Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association’s Post

Don’t blame your local #grocer for the high cost of #food | Opinion Published: May. 17, 2024, 2:39 p.m. By Alex Baloga By Guest #Editorial #PFMA #stores #retail #supermarket #foodindustry #business #companies #impact #associations #update The numbers bear it out. One longtime Pennsylvania-based grocery chain reported net sales for 2023 totaling almost $5 billion. That’s a lot of sales, for sure. But net income — meaning the amount kept as profit after taxes and other expenses are factored in — was less than 2.5%. That’s about the industry average for food retail. For every dollar sold, the grocer makesless than 2.5 cents. With such low margins, groceries stay in business based on volume; they have to sell a lot of stuff to make the numbers work. https://lnkd.in/gdgVBriU Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association PennLive.com

**Avoid These Grocery Stores When Purchasing Ground Beef** Ground beef is a staple for many dishes like burgers, tacos, and meatloaf. However, not all ground beef is the same, and where you buy it matters. Here are some stores to avoid for better quality and safety. **Big-Box Wholesale Clubs**: Stores like Costco and Sam's Club might offer lower prices but be cautious. The ground beef here may lack freshness, have quality control issues, and bulk buying can lead to waste. **Discount Grocery Chains**: Stores like Aldi and Save-A-Lot offer cheaper ground beef but at the cost of quality. They may use lower standards, more preservatives, and lesser cuts of meat, affecting both taste and safety. **Grocery Chains with Recalls**: Chains like Safeway, Kroger, and Walmart have had multiple recalls for ground beef. This highlights ongoing quality control and supply chain issues that can pose health risks. **Untrusted Local Markets**: Some local and specialty markets can be hit-or-miss. Issues include unknown sources, hygiene concerns, and inconsistent quality in their ground beef offerings. **Online Stores Without Certification**: While online shopping is convenient, it’s tough to verify the quality and source of the ground beef. Additionally, delivery issues can affect freshness and there's often no clear return policy. In summary, picking where you buy ground beef is crucial for both quality and safety. Do your research and opt for reputable stores to ensure better meals. --- **Next Steps**: Want to save more than just on groceries? Optimize your tax savings with our expert team at Together CFO. **[Set up a call here](https://lnkd.in/gAa4dwUG and secure your financial future today!

There’s no missing the big changes in the convenience store industry over the past few years. Companies like Wawa and Buc-ee’s are forging their way to new states, while others such as Mountain Express and Foxtrot have gone bankrupt. Fuel sales continue to struggle post-COVID-19 while foodservice grabs an expanding spotlight. To help break things down, C-Store Dive sorted through NACS and NielsenIQ data from the last three years and pulled out some of the most interesting data points to share. https://lnkd.in/esKUbeMn

Canada’s new grocery code of conduct could make a positive impact for your wallet. If major retailers adopt it, we might see fairer food prices and a more level playing field among grocers. This change has the potential to benefit all Canadian consumers. Find out more! #Grocery #LowerPrices #Retailers #Suppliers #FoodInflation #CanadianMarket #Guidelines https://lnkd.in/dWSusViR

Arnott’s is in a pricing standoff with supermarket giant Coles over their recent price rise for Tim Tams. Arnott’s wants to raise the prices of Tim Tams by up to 10%. Coles has deemed this price rise as unjustified and has cut several Tim Tam varieties from their shelves.  The dispute started in October 2015 and has led to the removal of multiple Tim Tam products, including multi-packs and special editions from Coles’ shelves. Coles says they are doing this because they are committed to keeping grocery costs affordable for families. According to the supermarket, Arnott’s did not provide sufficient detail to justify the price hike and they were determined to resist price increases that lacked transparent justification. The disagreement has sparked significant social media attention, with disappointed shoppers and consumers not being able to buy what they want. But the real concern here is that much loved Australian brands including Tim Tams are being wiped out overnight. Suppliers' margins are still being squeezed by mega supermarkets to the point many suppliers are breaking even or even below cost. All the while,  consumers are not getting what they want and paying way too much for private label alternatives, shrunken down packs and ranges that they didn’t even value or want in the first place. #pricingnews #taylorwellspricing #pricehike Blogs: https://lnkd.in/gdd6kKPk Source: https://lnkd.in/gzhVQZS5

