Consumer Reports: How does your supermarket stack up?
What makes a supermarket great? Years ago, says Consumer Reports, the answer might have been low prices, checkout speed or variety. Now another consideration is top-of-mind: "fresh."
When the typical shopper makes each of his or her 83 yearly grocery trips (running up an annual tab of about $5,400), he or she is demanding a wider than ever choice of healthy, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, as well as more organics and local produce. The clamor for "fresh" also extends to freshly prepared meals that can be taken home. So when Consumer Reports did its annual supermarket survey, it asked readers to rate their grocers on traditional characteristics such as service and cleanliness - but also asked them to rate the selection of local produce and the price of organics at their stores.
Consumer Reports, working to improve the lives of consumers by driving marketplace change, received responses from 62,917 subscribers, crunched the numbers and discovered that the "freshest" stores tend to be the best stores overall, too. So Wegmans, a top-rated store since 2005, also gets top marks for freshness; longtime bottom-of-the-barrel Wal-Mart Supercenter gets some of the lowest scores for freshness.
Why shoppers got fresh
For many Americans, food is the new medicine: We believe we can eat our way to good health. As a result, consumers have become increasingly savvy label readers, wary of preservatives, chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients. It's no surprise, then, that since 2007 the demand for minimally processed foods with shorter ingredients lists has climbed significantly, according to The Hartman Group, a consumer research firm.
"There's a growing rejection of overly processed and packaged foods, especially among younger consumers," says Jim Hertel, managing partner at supermarket industry consultant Willard Bishop. "They're suspicious about food additives, and so sure 'less is more' that they buy gluten-free even if they're not allergic to gluten."
Supermarkets are taking seriously their new role in the health of their customers. In the 1980s, just two chains had a registered dietitian. Today, dietitians influence merchandising and marketing decisions in 95 percent of chains. Some stores participate in nutrition-scoring programs such as Nu-Val (available at Kroger, Price Chopper and other chains); others, like Whole Foods Market, publicize food-safety commitments that include stocking only antibiotic-free meat. Consumers' food-safety concerns have also prompted stores to carry more locally sourced selections, Hertel adds.
Though the jury's out on how eating locally connects to health, there's no question that fresh, unprocessed food is better for you than choosing a prepared meal high in sodium and fat from the freezer aisle.
Who's fresh, and who's not
Why can't all stores be like Wegmans? The chain got top marks in Consumer Reports' survey for freshness, baked goods and overall shopping experience.
"It's going to sound cliché, but our employees are our secret sauce," says Jo Natale, Wegmans' vice president of media relations. Natale also points to the fact that the chain is family-owned, not publicly traded, which "allows us to take a long-range view, invest in people and grow at a controlled rate."
Nationwide, stores need to do a much better job when it comes to fresh offerings. Only around 6 in 10 shoppers were completely or very satisfied with the quality of their store's produce, meat and poultry offerings. About 50 percent of respondents were highly satisfied with their store's prepared food and bakery items.
Just three of the 68 chains - Wegmans and national chains The Fresh Market and Whole Foods - earned stellar produce scores. Retailers that received low scores for produce variety included two big warehouse clubs, Sam's Club (part of Wal-Mart), and BJ's Membership Club (in the East).
And what of Wal-Mart, consistently one of Consumer Reports' lowest-rated grocers dating back to 2005? This year, the nation's largest grocer - the primary shopping destination for 10 percent of those surveyed - earned low marks in every category other than price.