Read the release and you’ll see how the Agency has taken all the recent studies into review and now believes that the toxicity factor from BPA products causes more harm than good. Baby bottles as a good example, should be free of BPA. The list is long; we do not need to ingest the chemical. What’s the deal with the  food manufacturers? Sure it will cost record amounts of money to make these manufacturing changes, but health, safety, and well-being should be the focus.

Already one company, Wegmans has distanced itself from some of the negative Association responses. We need to congratulate the company for taking this step. As consumers here is our opportunity to talk with our wallets!

Another company that deserves attention is Nalgene for its move away from BPA (several years ago they took a lot of criticism for not moving quickly enough in this direction). We need to find these companies that have taken a stand and get in line to show our support for their efforts.everyday_midR

Can we ignore a chemical that has a long list of negatives indicating its harmful effects? No, we cannot. We need to protect ourselves by finding products that have eliminated this harmful chemical.

We urge the FDA and EPA to maintain their focus and data analysis. Too many lives are hanging in the balance. Products can be changed.

Eliminating BPA from cans and plastics that come into contact with food should be the focus of this change.

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I Like When YOU Listen–Thanks, Grocers

Nov 4

Posted by admin in Economy, food, grocer

After a truly tough year fighting the economy, mounting bills, and the increased costs of  some basic foods, grocers have responded in a variety of ways. We’ve seen triple coupons, dollar-off opportunities with a minimal purchase, and aisles filled with signs shouting out “lower prices”. We’ve had deals, great deals, new deals, and you name it, but somehow we are still left with a few questions.

What’s the real deal? Why were prices so high in the first place? The honest answer is: Because they could be. People were more flush with money, they had jobs, bills were getting paid, and high grocery prices were an almost accepted fact of life. Now with all the additional coupons from grocers and manufacturers, we are in a different world. The worry is that economic signs are improving and grocers will return to their old ways.

First, you need to be a member. Membership loyalty cards, those pesky things that are all over your keychain, are often necessary to get the savings. Most chains let you type in your phone number rather than make you carry the 500-lb assortment of ways you are trying to save. Whether a club card, card saver, or whatever it’s calledeVic_logo, it is the modus operandi of the shopping universe.

Wegmans came up with a response to consumer anxiety this past Sunday when their senior vice president of consumer affairs Mary Ellen Burris turned her weekly column into a road map of good economic strategies. She recognizes they have seen changed buying habits, house-brand shopping, and greater focus on less expensive prepared foods. They stress they are committed to maintaining their prices and remain focused on how many items are less expensive now than they were in ’08.

A new volley was tossed out today, food circular Wednesday, as Giant Food introduced its new point-based savings plan: Each dollar is a point, 250 points is 5 % off a future order (800 points earns a 20% off reward). They call it the Holiday Reward Coupon of Your Choice.

The gloves are off. May these strategies serve as the model for other grocers as we are far from being out of the woods. The holiday’s are coming, and we all appreciate that beef, pork, chicken, bread and dairy are less expensive than they were.

We are different diners, shoppers, and cooks. We will not go back to those spendthrift, carefree days of accepting high prices. We need the incentives to continue, and the grocers to recognize that the early part of the decade exhibited behavior we no longer can afford to stomach.

Price spikes need to stay off the shelves.

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The Smarter Grocery Store

Oct 15

Posted by admin in grocer, news

It seems like we’ve been telling grocers that things have to change, and they have just realized we mean business, in every sense of the phrase. Prices were too high; deals were limited. Now we’re being inundated with mailings from every market within miles of our zip code telling us their prices have come down and whoa did we see the special offers!

These marketing changes are a direct result of what they’ve learned from surveys and studies. In a recent study fresh_salsait was found that consumers believe they have cut back effectively but still not enough. They plan to spend even less on groceries this coming year. Price remains the strongest determinant of a purchase. In a poll of over 6, 000 people, almost 40% said they spend less at the grocers than they did 12 months ago and almost 80% said they would happily switch products for a better price.

