You Want My Holiday Ads When?

By Joel Albrizio

We all understand the holidays and all of the difficulties in the merchandising and marketing process. In the end, all of us as retailers must deliver to the consumer our best effort to tell our story most likely to build sustainable retail sales.

Todays newspapers with steadily declining readership or shared mail that few of us read any longer have become the very definition of obsolete.

How Do We Determine That Hot Retail Pricing Weeks In Advance?

As retailers, we are all experiencing Covid-19, with supply chain issues and almost anything else that 2020 might send our way. It is impossible and frankly impractical to expect retailers to reach out to consumers in any other way than digital.

No retailer will have confidence in price stability that remains attractive weeks in advance.

Digital delivery accompanied by solid social media with in store ad copies will deliver sustainable retail sales growth. Bad-Adz Digital brings to the retailer this ability.

Bad-Adz Digital has the team of professionals your retail location needs to succeed.

So Let's Rethink Those Holiday Deadlines...Let's Not Make That Mistake Again This Year

Shared Mail... A Thing Of The Past?

By Joel Albrizio

Recently "Target Marketing Maine" Announced June 2020 Closing While Valassis Can't Find Enough Reasons For Shared Mail Price Increases!

Last week Target Marketing Maine announced June of 2020, this month would be their last month in business. So beginning in July any retailer, supermarket or otherwise must find an alternative means of distribution in Maine & some neighboring states.

Is this unique? No, every day we find the cost of print and its associated distribution costs with companies like Valassis are simply too high. The United States Postal Service wants increases, paper mills are always looking for more per ton, trucking costs and availability have never been higher or more difficult to schedule. Not to mention black out delivery days on many of our most important retail holidays.

Add to all of these obstacles the printed supermarket circular is the least "Green" marketing vehicle on the planet...Our planet!

I have always found it interesting a market in many states can not allow its customers the use of plastic bags while mailing out printed paper circulars covered with ink by the thousands?

Scheduling a printed ad averages 14 days or more lead time while digital agencies accept price changes and deploys directly to your potential customer that day. Short on supply during a Pandemic, with digital you need not deploy an ad until the product is sitting on the loading dock in front of you.

Shared mail, the backbone of the printed circular as a marketing vehicle is becoming less available by the day. Explore your options with digital and dig in. Digital like any medium takes time to develop deep traction. However, the immediate surprise to most retailers will be that digital at a 60% cost savings will hit higher penetration numbers from day one.

Good luck as you explore digital. Don't forget to take some of the cost savings for much needed markdowns when building an attractive retail food ad as your call to action today.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com

Recipe Videos By Bad-Adz Digital

By Joel Albrizio

Supermarket Sales Are About Telling Your Story...Recipe Videos Tell That Story?

Recipe videos that are easy & fun to cook allow your supermarket to become a resource to your customer. When cooking is fun, you will sell groceries. When we make cooking fun again, our basket size and customer counts grow.

Fun To Cook Recipe's Build Basket Size like No Other Marketing Option

When a customer meal plans with recipe videos the customer intends to purchase the list of items suggested within the recipe. This creates natural customer shopping movement throughout the store. Hence, we have now moved the customer to the center store again and we will reach the all important marketing mix.

When any retailer gets the larger shopping orders created from moving the shopper from department to department we have reached the proverbial shopping mix. This is how retailers achieve success.

So let Bad-Adz Digital tell your retail story. Teach your customer to make cooking fun again and show them how best to shop your store.

Bad-Adz Digital brings retail excitement back to the supermarket. Check out these fun to cook recipe videos and watch your customer base grow.

Let's put the fun back into retail. Check out this link for our recipe videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzh_ppdeij6w2gPfbeDB3Dg/videos

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Bad-Adz Videos we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com

You can license the below images and thousands more for commercial use at preparedfoodphotos.com

Perdue Farms Direct-To-Consumer!

By Joel Albrizio

Perdue Farms Will Lead The Way...Direct To Consumer Retail Sales

Beginning in January of 2020 and somewhat overlooked with all of the Covid-19 mandates and concerns Perdue Farms somewhat quietly deployed a direct to consumer digital sales program.

While not a game changer immediately Perdue Farms products are more than just an average sale builder for the supermarket retailer. Perdue Farms attracts a large customer base with a basket full of groceries that give the retailer that much needed mix.

Here is a link to an article describing this program in detail from Food Navigator below. This article articulates some great talking points describing this program.

https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2020/01/08/Perdue-Farms-launches-direct-to-consumer-offering

How Does The Supermarket Retailer Compete With Perdue...One Of Its Best Brands?

If we were to ask a retailer, especially an independent grocer, they would likely say this is no big deal. Let me tell you without any hesitation...this is a big deal.

