A recent report put out by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, free enterprise, and individual liberty, found that soda taxes are ineffective at changing consumption habits. Soda taxes are seen by many as a form of a sin tax, and have been criticized for burdening the poor. “The real-world effects of ‘sin taxes’ imposed on certain food and beverages have been universally lackluster,” Michelle Minton, CEI policy expert, explained. “Experience shows soda taxes disadvantage the people least able to absorb the cost, with no measurable improvement in public health.” One key finding of the report was that when Mexico imposed a 10 percent soda tax, it didn’t move low income families away from high calorie drinks. A survey of 8,000 Mexican families before and after the soda tax was imposed showed that low income families were the least likely to reduce their soda intake due to the price increase. Another revelation in the report was that, even if taxes prompt people to change their habits in the beginning, the change may only be short term.
A 2012 Cornell study of 62,000 Americans found that when half the population were required to pay a 10 percent tax on calorie-dense foods like soda, consumption of soft drinks initially decreased but by the end of six months was similar to the non-taxed group. Although Jim Kenney, Philadelphia’s mayor, where a soda tax recently passed, did not use the health of its residents as a reason behind pushing the measure in his city, he did state, “This is the beginning of a process of changing the narrative of poverty in our city.” Whereas it may raise much needed funds for Philly city programs including universal pre-K, unfortunately, it may do so at the expense (literally) of its poorest residents.
Safeway’s grocery delivery website, shop.safeway.com, topped the list of the most popular U.S. shopping websites according to SimilarWeb, a web analytics company that monthly ranks U.S. e-tailers with the longest visitor time on site through desktop visits, mobile visits and apps. It found that the Safeway site averages more than 22 pages per visit. “Despite the fact that in recent years, other companies like Amazon and Wal-Mart have entered this niche, Safeway manages to drive the highest engagement when it comes to the online sector,” stated Pavel Tuchinsky, SimilarWeb’s digital insights manager.
Giant/Landover sponsored the 24th Annual Capital Barbecue Battle on June 25-26 in Washington, DC. The national food and music festival spanned six city blocks and featured a series of competitions leading up to the main event including the National Pork BBQ Championship, the Australian Lamb Contest, the Perdue Sizzlin’ Chicken Contest, the American Beef Cook-Off, the Smithfield Rib Championship, and the Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned Giant National BBQ Championship Contest. One of the highlights of the event was the Taste of Giant sampling pavilion, which was a 300-foot-long tent featuring 25 national vendors and a cooking demo stage. Another notable area was the Giant health and wellness tent where pharmacy associates and nutritionists were on hand to offer health screenings and nutritional consultations. There was even a pavilion showcasing some of Giant’s local partners, including Roseda Farms, EMD Sales and BrightFarms. In addition to all of the food, there were more than 30 bands of different genres playing music throughout the weekend. With more than 104,000 attendees, the two-day festival, which benefitted the Capital Area Food Bank and The USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore, was a rousing success. Way to go, Giant, particularly Felis Andrade and Jennifer Gonzalez, for putting together such a well-executed event!
Also in Giant/Landover news, the 2016 recipients of the Izzy Cohen Memorial Scholarship and the Esther Peterson Memorial Grant were announced late last month. The winners, who were selected based on academic merit, their association with Giant/Landover, school and community service and financial need, are selected from a variety of high schools in the greater Washington, DC area. “Giant Food’s educational assistance programs have been making a difference in the lives of associates and their families for more than 20 years,” said Gordon Reid, president of the Landover, MD based division of Ahold USA. “The Izzy Cohen Memorial Scholarship and the Esther Peterson Memorial Grant represent Giant’s commitment to advancing the education of children in our communities and we are delighted to provide these scholarships to students throughout our community who represent the future of our region.” Izzy Cohen, one of the original founders of Giant/Landover, believed strongly in the power of training and education. Ten winners are selected each year for the Izzy Cohen scholarship, which are valued at $4,000 and are renewable for up to four years. Esther Peterson was a former VP of consumer affairs at Giant/Landover and the nation’s first presidentially appointed consumer affairs advocate. The Esther Peterson grants, which go out to 10 recipients in conjunction with the Izzy Cohen scholarships, are valued at $1,000 and are non-renewable.
Finally, I’d like to offer a big shout out to Nancy Cohen, owner of Eddie’s of Roland Park. Nancy and her father Victor Cohen (who founded the company and who passed away in 2000) were inducted into the Specialty Food Association’s Hall of Fame at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show. The SFA’s Hall of Fame mission is to “honor individuals whose accomplishments, impact, contributions, innovations, and successes within the specialty food industry deserve praise and recognition.” Other notable inductees this year include Seth Goldman of Honest Tea and Dave Herriman of Giant/Landover. Congratulations to the honorees for the well-deserved recognition!
Until next month…