In a survey conducted by Wegmans, they learned that almost a third of respondents said they are preparing more meals at home and relying less on take-out and restaurant meals. To help shoppers figure out the actual cost per serving, the East Coast grocery chain added that information to their list of readily available recipes.

Whole Foods continues to add coupons and specials; concepts that were less prevalent a year ago. They’ve even added a section called “Three Under $3.” Pretty impressive.

More coupons, more specials, more discounts: Welcome to the grocer who plans to survive!

We’ll keep talking.

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Are High-End Wines Passé?

Sep 12

Posted by admin in alcohol, beverages, Economy

winebeauA lot has changed since the dreaded Recession/near Depression and economic slide of 2009. We are definitely different shoppers, consumers, diners, cooks, and lest we forget, different drinkers. The specialty wine industry of high-priced labels may be truly limited to the top 1% of the population. They may not even know that there’s been a slowdown, a change in purchasing power. They may not have been affected, but they have to be making purchases or nothing will change.

It’s the 99% pf the Universe that has felt each bump in the road, each change and bit of negative news. Restaurants have clearly felt the impact–the naked eye shows more empty tables at once crowded hot spots (Search the blog under “restaurant,” and you’ll see a history of change). Grocery stores (a similar search) are tripping over each other to show how low their prices are. The wine industry has not been immune to these shopping trends. Not that everyone is drinking Two Buck Chuck which is often closer to three bucks, but the Under $10 bin is getting more competitive.

We could have always supported that bin if we had just focused on our neighbors to the South: Chile and Argentina. They both offer many fine, wonderfully drinkable wines that have been consistently affordable: Think Casa LaPostolle Sauvignon Blanc and Alamos Malbec. Likewise, many wines from Australia and New Zealand (Think Wolf Blass Shiraz or a Yalumba Riesling) have always offered top value add wonderful flavor profiles. Wines to pour.

The question is: Will the high-end winemakers be able to win back customers? Are we better educated now in our drinking habits and quicker to abandon the Big Labels in favor of our new finds?

The Champagne industry has long struggled with a marketing perception problem: They want to be all-round beverage rather than just a special occasion pour. Now its price point receives significant competition from sparkling wines such as Cava (Spain’s traditional Champagne Methode sparkler) and Italy’s contribution, Prosecco, both in the more affordable category.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Wegman’s have figured out how to capture the new wine drinker. Expensive wines are still available, but the crowds gather around the more drinkable, affordable, wines to go with their scaled-down price-sensitive shopping list.

Just serve my red a little chilled.

Salud!

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Saving Money the Old-Fashioned Way

Sep 3

Posted by admin in food, grocer, news, shopping

The old-fashioned way: One penny at a time. It works and a grade-school mathematician can convincingly say it adds up.

Here’s a simple way to test the concept and put more money into the grocery bag: Buy some store brands instead of some national brands. According to a Consumer Reports blind taste test (October 2009 issue) of 29 food products, 23 store brands  tasted as good or better than the more expensive national brands. They found this to be true with Costco’s (Kirkland) Organic Salsa, Target’s Archer Farms Chewy Soft-Baked Cookies, and Wal-Mart’s Great Value Whipped Topping. These three store brands beat out Old El Paso, Pepperidge Farm, and Kraft respectively.

No need to be shy about trying the store brands– the savings can be impressive, and many grocery stores are confident in their in-house branding approach that they offer a money-back guarantee if customers are not pleased.

In another Consumers Reports study just released, they ranked and rated 18-high fiber cereals and found 7 distinct products noteworthy including Kirkland’s Signature Spiced Pecan Cereal (Costco) which cost 33 cents a serving and proved a flavorful fiber choice. Archer Farms (Target) High Fiber delivers 10 grams of fiber a serving, and Wal-Mart’s Great Value Raisin Bran is considered a strong choice for raisin bran purists.The others were all national brands: Kashi GoLean Crunchy, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Extra, Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size Wheat ‘n Bran, and Barbara’s Bakery Ultimate Organic. Cereal can be costly, but you should be able to find sales either in a store’s circular ad or part of the Sunday newspaper coupons. Now that you have the fiber list, you can clip or do online grocery coupon savings.