I recently ordered from Perdue Farms Direct and received at my house an incredible array of meats as ordered on time and at a great price. All I needed to do was take it from the front door and decide what might end up in the refrigerator or possibly the freezer.

Now with a simple stop by a local farm stand, many of the weeks meals were covered without ever stepping foot inside a supermarket. No masks, gloves, sanitizer or temperatures taken. Essentially effortless digital transactions that will easily survive the Covid-19 precautions. This is just too easy not to be a game changer.

Supermarket Retailers Must Get Digital & Make Themselves Students Of Their Now Digital Retail Enterprise

Most independent retailers will do all that can be done to save money, often times forgetting quality sales volume is the lifeblood of any sustainable retail enterprise. The game is quickly changing and any opportunity to hold on to those God given retail sales volumes delivered by Covid-19 are quickly disappearing via digital.

The motivating factor for this article was not receding Covid-19 retail sales. Sales will continue to recede as more shoppers seek direct digital effortless transactions now eliminating the local grocer.

This is a great time to get to know your retail food, digital business as it will be going forward. In every business transition there is a learning curve. Don't get caught behind the curve.

Now Have Some fun With Digital....

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Bad-Adz Videos we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com

Bad-Adz...Online Grocery Shopping Now!

By Joel Albrizio

"2020...The Year The Consumer Migrated To Online Grocery Shopping"

Convenience now magnified by CoronaVirus fears has opened shoppers minds to online grocery shopping like never before. As we suddenly emerge ourselves in social distancing measures we begin to understand online grocery shopping is the ultimate in social distancing.

While keeping in mind the importance of distancing ourselves from others remember the grocery store employee, many of which are part time and frankly paid little for the personal risks they now face. We owe each of them a debt of gratitude!

I am honestly surprised at the speed grocers continue the move to digital. I speak daily to retailers that are working more hours than they ever have before in an effort to keep the all important supply chain of our necessary staple items available to customers in need.

Is It Too Late To Open An Online Shopping Relationship?

Surprisingly it is not too late to open an online shopping relationship. Many of our vendors are open to new retailers converting to online shopping. One such vendor guaranteeing this conversion in 48 hours or less.

With our eMail lists developed by zip code, Bad-Adz Digital interfaces the consumer with recipe videos and weekly specials directly to a landing page where the customer can now purchase these specials.

Bad-Adz with its passive fun recipe videos placed on Facebook and almost every imaginable social media option, deliver the customer directly to a landing page on the retailers web site. A customer ready to shop. Now with the deliverables online shopping adds the customer can easily begin shopping.

Online Shopping Is The Ultimate Continuity Program While Keeping Socially Distant

Now let's look forward. How will the supermarket retailer hold on to these newly acquired retail customers and the resulting sales. greater customer counts and larger basket sizes allow the retailer the all important mix along with customer safety and piece of mind. We believe a large percentage of shoppers will love online shopping so much many will remain online shoppers long after the rear of the Corona Virus has lessened.

May God Bless Each Of You....Stay Safe

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Meijer On Instacart...Retail Hijacking?

By Joel Albrizio

Meijer Was Marketed On The Instacart Platform Without Any Agreement With Meijer. Meijer Is A Shpt Online Shopping Member!

So now we enter the digital marketplace where all the perils of companies like Instacart become retail reality.

Insgtacart is representing retailers while the retailer may not even be aware Instacart is actually selling their own products to their own customers at a higher price point.

Correct, without any formal contractual relationship or POS pricing access Instacart in the case of Meijer sells Meijer perishables and center store items.

Instacart Employees Are Not Meijer Trained Employees!

These Instacart employees may not even have any supermarket training at all. One thing for sure, Meijer & it's valuable branding mission has no control over these Instacart employees, their training or who gets hired. However, the Instacart employee is executing on the Meijer brand!

In Fact Instacart Is Profiting From The Meijer Brand.

Is the Instacart employee trained in the customer service, loyalty or frankly any of the Meijer programs.....No.

As a supermarket retailer companies like Meijer have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to build prime locations and a trusted brand. Then without any formal agreement or training Instacart, a San Francisco based start-up jumps in and in essence hijacks the Meijer brand for its own retail sales advances.

So now let's dig deeper into the all important pricing model. When Instacart sells Meijer items like perishables are these Meijer prices or are these Instacart prices. One popular perishable item as an example is ground beef.

Meijer does all that they can to achieve the most attractive price point. What if Meijer building brand wants a retail on 80% lean ground beef at $$1.89 lb. and to be profitable, the consumer pays Instacart a retail of $2.89 lb.

Same Ground Beef Instacart Sells Meijer Ground Beef At $1.00 Per Pound Higher! Lower Left See The Meijer Ad Ground Beef Below....

Click here for image

See The Instacart/Meijer Up-charged Ad below...$1.00 lb. Higher!

