Price Chopper to lead natural and organic variety in Northeast
Price Chopper to lead natural and organic variety in Northeast
Price Chopper officials in Schenectady, NY, have announced the addition of more than 1,000 new natural and organic items to an already substantial array of lifestyle products in the chain's 115 stores in six Northeastern states.
With more SKUs than can fit in the average store-within-a-store "boutique," the progressive 75-year-old grocery chain is integrating its better-for-you alternatives in almost every category across the store and supporting the expansion with aggressive promotional pricing, advertising, marketing and consumer-friendly educational outreach. A bright new yellow and evergreen signage package will highlight the greatly expanded natural and organic variety throughout the store.
"We've selected exceptional suppliers, all of whom are leaders in the natural and organic arena," Neil Golub, president and chief executive officer of Price Chopper, said in a statement. "The quality and integrity of their products coupled with our comprehensive rollout will position Price Chopper as the premier promotional merchant of natural and organic products in the Northeast."
As the first and indisputably healthiest department to greet Price Chopper customers, fresh produce boasts a bevy of diverse nutritive benefits. Incorporating the simple message of the Produce for Better Heath Foundation's "fruits and veggies, more matters" campaign into enticing and colorful lifestyle suggestions, Price Chopper has sourced additional variety from all over the world, boosting the total number of organic fruits and vegetables available to more than 125. The number of organic SKUs will be monitored and posted in the department on a daily basis.
Adding to the strength of the natural and organic grocery and health and beauty care offerings, which already include major brands like Kashi, Organic Valley, White Wave Silk, Annie's Robert's, Imagine, Amy's, Hodgson Mills, Stoneyfield Farms, Tom's of Maine, Burt's Bees, Gentle Naturals and Crystal Rock, will be more than 400 new "Wild Oats" branded items. From all-natural and organic food items to holistic health products and environmentally friendly cleaning and paper products, this unique partnership places Price Chopper among the larger independent retailers of "Wild Oats" products in the United States.
The selection of "Wild Oats" brand products includes specialty items such as imported Italian sodas, organic fruit spreads, environmentally responsible paper towels, frozen gourmet desserts, organic grapefruit juice, organic raw almonds, vanilla lavender lotion, essential oils, and the highest quality nutritional vitamins, minerals and supplements. These and hundreds of other "Wild Oats" branded products will provide Price Chopper customers with a wide selection of the highest-quality natural, organic and specialty items available.
"The number one request we get from people is that they want us to put a Wild Oats store in their neighborhood," said Gregory Mays, chair and CEO of Wild Oats Markets. "This is the perfect way for us to reach more people who want high-quality natural and organic foods with our 'Wild Oats' branded products more quickly than if we were to open new stores. We're pleased to introduce the great taste of Wild Oats to communities where we don't already have a store presence and meet a growing need for healthier alternatives."
In addition to the stores' other departments, even Price Chopper's central market florist has jumped on the bandwagon with eco-friendly signature collection bouquets that tout minimal use of pesticides while providing for the fair pay, health care, housing and education of farmworkers who grow and harvest the flowers in Colombia.
"As a vegan long-committed to living a healthy lifestyle, I am thrilled to help guide Price Chopper to a leadership position in its natural/organic and wellness initiatives" said Jon Strom, Price Chopper's vice president of lifestyle merchandising. "It is truly gratifying to be able to purchase the natural and organic products that I need and want at Price Chopper, my supermarket of choice, without having to make side trips to little out-of-the-way specialty shops."
Natural and organic sales have been growing at double-digit rates for years, with categories like natural and organic dairy, frozen foods, fitness water, breakfast, snacks and salsa fueling the demand by American consumers. As one of the country's preeminent private-label purveyors, Price Chopper continues to grow its own natural and organic line, dubbed "Price Chopper Naturals." Recently introduced organic items include grape juice and cranberry juice, traditional and wheat pastas, lemonade, microwaveable popcorn, natural pump hand soaps and bar soaps. "Our efforts vis a vis the consumer will focus on tying health and wellness topics cohesively into our advertising/marketing, sampling, in-store event and community and public relations efforts so as to provide the additional educational outreach that our customers are telling us they want," said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services.
In addition to significantly increasing its natural and organic product line, Price Chopper continues to drive the health and wellness initiative home amongst its associates through Well@Work, a collaborative effort with MVP Health Care, the chain's predominant health maintenance organization. Programs are organized and developed in the workplace that address health- related issues. From periodic lunch workshops featuring speakers on topics like smoking cessation, diabetes and skin cancer prevention to the main office "Weight Loss Challenge" that is currently underway, the effort to engage associates in taking better care of themselves is at an all-time high.
