Parker: Where’s the love for the single shopper this holiday?
There’s a beef stewing with ShopRite Ewing and it’s mostly about the company’s holiday turkey, ham, kosher chicken, lasagna and tofurkey giveaway.
Here’s the deal. One of those aforementioned items could have been yours free if the price were right during a popular ShopRite holiday promotion.
Actually, a person could have walked off with a selected meal choice by spending $400 between October 14 and November 22.
So, there’s no free lunch or dinner choice here. You gotta give to get as registers keep a running tally for Price Club card holders.
Spending that amount of money sounds easy for a family of four, perhaps even for a voracious young couple but a single person would struggle to offer four Benjamins in 39 days.
What about the little guy or Little Women? Or faithful elderly shoppers. We deserve something for spending, let’s say, $200 in that small window of time.
While Wegman’s in West Windsor offers intrigue for foodies attracted to sight, smell and sound, especially during the holidays as artful food presentations seem Louvre Museum worthy, a personal loyalty exists for ShopRite in Ewing.
By the way, Wegman’s sushi offerings, wine selections, plus, a comfortable dining area, add to the shopping experience.
ShopRite ranks as a fantastic supermarket and frequently wins the Trentonian Readers’ Choice Award.
Great prices, fresh fruits and vegetables, coupons and courteous employees represent several reasons for regular visits to the North Olden Ave. store.
Plus, shopping excursions frequently deliver local residents who have newsworthy tips about politics, community events or sports. Supermarket visits generate numerous personal articles and column topics.
Food for thought considers ShopRite Ewing’s Decision to play nationalisttype songs, such as “God Bless the USA” or “God Bless America” and other patriotic musical renditions when shoppers enter the store front?
This regular jolt of musical patriotism causes angst. It’s governmental propaganda, a persistent, almost subconscious brainwash.
Mixing politics with supermarket visits makes for bad business. Just point me to the fresh meats, vegetables and sale items without these governmental invasions.
Shoppers experience a musical reprieve as popular musical soundtracks play inside the store. Despite the “proud to be an American” references, ShopRite remains a regular shopping choice.
ShopRite makes annual food and monetary contributions in the fight against food insecurity.
In 1999, per the supermarket’s website, “the ShopRite “Partners In Caring” program was established - a community-based, hungerfighting initiative that supports more than 2000 charities – soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, senior citizen centers and other organizations on the front lines of fighting hunger.
As a food retailer, ShopRite’s core focus is fighting hunger in the community. ShopRite stores support local hunger-fighting agencies throughout the northeast in communities served by ShopRite stores - through monetary and food donations as well as through volunteerism. Since the program began, more than $40 million has been donated to local food banks.”
ShopRite flies under the Wakefern FoodCorporation banner, a food cooperative founded in 1946 and based in Keasbey, N.J.
Wakefern exists as the largest retailers’ cooperative group of supermarkets in the United States, the fourth-largest cooperative of any kind in U.S., and the largest private employer in New Jersey.
Wakefern Corporation presents ShopRite as a driving force behind the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer, an annual professional golf event played at the Stockton Seaview Golf Club & Hotel in Galloway Twp.
Since 1992, ShopRite’s partnership with the LPGA has raised more than $34 million for charity. The success story continues in 2019 as the world-class female golfers compete June 3 through 9.
Lots to like about ShopRite, including it’s animated Moulin Rouge-like advertising that began in 1970 (love that can-can advertisement jingle and can sale) but Wakefern should consider offering some food item for loyal customers who fail to meet the $400 spending threshold.
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@ Trentonian.com.