Click here for image

Which price is most likely to optimize on a search engine? Meijer at $1.89 lb. or Meijer @ Instacart @ $2.89 lb.?

Does Instacart Have A Responsibility To Explain What Is Taking Place To The Consumer? Especially Where The Brand For Sale is Meijer...

While this is an article of opinion, I believe the retailer must have control over all food items within it's brand if for no other reason than food safety in this dangerous health environment.

Every retailer must have control over every item it sells and routinely investigate and approve all of the possible routes those food items might take on its way to the consumer.

Remember, in the case of Meijer, when something goes wrong with the Meijer customer Instacart has become involved with, Meijer has no idea what went wrong and or why?

While this may seem a stretch, Meijer actually has little control over whether Instacart is actually selling the consumer Meijer products. I guess as a consumer you just have to take Instacart's word for where the items were actually sourced?

When most of us purchase from a supermarket items as sensitive as food, we both want and need to know who is really selling us that food and who really stands behind what we feed our families.

This is an article based on my opinion only. I enjoy writing what I see in the retail food marketplace from time to time when I feel followers will find some relevance.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Fresh & On Time...Bad-Adz Selects Mercato For Online Shopping Partner!

By Joel Albrizio

Bad-Adz Digital understands the need for a complete digital connection for today's supermarket retailer. Bad-Adz Digital delivers the consumer from almost every imaginable digital entry point to the retailers web site ready to shop. The retailer picks the landing page and that's where we deliver the customer.

So many retailers today have a printed circular and wonder where the disconnect is and why online shoppings sales don't just materialize.

"Printed Ads Evolving Into Online Sales Don't Happen"

Building a business is about reducing barriers of entry. Properly understanding how and why the consumer might choose your supermarket as their grocer is imperative. To be competitive every retailer must fire on all cylinders for sustainable retail success.

Take a moment and think about how many Christmas presents you & your family purchased online. Online shopping is today's emerging marketplace. Not everyone has the time to shop after work or on weekends.

Ironically many shopping orders originate during the work day from an office environment. Other orders take place while watching soccer or little league baseball!

"Every Retailer Must Enter The Online Shopping Marketplace"

In some manner to remain competitive every supermarket retailer must serve up an online shopping option. With that in mind how will the retailer best approach this new marketplace and once again begin to grow?

Bad-Adz Digital is a one of a kind retail supermarket digital provider. Understanding that we knew our product offering would never be complete without online shopping relationships.

If a Bad-Adz Digital retailer reserved within 30 days that retailer could be live and available for their customers.

In searching the online shopping landscape, Bad-Adz looked into many online shopping opportunities. Bad-Adz found the Mercato, its reliability & start up costs important. Efficiency through delivery to the consumers home was the goal and in the end, Bad-Adz Digital chose Mercato.

Every retailer entering the online shopping experience must strive for consistency in the quality standards your customers have become reliant on. Mercato delivers hand selected perishable and center store items chosen by your own employees.

Mercato deliverables include retailer control over selection of the products and services the consumer receives. The quality control your customer has become accustomed to will not change.

The delivery is completed by third party vendors. No retail supermarket employee will enter or confront a consumer outside of the retail store environment. Instead third party "National" partners are selected to deliver on time, to your customers their weekly groceries.

"Your Quality Perishables Delivered Fresh & On Time"

Mercato, with an expected average order well above the in store national average allows the supermarket retailer the full shopping experience once again. Deeper center store penetration will deliver on the important mix every retailer requires for survival.

Your Customers Want "Green" So Give Them What They Want!

Bad-Adz Digital is an entirely green concept. Our goal is to continue to work with retailers and wholesalers alike to deliver on "Green"

Bad-Adz Digital found the entire Mercato supermarket interface "Green" to it's very core. This made Mercato the perfect partner. However in addition, Mercato Green offers a special priced annual delivery charge where the consumer gets unlimited grocery deliveries for a full year.

Bad-Adz and Mercato will return retail sales growth to an industry where flat retail sales are the new "Good"

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

"41"​ Years Of What I Love To Do...Your Ads!

By Joel Albrizio

Welcome "2020" With All That Will Be!  

As we move past the holidays and look toward all of the changes at retail that are likely to take place in 2020 I always enjoy looking back just a bit in time.

I am grateful after 41 years of marketing supermarkets of every shape and size. I have met so many interesting people from all walks of life who have found success in the supermarket industry.

We Are Proud To Be A Part Of So Many Of Your Marketing Strategies

Beginning in 1978 as a way to afford an education through today I have concentrated on supermarkets. How supermarkets become successful by lowering the barrier of entry for new sales while remaining aware of what might hamper that success. 

Only consistent sustainable success will result in real supermarket progress.

We began as one of the first agencies in the nation to have a complete image library first in black and white only and then in color.