There’s money in these aisles. Especially when someone elseweg'sgrocery_large does the taste-test homework.

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No Shock; Just Comfort

Jun 15

Posted by admin in Economy, FDA, food, grocer, life, news

Even though there are some signs that indicate we may slowly be emerging from under the dark economic cloud that has reshaped so much of our country, the reality is that consumers have changed their buying habits. We are different, and the hope is we will have learned something that has stickiness.

There is nothing surprising to hear that comfort foods are still the rage. Why not? Well, maybe a little salmonella scare here and there, but peanut butter and  jelly top many lists. There’s protein and multiple beneficial ingredients, and the price is right. It does not mean we deviate from our brand purchasing, but that in some instances we are more careful. Some studies indicate that in cautious times we are less likely to experiment with a new brand, even a much less costly alternative, and stay with an old friend. M&M’s plain chocolate candy was one strong, popular purchasing indicator from this survey of almost 25,000 consumers.

Candy, of course, is about the reward. Why take a chance on something you’re not certain will provide the boost you need? Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars all scored high. Wonder what this says for all the new Dark Chocolates which every company seems to be touting?

Across the aisles in the packaged meat case, bologna is a major winner. Some attribute its recent and continual spike in sales to a return to the foods of our childhood. They worked then and seem to be playing a similar comfort role. Definitely will need to talk healthy foods. Don’t even want to know how to make bologna!product_logo_reeses

If Mom served what we considered old-fashioned foods such as peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches, we hear the message. It worked then; it works now.

Grocers clearly recognize the new patterns. We see it everywhere. The Wegman family just discussed how shoppers have changed than they were a year ago. The company’s direct price-cutting actions, which greatly impacted their already slim profit margins, earned them new customers and a different approach to marketing their stores. It seems to be working.

Will we return to the shoppers of yesteryear, as in last year?

I hope not. I hope we are smarter now.

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Victory for This War

Jun 9

Posted by admin in coffee, food, grocer, life, wine

clubPackThe concept has come full circle, and a Mighty Circle it is! Remember when grocers scoffed at big box retailers/markets and said who needs a case of this or 15 rolls of toilet paper? Well, take a look around you, the case mentality has come to the grocer’s aisles and seems to have found a permanent home.

Grocers are saying “two can play this game.” Their logic is quite simple: Eliminate the big box discounters by playing their game of offering case value. Whatever it gets called, and commonly it seems to be “club pack/pak”, the consumer benefits handsomely from this type of turnaround. For those who want to limit their shopping trips (yes, gas is climbing way up there, again), they can postpone trips to the big discounters and use the same mentality to stock up at the grocers. At least that’s what grocers believe!

Most of the national brands have entered the coupon fray-field by doubling and tripling cents off, something not available at big boxers. The big guys like Costco understand the value of coupons and send out whole books of discounts, good for an approximate 4-week period. Some, like Sam’s Club, publish welcome ads in the newspapers (assuming people still buy newspapers) in the hopes of welcoming new members. 

Grocers, on the other hand, combine all the concepts to demonstrate the modern definition of one-stop shopping. The competition is good for all of us. Look at Wegmans, as you recall my favorite grocer. They now aggressively market savings with club packs, a sizable list of wines under $10, and price-cutting that does the math for you. (As in, if a two-pound bag of onions costs $1.69, that’s .85 a pound. Then the calorie info: 60 calories a cup and a large onion is 3 cups). Maybe they’ll find someone to accompany you down the aisles, and then you won’t have to think at all! 

They have large comparison shopping boards at the entrance and throughout the store that list 4-5 products and show how Wegmans beats the competition. Their newest strategy is the $6 meal–one entree and two sides–as in bbq chicken breast with roasted red potatoes and harvest vegetables, or…many options.

