SMART SHOPPING
Saving money at the grocery store
Written by COURTNEY DRAKE-MCDONOUGH
The news is everywhere — the cost of groceries
(and everything else) is going up. Yet that pesky
need to eat persists. What are grocery stores doing
to help the consumer during these lean times? And
what can we do to help ourselves?
The major grocery store chains, such as King Soopers,
Safeway and Albertsons, all offer similar ways to save
money. There are in-store sales, extra savings through customer
loyalty programs and “house-brands” (lower-priced,
private-label versions of popular items).
The major stores also honor coupons, sometimes doubling
their value. For easy planning, both weekly newspaper
circulars and listings on the stores’ Web sites alert shoppers
to the week’s sales.
The “big box” stores such as Costco and Sam’s are a
major cost-saving source. The downside is buying in larger
quantities, which are fine for larger households or for those
who have the space and inclination to divide up and store the
good deals. Even stores such as Wal-Mart and Target have
gotten into the grocery act, doing their part to offer competitive
prices along with convenience.
With the increasing interest in healthier eating, chains
such as Whole Foods Market and Sunflower Market are
becoming an alternative source for general grocery shopping.
To combat the reputation that healthier foods cost
more, these stores are making an effort to keep their costs
competitive with the traditional grocery chains while still
offering grocery store features such as full-service deli and
meat departments.
Whole Foods is well aware of its nickname, “Whole
Paycheck.” “I think most of that perception is because our
stores are so beautiful,” says Louis Karp, store team leader of
the Tamarac location. “People see the tasteful signage, lighting
and millwork, and it gives the perception of being expensive.
However, every week we do cost comparisons with the
major grocery chains, and we are often comparable if not less
expensive, especially in the dairy department.” Whole Foods
has its own house brand and runs specials in every department
to stay competitive.
Like other grocery store chains, Whole Foods has felt the
effects of the changing market. “People are definitely shopping
around more and are shopping the specials,” says
Karp. “But we have very loyal customers who are dedicated
to health-minded eating. They want to eat quality food,
so they are more likely to give up spending at restaurants
and instead put that money toward making quality food in
their own homes.”
Wednesdays are especially busy at Sunflower Market,
when the weekly sales overlap nearly doubles the number of
items on sale. Like Whole Foods, Sunflower has witnessed
the trend of consumers buying quality items with home cooking
and good health in mind.
Their response is to offer what their motto says: “Serious
food — silly prices.” Compared to Whole Foods, Sunflower
Markets are more low profile and consider themselves to be
less intimidating. Their merchandise revolves around the produce
department, which is literally at the center of the store.
In price comparisons, Sunflower falls 10 percent to 15 percent
below most grocery stores.
To help shoppers help themselves, clipping money-saving coupons has been a long-standing way to cut grocery costs.
However, scouring those coupons and store specials can
almost become a part-time job, even though the results may
be worth it.
Several companies exist to streamline the process for consumers.
One such company is The Grocery Game, an online
service at www.thegrocerygame.com. “Groceries are probably
your second biggest monthly expense,” says Teri Gault,
CEO and co-founder of The Grocery Game.
Shoppers pay a nominal fee to receive weekly e-mailed
grocery lists designed to cut grocery bills in half or more.“Members report average savings of $512 a month for a family
of four,” says Gault. The service assembles a list of items
specific to a member’s local supermarket. The list includes the
regular price, sale price from advertised and unadvertised
store sales, plus manufacturers’ coupons for those and other
items. A few clicks and clips, and members head to the store
with a customized grocery list and a set of coupons to get the
lowest price possible for the specific items they want.
In addition to the efforts made by stores and services,
there are steps consumers can take to help themselves save
money.
• Use store sales and coupons to inspire a list of meals for
the week. Creating a grocery list that focuses on specific
meals and sale items not only saves money but keeps shopping
focused, avoiding unnecessary and costly purchases.
• Shop the sales at more than one store as long as they are
located very near each other. Having to drive more than five
minutes to another store negates the savings in terms of
gasoline costs.
• Buy larger quantities of items that are a good deal and
package and store them for future use. This also cuts down
on the number of trips to the store and therefore on gas used.
• Shop seasonally for better prices and better-tasting food.
• Be willing to buy house brands, which are cheaper than
name brands and are often made by the name-brand companies.
• Buy from bulk bins for the lower cost and the environmental
advantage of using less packaging.
• Speaking of the environmental factor, most stores give at
least a 5-cent refund for reusing paper or cloth bags. It’s not
much, but every little bit helps the budget and the planet.
• Grow your own food when possible. It’s hard work, but a
garden can save a lot of money and make you darned proud.
• Or buy from your local farmers. Farmers’ markets are
plentiful summer through fall. While their prices generally are
the same or higher than the grocery stores, there is the important
feel-good factor of extreme freshness, supporting local
farmers and avoiding both the passed-along gas costs and
pollution caused by transporting food over long distances.
The rising price of groceries doesn’t show signs of slowing
anytime soon. But with some planning, a few tricks and some
time and energy, those bites of food don’t have to take quite
such a big bite out of our wallets.