Today we have expanded heavily into video. We take the details of a recipe right to the potential customer and show them how easily it is to cook at home while directing them to build basket size.

Telling Your Story & Building Basket Size!

Our job has never been anything different than telling your retail story. Depicting what is important and what specifically differentiates your store from the competition. Once defining those differences we can work on the basket size and teach your customer there remains a great center store opportunity.

Often times as an owner of a business we overlook value added touches that make a difference to the consumer.

Our responsibility is not only to identify those important goods and services but to accurately describe that to an ever searching consumer base looking to purchase what might make a difference in their daily lives. 

Thank-you for allowing me first as a sole proprietor, then with so many changes over the years as we grew and now as Bad-Adz Digital to be a part of your supermarket success. 

From all of us at Bad-Adz Digital we would like to say a collective "Thank-you" We have worked with so many of you and will continue too. At Bad-Adz Digital, this is our privilege. 

Thank you for following on LinkedIn and we wish you the most prosperous 2020 that is possible.

This will no doubt be an interesting year for any of the real "Foodies" out there who really enjoy food at retail and what it's all about. 

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.  

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Publix...The "Sub With Sizzle"​

By Joel Albrizio

Publix Is So Efficient At Store level...What's Left Is To Tell The Story. Just An Overview Of One Publix Item

I have like so many other foodies, written about Publix a number of times. Long considered one of the countries best retailers, Publix touches on every customers needs at store level.

Publix the retail food innovator, was first to identify & make so many departments a part of it's retail offering. All that was left was to tell the story.

Publix "Brands" each department with custom photography. The photography that is not only mouth watering but has you remember Publix and that special item. Some retailers isolate signature items, often a couple for each location.

Click here to read more

Foodies Love Great Food...Define Your Brand Visually!

By Joel Albrizio

What Is Your Supermarket If Not Special...Lets See What's So Special!

When You Have A Butcher Behind The Counter In 2019 Your Store Is Now Special...Foodies Love Fresh!

Today's independent grocer needs to execute well on customer service & fresh. Locally grown, organic, & fresh...Combine that with solid customer service and you now have a lot to talk about.

Become the trusted brand and you have now lowered the barrier of entry to build sustainable retail sales. With branding you will build retail sales...Lets do it together!

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Spartan Foods Eroded By Digital

By Joel Albrizio

How Does Spartan Foods Fight Digital Competition With Print?

Like most big box retailers Spartan Foods is in the fight of its life. Competitors of Spartan Foods print marketing program have all of the information to compete with Spartan Foods as the ad breaks! Yes, that is correct. The competition has the weekly circular real time for the sale week and is now ready to compete with Spartan Foods...Digitally!

Spartan Food ad often breaks on Tuesday. Therefor, any Tuesday morning at 9:00 AM or Monday evening into the early morning hours into Tuesday, Spartan Foods competition can eMail potential customers. The competition fully understands all of Spartan Foods weekly specials. The competition can simply review the Spartan Foods printed circular and match or lower prices as desired digitally. All of this can be done within moments of the Spartan Foods ad break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWnEQrLbIto

Now Lets Add A Recipe Video From Bad-Adz & Give The Customer Recipe Ideas While Lowering The price Point Below That Of Spartan Foods!

If as the competitor and Spartan Foods we agree Spartan Foods has established a great price this week for porterhouse steaks at $3.99lb. all we need to do is to advertise the same item to the same customer at $3.89lb.

Perhaps understanding Spartan Foods is running porterhouse steaks we could then substitute this steak for another beef item that is similar but with broader based appeal in that market.

Does that in itself make the competition, especially the independent grocer unbeatable? No, that is not the case. However, if you operate the independent retail supermarket you just accomplished the value proposition. You matched or beat the big box price responsibly and not well lower than was necessary.

Spartan Foods digital competitors costs per retail location might run as low as $500 while the printed and distributed weekly circular could reach costs as high as $7,500 per location for Spartan Foods.

As the retail food marketplace tightens a well advised supermarket retailer might enjoy retail sales growth if he or she allocated the $7,000 weekly printed ad savings toward mark downs intentionally positioned to drive retail sales.

Try digital and have some fun with all of the real time opportunities to build retail sales.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Stop & Shop Strikes Out For Easter!

By Joel Albrizio

As Retailers How Do We Gain & Hold Sales...During & After This Stop & Shop Strike?

While I am a business owner I will not pretend to have the answers for what is really taking place with the Stop & Shop strike. As a business owner in retail food we understand the incredible headwinds of running a business today. However as a vendor we understand how difficult it is to do business when we face reductions in the marketing budgets of our customers.

It is likely we will never understand the real nuts and bolts of the how & why this strike took place. It seems fair to say the differences between the parties were significant enough to have both sides say enough and walk away from the table.