Some of the local farmers are starting to bring their product to market, and Wegmans has inked a number of deals. Locavores unite: It’s a shopping possibility.

All of this to convince us that we can live at one store; one that has morphed into a combo: Great retailer, smart discounter, great service and product, and a big boxer.

This is a match we win.

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These Numbers Don't Lie

May 13

Posted by admin in food, health, news

USDAOrganicLogoIt’s not surprising that the organic market continues to grow. We’re talking a 17% increase in 2008 despite the continual outpouring of negative economic news. These consumers blew that concept off in favor of quality, healthy foods.

What is surprising is how expensive it is to buy certain organic fruits. Do we really need organic bananas when we only, unless the monkey urge takes over, eat the inside under the peel?

Lettuce, now that’s another story, as the ground creates all types of issues. What does it mean for these products to be organic and why the high price tag?As Kermit taught us a long time ago, it’s not easy being green.

Going organic can often prove a costly experience for the farmer, the producer. So many rules; so much time spent cleaning up the land to ready it to meet the standards. We pay the price, and our bodies send out the big shout out: thank you.

Commitment is so high among some people that price never enters a discussion. Capturing that clientele is often a store’s goal. Look at Whole Foods which has an impressive array of organic products and often lists the ever-changing daily number as a welcome greeting when you enter the store. They are conscious about price and the fact that they suffer from high prices as a negative nomenclature, “whole paycheck,” for instance, but they have made changes. Their list of products that are organic and less costly than many of their original inventory keeps expanding.

If you can’t make the farm markets, the organics at major grocers such as Whole Foods or Wegmans are worth the investment in the meat, produce, egg, and poultry aisles. If you are buying canned or frozen, there is, likewise, plenty of availability. Don’t forget that Amazon has gotten into food in a big way. Show the power of suggestion: Check with your local supermarket and encourage them to increase the organic selections.

Whatever the route, the path to organic continues to widen.

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The New Food Buzz–Home Cooking

Feb 5

Posted by admin in Economy, food

vntgstove1Yes, it’s true, many of us have rediscovered our kitchens–you know the room with a stove which is a way more complicated piece of equipment than the microwave. You’ve given the microwave a pretty good workout over the past few years as you’ve championed carry-in. Even though you’ve often said, the food’s just OK; not great. But, hey, it was easy. Just pick it up, pop it in the wave, and bingo, dinner.

Now times are different. They are past a ‘changing. They are here. We need to buckle up for the rough ride and figure out how we can be the producer instead of just the purchaser. It’s not that hard. We go to the grocery store and look at house brands as a starter. Most of the major supermarkets, and even some big boxers, have expanded their line-up. 

Wegmans, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods have all done shout-outs about their expanded list of private label products. Costco started out slow with the “Kirkland” title, but, it, too, recognizes shoppers are different than they were even 6 months ago. “House brands”  are no longer considered a dirty phrase. It’s about the price.

When you read the labels of two products that look similar, have the same name, but differ significantly in the cost department, you can’t help but get excited about the lesser priced one. Every once in a while you find a dog, but mostly those days are over. The national brands want a bigger chunk of the pie. We do, too, but we want it for less money!

We can do it. We can cook it. Every recipe has somehow found its way onto the Internet. Some of the vntgstovesites such as all recipes and epicurious make you wonder why you ever purchased all those cookbooks. Oh, I remember, they’re fun to have, to leaf-thru. Maybe the preponderance of available recipes and menus means you might be able to grab a coffee at your local book store and devour current issues of the food mags–shh, don’t tell them you have no intention of ever buying a $5 magazine again!

So, home cooking. It’s something we used to know how to do. It’s time has returned. It’s not that hard. Start off with the basics. It’s like getting up after the horse has thrown you. You can read and adapt and create the great new stovestove1stove2recipe that uses the ingredients you want. Pre-made is so over.

Hello, stove, I’m back.old-stove

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