Arnott’s is in a pricing standoff with supermarket giant Coles over their recent price rise for Tim Tams. Arnott’s wants to raise the prices of Tim Tams by up to 10%. Coles has deemed this price rise as unjustified and has cut several Tim Tam varieties from their shelves.  The dispute started in October 2015 and has led to the removal of multiple Tim Tam products, including multi-packs and special editions from Coles’ shelves. Coles says they are doing this because they are committed to keeping grocery costs affordable for families. According to the supermarket, Arnott’s did not provide sufficient detail to justify the price hike and they were determined to resist price increases that lacked transparent justification. The disagreement has sparked significant social media attention, with disappointed shoppers and consumers not being able to buy what they want. But the real concern here is that much loved Australian brands including Tim Tams are being wiped out overnight. Suppliers' margins are still being squeezed by mega supermarkets to the point many suppliers are breaking even or even below cost. All the while,  consumers are not getting what they want and paying way too much for private label alternatives, shrunken down packs and ranges that they didn’t even value or want in the first place. 

I know this is not news but a personal reflection on how your choices and inflation costs are being influenced by the grocery chains and suppliers. I have been known to sit down with coffee and a couple of biscuits and read my linkedin. My usual weight loss limiting ones are shortbread. I lost Arnott's Glengarry shortbreads some years ago. In the last 12 months or so I have seen the Coles and Woolworths brand 200g ones ($2 to 2.20) 1first hide in their location and then disappear. That was OK as I also bought Walkers which were better but $3. They became $3.30 for 190g pack. Still OK with the 10% increase. Not that happy that I moved from an Australian made to an overseas made product but.... Walkers 190g packs became unavailable a month ago, apparently reappearing recently as a 150g pack at $2.90. Another 11% increase in price. I am sure it's all in 'shipping' that bulkier and heavier package??? I am well aware that suppliers seek price increases this way, but also if supermarkets decide not to stock an item as it is not providing turnover, the suppliers are forced to stop making the product. Supermarkets can of course influence which products fail to meet the threshold. At the moment a backup, Arnotts Arnos, may be going down the same path, as they are out of stock at Woollies. We will see if they go or become only available at Coles. Of course the easy answer is to stick to the diet, but then I will just replace my frustrations with something else that is doing the same 'market rationalisation'. I could ask my wife to bake some as hers are the best, but it makes a large batch that need to be used up faster (Obviously there is a good aspect of this alternative). Time to revisit the Aldi alternative? In our business in the end we sell hours. It is like charging for an hour but only delivering 50 minutes and charging someone else for that 10 minutes. This post is brought to you by my last 2 remaining biscuits in a190g pack that is now past it's best by date. Today will be their last day.

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬? 𝐅𝐓𝐂 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐬 "Large grocery store chains exploited product shortages during the pandemic by raising prices significantly more than needed to cover their added costs and they continue to reap excessive profits, according to a Federal Trade Commission report." - USA Today I do think the food industry went way overboard with pricing action the past 4 years, and I've posted often about it. And it's not just large grocery chains... have you eaten out at any foodservice establishment lately?? What I don't know is - what do you actually do about it? Now that the FTC is jumping in, what happens next? Lawsuits and fines? Forced pricing action to re-level things? Nothing and we just keep food costs out of control? https://lnkd.in/gKxRYCh6

Supermarkets have been accused of mislabelling products as 'Made in Britain' to encourage shoppers to buy them. A survey by consumer body Which? said the origin labels were “misleading, inconsistent and meaningless” in many cases. Which? said its researchers visited the UK’s biggest supermarkets and found examples of loose cauliflowers, red cabbage, courgettes and onions at Sainsbury’s, peppers, melons and mangoes at Asda and spring onions at Aldi, with no visible origin labelling on the shelf edge or the products themselves.  Aldi also had bacon and cheese wraps with Union flags and “Made in Britain” on the front of the pack, despite stating they were made with pork from the EU. Across the stores, products often contained “meaningless” information that gave consumers little insight into where the food they were buying was produced, said Which?, adding almost two-thirds of shoppers (64%) said they prefer to buy... More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/rAO8105pZ3V

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 After years of increases followed by months of plateauing, grocery prices have finally fallen for the first time in a year. Read the full story > https://lnkd.in/eMqENDs8 #groceryprices #retailnews #retailwire