What Could We Do As Retailers To Capture & Keep These New Found Retail Sales?

Some of our supermarket retailers are bag stuffing coupons or bonus buy type specials that can be redeemed anywhere from four to eight weeks out. This effect of releasing specials now that can be redeemed over a protracted time period are often called bounce back coupons.

Many supermarket marketing executives are running additional perishable "3" day sales via eMail. These eMails are responsive to the strike as it continues each day. The complication today is the supermarkets are now so busy it is difficult to be both reactive and proactive at the same time.

There Is Some Great Talent On Strike This Week!

From local and national politics these striking employees seem to have not only local but national political support. Is this an opportunity to interview employees that otherwise might not be looking to make an employment move?

How about supporting the striking employees with coffee or drinks every so many hours. Does it make sense to have pizza or some food delivered even if only once per day? While controversial, goodwill is goodwill. Local employees and even more important local shoppers just might find a local retailer suddenly means something they now miss.

In retail "Local" has lots of strength. Most feel local is often stronger than the term organic. Your business is local. Stop & Shop is not. We need to do everything every day to annunciate what shop local really means. Today is that day.

The answers to these questions will be different for each retailer. The key is this Stop & Shop strike is a long term opportunity for every retailer who sells food. Lets not miss this long term opportunity while we reap short term sales.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Seriously? Too Old For Digital?

By Joel Albrizio

"Independent Retailers...Their Customers Are Too Old For Digital"

I shared an article Sunday on LinkedIn from eMarketer. Here is the link to that article.

https://www.emarketer.com/content/online-grocery-shopping-is-reaching-a-tipping-point

The article is much of what as retailers we already fully understand. In waves the consumer today, in every age group is migrating towards digital. Customers will choose the specials they enjoy most and where they will shop for them online.

Where Does The Printed Ad Fit In All Of This...Is The Printed Ad A Fit?

As supermarket customers we service migrate to digital we believe the printed ad does remain relevant. Many of our retailers distribute printed circulars once or twice per month while employing digital to reach the consumer every week.

KPMG recently published a study showing that close to half (48%) of US grocery shoppers currently purchase at least some of their groceries online and 59% intend to in 2019. Those who plan to do 40% or more of their grocery shopping online make up the fastest-growing segment—from 17% in 2018 to 25% in 2019. 

So if we imagine 59% of U.S. grocery shoppers intend to purchase at lease some of their groceries online in 2019 how many will do so with a laptop or phone in one hand and a printed ad in the other hand. This digital referral reaches what was referred to as the tipping point. Digital is here to stay and together as an industry we need to figure this out.

Independent Retailers Experience Flat Retail Sales As The New Good?

In conversations every day independent retailers either tell us one of the following latest talking points. Flat sales are the new good or My customers are too old for digital marketing.

If this philosophy is in fact correct, and I believe it is, then as an industry we have accepted intended irrelevance in the absence of a digital plan as our retail customer ages and independent supermarket sales diminish with our older consumer demographic.

Kroger Is Digital...Kroger Will Survive & Perhaps Even Thrive!

Kroger like many of the major retail supermarkets has adapted with the times. Kroger has both accepted and adapted to changes in the marketplace. According to Yael Cosset, chief digital officer of Kroger, we have done everything to make the ability to shop digitally available to all of our customers throughout the U.S.

As independent grocers we have the unique opportunity to make almost instant price and item decisions digitally as soon as we understand the big boxes price points. Then digitally we can extend those now established right priced items to all of the potential shoppers likely to shop our store.

Lets dig a little deeper and accept casual dining as a real competitor as well. How will we invite the shopper to enjoy our best prepared food options or tell a customer what time we will open after the storm weeks in advance while planning a printed ad?

Let me close with these talking points....

My customer is too old for digital...Yet the largest growing digital demographic is the elderly.

My customer can't afford a computer or a cell phone...But the same shopper will spend $19.70 a week for the Boston Globe?

There are government sponsored programs for those in need for cell phones. Does any state have a financially subsidized program for the daily newspaper?

Next to every time clock in every supermarket is a note not to use your cell phone while at work. When was the last time we posted a sign not to read the newspaper while at work?

I agree I find many of these conversions frustrating. However there is nothing more fulfilling that when a retailer makes the move to digital and now has greater discretionary funds for real markdowns intended to build retail sales.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

A Bartender To Congress Via Digital!

By Joel Albrizio

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Went From A Bartender/Waitress To Congress Via Digital Marketing!

Is Cortez well educated, articulate, attractive, perhaps even knowledgeable? We would have to agree to yes for all of the above. However did those attributes make the outspoken Cortez one of the latest congresswomen?

No Not Entirely...Cortez Was Delivered To Congress With Digital Marketing While Operating A Campaign From Behind the Bar Out Of A Paper Bag!

