Aisle Chatter

As summer has ended and fall is just settling in, many shoppers are getting their children ready for the new school year. This does not just apply to their standard school supplies such as backpacks, notebooks and writing implements – parents are filling their shopping carts with healthful foods to feed their kids throughout the school day. In a recent Nielsen survey, 64 percent of Americans said they are looking to buy healthier foods and, regardless of price, 55 percent of consumers are willing to pay more if it equals a healthier choice. Also, despite 44 percent of parents surveyed citing improvements in school cafeteria meals within the last five years, more than half of them choose to pack lunches for their children. Parents are most likely to be swayed to purchase food items with the claims that they are made with fruits and vegetables (62 percent), are high in fiber (57 percent), natural flavors (55 percent), low in sodium (52 percent) and low in sugar or sugar free (51 percent). When shopping with children in tow, four in 10 parents say ‘no’ to requests for snacks containing high-fructose corn syrup content (39 percent) and artificial ingredients (35 percent). Lunch is not the only meal that sees a change during the back-to-school season (early July through the end of September). With 54 percent of respondents stating that breakfast is made at home, parents spend more on ready-to-eat cereal, eggs, breakfast meats and toaster pastries, creating an over index of these products during this time period.

Speaking of parents, one grocery app that hopes to capture their attention and that of every other budget conscious shopper out there is called Basket. Co-founded by former early Waze employee Andy Ellwood and his partner Neil Kataria, the founder of New Brand Analytics (which was sold to the CEM company Sprinklr), Basket has built up a database of grocery items and prices to help shoppers discover the best priced products at local stores. The unique thing about this database is that it is leveraged by crowdsourcing, with the shoppers themselves capturing and reporting the pricing so that it can be shared among its fellow app users. In the app, shoppers search for their desired items and add them to their ‘baskets.’ The app then shows them which local stores carry the items and for how much, so that consumers can compare prices. I see this app appealing to a lot of Millennials who don’t seem to mind going to several different retailers to fulfill their shopping needs versus the baby boomer generation, who tend to prefer a one-stop shopping experience.

The meal kit trend continues to grow and now established brands like Hershey are jumping on the bandwagon. Early this month, the online kit marketplace Chef’d announced a partnership with the candy company in which it will offer a dessert themed meal kit. “We’re pleased to partner with Chef’d to be the first to bring branded desserts to the meal kit market. Hershey is committed to offering our beloved brands every place where people shop,” stated Carrie Lathrop, manager of e-commerce and emerging Channels at the Hershey Co. “The rise of the meal kit market is undeniable – boxes provide unprecedented convenience while maintaining the engaging experience of home baking.” The recipes, which will be from Hershey’s Kitchens or Scharffen Berger (an artisanal brand that was acquired by Hershey in 2005), can be ordered as a stand-alone option or as an add-on with any Chef’d meal and can also be purchased from the Hershey’s Kitchens and Scharffen Berger websites. The kits will include such offerings as S’mores Cookies, Red Velvet Cream Cheese Squares, No-Bake Toffee Fudge Bars (all under Hershey’s Kitchens) and Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Torte, Unbelievable Fudgy Brownies and Chocolate Studded Oatmeal Bars (offered under Scharffen Berger) and will fall in the $2-4 per serving price range. “Hershey is taking a leadership position as the first confection brand to sell dessert kits on our site, and we are thrilled to be working with them to get the kits to consumers nationally,” says Kyle Ransford, founder and CEO of Chef’d. “We think they are trendsetting and others are going to follow.”

Giant/Landover recently announced the launch of its own fresh meal kits in eight of its greater Washington, DC stores. Featuring pre-measured fresh ingredients and step-by-step instructions to create a meal in 30 minutes or less, these meal kits will be available in the deli and produce departments and can additionally be purchased through Peapod by Giant. “These new fresh meal kits are a way for us to make our customers’ lives easier,” said Gordon Reid, president of Giant/Landover. “Giant is excited about the launch of these kits, which will save our customers time while also providing them with a healthy, well-rounded delicious meal the whole family can enjoy together.” One kit, which contains enough ingredients to serve two people, is priced at $14.99, while the cost of two kits to serve four people is $24.99.

Also launching at Giant/Landover is a new fundraising program to benefit the Johns Hopkins Cancer Center and the Children’s Cancer Foundation called the Giant’s Pediatric Cancer Fundraising Program. The goal of the program this year, which replaces the Triple Winner game of years past, is to raise $1.6 million through the sales of $5 coupon books valued at $85. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to support pediatric cancer research and care. Additionally, throughout the month of September (which is Childhood Cancer Awareness month) shoppers will have the option of rounding up their bills when they are at checkout, with the extra change going to pediatric cancer research. Since 2005, the retailer has raised $16.3 million for pediatric cancer research. I’m also so impressed with how this retailer continues to raise the bar with its philanthropic endeavors – way to go Giant/Landover!

While we are on the topic of the Children’s Cancer Foundation, be sure to mark your calendars for their 32nd annual Gala at Martin’s Valley Mansion in Hunt Valley, MD on October 29. It is a great event where all the proceeds fund pediatric cancer research and local pediatric oncology facilities. If you can’t attend, think about donating money directly or even a silent auction item for the event – every bit helps! For more info on the event, go to http://childrenscancerfoundation.org/events-page/ccf-gala/.

Another generous retailer we cover, Weis Markets, earlier this month embarked on its ninth annual Fight Hunger program, which will run throughout Hunger Action Month in September. The program provides food and monetary donations to hundreds of local food banks and emergency food providers across five states in Weis Markets’ 166-store service area. Since the program’s inception in 2008, the program has raised nearly $1.5 million for hunger relief organizations.

“Weis Markets is deeply committed to fighting hunger, and certainly within our own communities,” said Richard Gunn, the retailer’s SVP-merchandising and marketing. “Hunger Action Month is the perfect time for all of us to join together and support those families who may not know when and from where the next meal is coming. Each year, our customers show their incredible generosity through donations at our stores and online. We hope our customers will consider donating this month when they visit their local Weis Markets.”

Through October 5, Weis customers will be encouraged to consider making a small donation at checkout to help support families in need in the community. Customers will also have the opportunity to donate shelf stable items such as canned goods, pasta, peanut butter, apple sauce or soup by simply adding these items to their cart throughout their trip and then place them in a donation bin at checkout. Customers also have the opportunity to donate online at WeisMarkets.com/FightHunger.

Hunger Action Month is Feeding America’s nationwide campaign that unites communities to take action against the issue of hunger and helps raise awareness to support the more than 49 million Americans who struggle with food insecurity right here in the U.S. In fact, hunger impacts one in seven Americans, including nearly 15 million children. Hunger has no boundaries and is a problem that exists in urban, suburban and rural communities. We salute Weis Markets for doing its part to make a difference in so many lives.

Till next month…