Jewish World Review Nov. 22, 2000 / 24 Mar-Cheshvan, 5761


Sylvia J. Danzer

The Great Western States Kosher Supermarket Wars!



http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- IN DECADES PAST, the only stores to stock a full selection of products for the Kosher consumer were neighborhood "mom and pop" Kosher markets.

Times, however, change.

The last few years have seen three major national supermarket chains going on the offensive for West Coast Kosher consumers' patronage. For giant supermarket chains like Albertsons, Kroger Foods, Ralph's Markets, and Safeway/Vons, this battle has taken on all the overtures of an outright war.

With an estimated $5 billion dollars in sales last year, Kosher is now big business, as it is no longer just the observant Jewish consumer that searches out Kosher certification symbols when buying food.

Of the three major players, Boise, Idaho-based, Albertsons has been the most aggressive. A dozen stores nationwide now feature Kosher departments, with varying amenities such as: a mashgiach temidi (full-time Kosher supervisor) for in-store Kosher butchers preparing fresh meat, poultry, and Kosher fish, deli and salad departments, and an in-store Kosher bakery. There are also special cholov yisroel dairy products, plus fantastic arrays of reliably certified Kosher products, including many private label, Kosher grocery, refrigerated, and frozen items, all in specially dedicated portions of their expanded stores.

EXPANDS NATIONALLY
The Albertsons stores on the West Coast began their special service to the observant community with an expanded Kosher section in the Mercer Island/ Seattle, Washington area. Stores in Portland, Oregon, and their newest expansions in Ranch Bernardo, in suburban San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix, followed. Plans are underway for additional Kosher stores on the West Coast. Albertsons Kosher program is being coordinated with local rabbis and reliable Kosher agencies serving the various areas and expansion is planned for under-served Kosher communities.

Albertsons other stores with expanded Kosher departments are located in Boca Raton, and Jacksonville FL, Philadelphia, Memphis, Chicago, Dallas, (which served as a model, for all their class 1 Kosher stores) and Houston.

Like Albertsons, Ralph's Grocery Supermarkets, now a division of Kroger, has been aggressively targeting the Kosher consumer. The chain carries a huge selection of both national brands and private label Kosher grocery, refrigerated, and frozen items, which is constantly expanding.

When the Ralph's merged with Hughes Markets, several years ago, they inherited a 20-year old Kosher program, as well as the Hughes Markets Kosher buyer, Dave Wolff, who eventually became the chain's vice president. Under his leadership, the chain greatly expanded their Kosher marketing program, and soon began focusing on their in-house private label selections, adding many reliably Kosher certified grocery, frozen food, baked goods and deli items.

Understanding the unique needs of the Kosher consumer, Mr. Wolff enlisted the aid of the O.U., along with Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz, founder of Kosher Information Bureau, and various others with marketing experience to the Kosher consumer. Whether it meant bringing in new and expanded Kosher products to meet holiday needs, or at Passover, supplying special separate identifiable Passover grocery bags in which to bag Passover foods, the people at the Hughes rose to the occasion.

The supermarket is currently in the process, with the help of Rabbi Eidlitz, of publishing a list of all their Kosher items.

Ralph's also has two markets in the San Diego and Orange County area, where there are Kosher butchers and a mashgiach temidi to cut Kosher meats, poultry and fish. Eventually, they intend to add other departments of interest to Kosher consumers in the greater Los Angeles area stores, as well as other California areas where there are large numbers of Jewish customers. These stores will likely be modeled after the newest Kroger Market, which recently opened in Michigan and features various in-house Kosher departments.

Not to be left out of the equation is Vons Markets. Vons, acquired two years ago by Safeway stores, has been valiantly trying to make in-roads to the Kosher consumer, according to Mike Allen, the Category Manager for Grocery who handles Kosher buying for both Vons and their upscale supermarket Pavilions. In fact, this Rosh Hashanah, ads for both Vons and Pavilions targeted the Kosher consumer in areas with more concentrated Jewish populations. Flyers with featured specials were delivered directly to the Kosher consumers' mailboxes and they have also targeted local print media in Jewish areas. Many of Vons and Town House (Safeway) private label products have been Kosher for some time, and the chain is expanding their Kosher private label brands to include ice creams, various dairy products, frozen foods, and new grocery items. Whether or not they will soon be adding in-store rabbinical supervised Kosher departments similar to those at Albertsons and Ralph's has not been determined, although the idea is under serious consideration.

"Vons is aggressively wooing the Kosher consumer," asserts Mr. Allen, recognizing that not only the Jewish community, but many others also regard Kosher as being "usually a better and purer product." Individuals, he observes, "actively look for a Kosher certifying symbol when shopping."

Mr. Allen is personally involved in helping expand the Kosher product line across all categories in all the Vons and Pavilions stores in the Southern California area and he has been trying to get his counterpart at Safeway stores in Northern California to do the same for that market.

"MOMS AND POPS," TOO!
What is even more remarkable, is that even mom and pop convenience stores have begun to stock many Kosher items for their customers. For example, a small local convenience store, Kearns Market, has gone out of its way to stock Kosher items for Jewish residents in the Los Angeles area, where their store is located.

According to Patty Kearns, "We want to give our Jewish customers a selection of Kosher items so that they can shop late hours, after the local Kosher stores may have closed." To that end, the store stocks a nice selection of cholov yisroel dairy products, many shelf stable grocery items, Kosher frozen foods such as frozen dinners and ice creams, refrigerated items such as Kosher deli and salads, and wines, candies, spices, and baked goods.

Not bad when you consider this is a less than 2000 sq. ft. neighborhood store, where you can shop till midnight.

On certain select items, Kearns carries a better selection than either the Albertsons or Ralph's --- and at comparable prices. Like Kearns, even some 711s have decided to stock more Kosher items, when their customers request them. What once was considered unlikely has now become a new trend.

It may be said that the opening salvo fired by Albertsons stores is the beginning of the "Great West Coast Supermarket Wars" for the Kosher consumers, here and probably elsewhere, as well.


Sylvia J. Danzer is a writer with Kosher Today, the official publication of the Kosher food industry. You may comment by clicking here.


Up

© 2000 Kosher Today