Thats right...Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in an exact quote from her own Wikipedia page states...She began her campaign while waiting tables and tending bar at Flats Fix a taqueria in new York City's Union Square. Oh and while out spent 18-1 Cortez beat a 10 term congressman by over 15%.

Great...So What Does Cortez Have To Do With Our Supermarkets?

Even the most pessimistic supermarket retailer has to admit the 29 year old waitress/bartender Cortez operating her campaign out of a paper bag behind the bar was delivered to congress digitally.

That said, perhaps digital could have a place in the branding customer awareness of supermarkets with decades of experience servicing their customers. Most supermarkets have managers in place totaling hundreds of years of experience none of which is digital.

Hence, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez becomes the youngest women to serve in congress while most independent retailers struggle to survive. I will allow you to ponder this unique example and how digital could change your relationship with your customers and the resulting retail sales. I would however steer clear of the "New Green Deal"

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas.

By Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Retail Success... Simple Communication!

Is Retail About Selling Or Just Removing Obstacles To The Sale?

We visit so many supermarket retailers and grocery wholesalers throughout our careers. With so many visits and supermarket reviews there tends to be a pattern to success that develops. What works in building retail sales and why?

We endure loyalty cards, bonus buys, coupons, bogo's, gatefolds, wraps, coated stock, extra pages, radio, tv & on & on. There is so much conversation on what that special or defining message looks like. Will the consumer respond to clutter or the lack of clutter?

Forget most if not all of this. If coupon redemption is about 3% nationally how important is that to the shopper? Lets try to get simple. Depart from the confusion of all of the gimmicks and games and speak directly to the customer. Both in your marketing and in store. Simple sells. Get simple, refine the message and work hard for the customer and your supermarket location develop the direction of "Top Of Mind"

Communicate A Value Proposition...Customer Service & Fair Pricing

We find a great price, however not always just the lowest price works well in tandem with solid customer service. Retail not is about expecting potential customers to drive by two or three competitors to shop your store location. Remaining top of mind so the customers does not drive past your location to shop other retail food options must be the goal.

Fully understanding we will never have the lowest advertised price every week is essential. As an independent retailer we know even if the independent were lower in price on all of the top 100 items the consumer would still believe the big box was less expensive.

That said, the value proposition through service is essential. Deliver to the customer well trained employees. Trained to ask the shopper looking for something how they might help. Teach the cashier to engage in positive conversation. What could this positive well trained conversation look or sound like?

Don't just talk fresh, look fresh. Housekeeping in retail allows the consumer to believe your claims of "Today's Catch" or the We have the freshest whatever.

Become A Resource To Your Customer...Recipe Videos!

BadAdzVideos.com

Check out our over 200 and growing BadAdzVideos.com Here you will find a valuable Recipe Video tool in the search to become a resource for the potential customer or loyal weekly shopper. When we teach a customer how to cook something or give the customer creative cooking ideas we build a more loyal shopper base. Equally important, a larger basket size will result.

Retailers will always have lots of competition. From casual dining to the big boxes the completion will keep coming. Keep the offers and engagement simple while keeping the customer Top Of Mind. When you and your associates keep the customer in sight and Top Of Mind, the customer will likely do the same in return.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

A Legacy Retailer King Kullen Sells...

Written By: Joel Albrizio - President, Bad-Adz Digital

The Retail Supermarket Industry Is A Tough Road Often Ending In A Sale!

King Kullen, recognized by the Smithsonian Institute as America's First Supermarket will now be sold to Ahold, known locally at the retail level as Stop & Shop Supermarkets.

King Kullen founded in 1930 by Micheal Kullen had become a staple in the New York retail supermarket industry. King Kullen introduced the full service, diversified retail food marketplace to what would become the modern supermarket industry.

As retailers like King Kullen wind down locations and sales growth so many will look and will discuss what went wrong. Why didn't King Kullen do so many different things. They should have and could have done so many things.

So many will forget King Kullen innovated and grew in a tough industry for almost 90 years. An industry King Kullen created and thrived within for so long.

This month it was announced King Kullen would sell the remaining 32 retail locations to Ahold. We believe in one of the most difficult industries for a company to innovate and thrive for this long much can be learned from King Kullen.

King Kullen created departments as we know them today and expanded and experimented with these departments to build at its peak +-$800 million in sales. Opening locations and expanding, it seemed for so long King Kullen did everything right.

It seems clear that the powers to be at King Kullen felt today's valuation by Ahold held more promise than looking ahead at increased competition and what the coming years might hold in return for the continued retail food battleground.

Kudos to King Kullen and its employees. What a legacy to have been a part of. 

In looking forward to the independent marketplace....

