The Friday Checkout is a weekly column providing more insight on the news, rounding up the announcements you may have missed and sharing what’s to come.
Food retailers across the spectrum have sought for months to convince inflation-battered shoppers that they feel their pain at the checkout counter, aggressively pushing promotions and decking out their shelves with value-focused messaging. Now, a discount grocer in Germany is plastering the price of several common goods on the products themselves to show just how serious it is about keeping costs low.
The chain, Penny, worked with international branding firm Serviceplan NEO to develop packaging for five private label products that feature the price in oversized type. The temporary new packaging is part of a marketing program designed to show that its brands “are always the most affordable choice,” Dr. Jan Flemming, Penny’s head of marketing, said in a statement.
The campaign, known as “Small Prices, Big Impact,” is centered on oatmeal, toast, salt, chips and mayonnaise and is set to last for four weeks. Penny, which runs stores in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Romania in addition to Germany, is using social media, outdoor advertising and point-of-sale messaging to draw attention to its effort, Serviceplan said.
As AdAge observed this week, printing the cost of an item prominently on it means that price can’t change at a moment’s notice, since revising packaging doesn’t happen on a dime. With the grocery industry drawing criticism for adopting electronic shelf labels — which people think let prices go up at a moment’s notice — maybe it’s time for supermarkets to change the conversation by following Penny’s lead.
In case you missed it
Meijer hits a major sustainability milestone
The retailer announced Wednesday it has reached its goal of halving its carbon emissions one year ahead of schedule, achieving a 57% reduction of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 in 2023. Meijer credited “its clear plan, senior leader involvement, and the dedication of its team members who were committed to doing the work necessary to reach the goal.”
The Midwestern retailer said sustainability initiatives such as renewable energy investments, optimized energy efficiency and refrigerant management contributed to its carbon emissions reduction milestone.
New retail media tools
Acosta Group shared two of its newest retail media capabilities developed in partnership with Pensa System. The first, pre- and post-reset analysis, gives brands better shelf inventory data as well as better identification of space-to-sales gaps and on-shelf availability gaps.
The second lets CPGs secure retailer planograms with a tool that combines Pensa’s ability to automatically convert its shelf set scans into industry-standard planogram files with Acosta's existing access to planograms from key retailers.
Helping consumers manage chronic disease
In a Thursday blog post, Instacart shared how its new partnership with 9amHealth, a virtual cardiometabolic care solution, aims to help people with chronic diseases. Instacart is integrating its grocery stipend, called Instacart Health Fresh Funds, with 9amHealth’s care plans that give members access to specialists, like dietitians, for curated meal plans and health education.
“By encouraging dietary and lifestyle changes, paired with convenient food delivery, we have the opportunity to reduce the total cost of care while improving health outcomes,” Sarah Mastrorocco, Instacart’s vice president and general manager of health, wrote in the blog.
Impulse find
Kid-tested, parent-approved
A new meal kit menu aims to save parents from cajoling their children into eating.
Home Chef announced this week new colorful recipes it says are “kid-approved.”
The Kroger-owned meal kit company worked with Jennifer Anderson, MSPH of Kids Eat in Color on the limited-time menu, which includes rainbow chicken teriyaki, chicken tortilla soup, cauliflower mac and cheese, rainbow tacos, and garlic chicken cutlet alfredo.
With an emphasis on “fun” and “flavorful” recipes, this selection might make adults want to start eating off the kids’ menu again.