With more SKUs than can fit in the average store-within-a-store "boutique," the progressive 75-year-old grocery chain is integrating its better-for-you alternatives in almost every category across the store and supporting the expansion with aggressive promotional pricing, advertising, marketing and consumer-friendly educational outreach. A bright new yellow and evergreen signage package will highlight the greatly expanded natural and organic variety throughout the store.
"We've selected exceptional suppliers, all of whom are leaders in the natural and organic arena," Neil Golub, president and chief executive officer of Price Chopper, said in a statement. "The quality and integrity of their products coupled with our comprehensive rollout will position Price Chopper as the premier promotional merchant of natural and organic products in the Northeast."
As the first and indisputably healthiest department to greet Price Chopper customers, fresh produce boasts a bevy of diverse nutritive benefits. Incorporating the simple message of the Produce for Better Heath Foundation's "fruits and veggies, more matters" campaign into enticing and colorful lifestyle suggestions, Price Chopper has sourced additional variety from all over the world, boosting the total number of organic fruits and vegetables available to more than 125. The number of organic SKUs will be monitored and posted in the department on a daily basis.
Adding to the strength of the natural and organic grocery and health and beauty care offerings, which already include major brands like Kashi, Organic Valley, White Wave Silk, Annie's Robert's, Imagine, Amy's, Hodgson Mills, Stoneyfield Farms, Tom's of Maine, Burt's Bees, Gentle Naturals and Crystal Rock, will be more than 400 new "Wild Oats" branded items. From all-natural and organic food items to holistic health products and environmentally friendly cleaning and paper products, this unique partnership places Price Chopper among the larger independent retailers of "Wild Oats" products in the United States.
The selection of "Wild Oats" brand products includes specialty items such as imported Italian sodas, organic fruit spreads, environmentally responsible paper towels, frozen gourmet desserts, organic grapefruit juice, organic raw almonds, vanilla lavender lotion, essential oils, and the highest quality nutritional vitamins, minerals and supplements. These and hundreds of other "Wild Oats" branded products will provide Price Chopper customers with a wide selection of the highest-quality natural, organic and specialty items available.
"The number one request we get from people is that they want us to put a Wild Oats store in their neighborhood," said Gregory Mays, chair and CEO of Wild Oats Markets. "This is the perfect way for us to reach more people who want high-quality natural and organic foods with our 'Wild Oats' branded products more quickly than if we were to open new stores. We're pleased to introduce the great taste of Wild Oats to communities where we don't already have a store presence and meet a growing need for healthier alternatives."
In addition to the stores' other departments, even Price Chopper's central market florist has jumped on the bandwagon with eco-friendly signature collection bouquets that tout minimal use of pesticides while providing for the fair pay, health care, housing and education of farmworkers who grow and harvest the flowers in Colombia.
"As a vegan long-committed to living a healthy lifestyle, I am thrilled to help guide Price Chopper to a leadership position in its natural/organic and wellness initiatives" said Jon Strom, Price Chopper's vice president of lifestyle merchandising. "It is truly gratifying to be able to purchase the natural and organic products that I need and want at Price Chopper, my supermarket of choice, without having to make side trips to little out-of-the-way specialty shops."
Natural and organic sales have been growing at double-digit rates for years, with categories like natural and organic dairy, frozen foods, fitness water, breakfast, snacks and salsa fueling the demand by American consumers. As one of the country's preeminent private-label purveyors, Price Chopper continues to grow its own natural and organic line, dubbed "Price Chopper Naturals." Recently introduced organic items include grape juice and cranberry juice, traditional and wheat pastas, lemonade, microwaveable popcorn, natural pump hand soaps and bar soaps. "Our efforts vis a vis the consumer will focus on tying health and wellness topics cohesively into our advertising/marketing, sampling, in-store event and community and public relations efforts so as to provide the additional educational outreach that our customers are telling us they want," said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer services.
In addition to significantly increasing its natural and organic product line, Price Chopper continues to drive the health and wellness initiative home amongst its associates through Well@Work, a collaborative effort with MVP Health Care, the chain's predominant health maintenance organization. Programs are organized and developed in the workplace that address health- related issues. From periodic lunch workshops featuring speakers on topics like smoking cessation, diabetes and skin cancer prevention to the main office "Weight Loss Challenge" that is currently underway, the effort to engage associates in taking better care of themselves is at an all-time high.