Retail Supermarket Acquisitions Raise Concern For The Independent Grocer

The sale of King Kullen, Best Markets and Olean Wholesale Grocery by themselves seem somewhat benign. Big deal, three longstanding independent oriented companies sell rather than deal with all of the obstacles of retail food in the coming months and years.

However the sale of these companies are quietly significant. These three acquisitions alter the supermarket ecosystem of balanced shopping opportunities for the consumer. 

Best Markets sold to Lidl, King Kullen sold to Ahold & Olean Wholesale Grocery sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers.

Simply put the consumer, when faced with less shopping alternatives will likely pay more for staple items necessary for daily meals. Without the independent grocer and in Olean's case the smaller grocery wholesaler, less retail and wholesale food sources are available.

Any time in any business environment when we witness less retail shopping alternatives the consumer ultimately pays more for the food they will purchase.

In Upstate New York, Olean Wholesale Grocers was purchased by C&S Wholesale Grocers. C&S Wholesale Grocers is a major player in the grocery wholesale industry throughout the United States.

Hopefully in 2019 and forward, new retail opportunities will present themselves for the independent grocer.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio - Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com, Adlife

Follow Me On Twitter @joelalbrizio, and don't forget to "Like Or Share" with your colleagues!

Whole Foods Masters Social Media With..."User Generated Content"​

What Is User Generated Content & What Do Retailers Need To Know About It? 

U.G.C...Today's reference term to the all important User Generated Content. User Generated Content is the fastest building core of what social media is all about. How more information is distributed than ever before.

Whole Foods and "Brands" like Chobani contribute, encourage and foster a social media environment where there respective "Brands" are highlighted and their abilities almost exaggerated to build retail food sales. How do they do this?

Touching the customer digitally...feeding and sometimes overfeeding the social media channels. This is what has led these companies to "Brand" level recognition directly attributed to social media

A great example is how Chobani grew a new dairy category "Greek Yogurt" by promoting to the point of exploitation yogurt recipes across all of its distribution channels as well as all of the available social media channels.

According to BuzzFeed's companies like Tasty have more than 94 million Facebook followers. This becomes the definition of User Generated Content. So we as retailers must contribute to and better understand content will ultimately prime the retail food sales building pump.

Lets look deeper into the Whole Foods...User Generated Content pipeline. Whole Foods is said to feature more recipes than promotions on its website homepage. Understanding this fact points to users coming to the web for information and not just price.

Whole Foods has a dedicated newsletter and constantly promotes recipes on Twitter and Instagram. Then there is the WholeFoods Facebook chatbot in which customers can check out products or search recipes searching keywords..which are "Content", again not price.

As Supermarket Retailers We Must Escape From The "Digital Denial" 

 Supermarkets across all demographics will tell you "Flat sales are the new good"...seriously, when we accept as purveyors of an analog dialog (print) that flat is the new OK we have embraced "Digital Denial"

The primary use of print for supermarket retailers to build sales is in essence relying on an old friend we like but fully recognize can no longer deliver for us. 

The sales growth opportunity results with User Generated Content as digital coupled with social media is before us like never before. 

A Recent Nielson Study Found....Over 80% of Millennials want to know more about how their food is not only produced but prepared....73% of Millennials are willing to pay more for the "Brands" they trust.

Now we better understand User Generated Content and the resulting information and digital transformation translates into retail sales growth. We could live with the past, send out only the printed ad and with that forget User Generated Content.

Stop for a moment and think about the "Vendor Program" opportunities. Branded items looking to expand their reach digitally. While any "Brand" can easily go digital themselves the retailer allows the "Brand" the availability to now purchase the items. 

A few years from now we will all chuckle about sending ads to press 10-14 days in advance of any sale.

 Imagine hoping we picked the right sales items and prices. We believe we could wait for that knowledge by receiving the competitions printed ad and reach out to the customer with all of the latest information and pricing only hours before a potential sale easily targeting the competitions featured sale items.

In 2019, We Must Become The Retailers We Have The Ability To Become.

Content & real time information will drive retail sales growth. Given the opportunity to drive content together we will soon understand its as much about User Generated Content as it is about the price of bananas.

Forgetting or avoiding digital content and its information driven environment is in fact forgetting and avoiding the consumer as well as our ability to sell.

Check our recipe videos at 

Bad-AdzVideos.com... Thank you for following.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio Bad-Adz Digital Bad-AdzVideos.com PreparedFoodPhotos.com Adlife

"Lidl Acquires Best Markets"​

Is This A Shift From "New Build" Back To Acquisition For Major Retailers?

It's always better to have the option or opportunity to sell a retail location with competition building. Most supermarket retailers would rather have the option to sell than just have a major player move into the same marketing area and destroy your valuable supermarket asset.

So that is the positive...the negative becomes another major player comes into greater volume in an already over serviced New York retail food marketplace. The growth of Lidl would seem to be quicker and the danger larger to conventional retail supermarkets.

Conventional supermarkets who are already facing a shrinking center store presence will now erode even quicker.

For Best Markets this would appear to be a lifeline. Best Markets had solid supermarket competition form all sides. The ability to generate profitable growth for Best Markets had all but dried up as it has for most of the smaller conventional retailers in New York.

Not of any fault of Best Markets, the New York marketplace seems the intersection of so many aggressive big box retailers.

Could This Be A Conventional Supermarket Retailers Opportunity?

Conventional grocers now within the Lidl marketing area almost anywhere could well have been awarded an unusual opportunity. While Lidl remains serious competition the focus for Lidl will be one more attuned to grocery and less towards perishables.

Should Lidl take this model of acquisition rather than new build today's supermarket retailers may find new value in some older and often overlooked brands.

Recently Brookshire acquired many Winn Dixie locations. Should this trend continue and perhaps expand to other growing supermarket organizations this will present new options. While competition is never good news we would all rather see a competitor enter the marketplace giving the independent financial options not seen for some time.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio, President Bad-Adz Digital, Bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Sprouts..."Delicious Information"​

Sprouts Farmers Markets...Delivering Delicious Information Digitally

Sprouts Farmers Market Understands How We Read & What We Want To Read About!

When we dig deeper into marketing and what does and doesn't work we first must better understand today's customers reading habits. Twenty five years ago on a Sunday morning the Sunday newspaper ruled the morning read.

"The Sunday Newspaper Was King"

When we would first awake on a Sunday morning we wandered to the front door. Hopefully the paper boy or girl had carefully placed our most valuable weekend treasure, the Sunday newspaper between the front door and the screen door. 

The coffee was brewing by the pot, not in a k-cup and you could smell that fresh coffee everywhere in the house. We sat with our coffee and what was to be the next hour or two engulfed by what all of this newsprint was about to tell us.

What we never realized reading the Sunday newspaper, that more than educated we were entertained. We had all of this information in what amounted too information a mile wide and an inch thick.

What Is Information A Mile Wide & An Inch Thick?

The Sunday newspaper had a lot of what interested the majority of us in capsule form. We could better understand almost anything from world news to today's sports in what amounted to results. not lots of details but here are today's results.

The car of the week was just that, "The Car Of The Week" with a short article with little information describing this as a car in a few tidbits of information about this car.

"How We Acquire Information Has Changed"

What Sprouts Farmers Market understands and annunciates with all of its communication and web site is how we expect to receive information has changed. With these lifestyle changes Sprouts has changed the way they will now deliver information.

Today's reader and shopper wants to be fed information constantly. When readers go to the web they go first and foremost for information. Then once a follower or better yet a customer Sprouts is there with the content you will search for meals as we like them today.

So today's reader interested in a car on Sunday morning would go to a search engine on their cell phone. They would read about the car of interest and once finished would find another article and another article until they had consumed all that they cared to read about this vehicle of interest.

That said this information is more than entertainment and is in fact information fed to us just the opposite as the Sunday newspaper. The information is not a mile wide and an inch thick, it is an inch wide and a mile deep. This is how we have some to read today. Differently where we expect more detail.

Sprouts Farmers Markets delivers information a mile deep. Ad specials, organics, recipes, unique approaches to healthy living and on and on.

Sprouts understands we want to better understand what we eat, where it came from and perhaps even how to prepare a new meal idea just a little quicker.

So if we came to the web for information and that information was healthy meal planning, Sprouts Farmers Market had a story we would not only enjoy, but perhaps employ.

Marketing Is Storytelling...Tell Your Story!

Marketing is about storytelling. As retailers we need to present the facts in a digestible and attractive format describing who and what we are as a supermarket resource to the consumer. Telling your story is likely to open the doors as a trusted resource. 

Once as retailers we become trusted resources we have lessened our reliability on price alone. Retail sustainability comes from the value proposition as a combination of service, quality & price.

The more the customer is serviced and trusts your supermarkets quality the more price will become just one of many successful calls to action.

Check out Sprouts Farmers Market and their go to market strategy: 

https://www.sprouts.com

Let me know what you think.....

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio, President Bad-Adz Digital, bad-AdzVideos.com, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife

Publix...Hot Price VS. Trusted Retailer

Why Do We Give The Turkey Away On Thanksgiving...Could Companies Like Publix Rely On "Brand" To Carry The Day?

If you have not picked that "Right Price" on the fresh or frozen turkey yet this will become your dilemma in the next day or two. 

Frozen or fresh? A name brand or "Grade A" for a hot price? What price will the big box come out at for Thanksgiving? How about the specialty meat store and their always great fresh brand?

We have all tried so many different brands, fresh or frozen year in and year out. We spend so much time on agreeing how much to loose to be in the Turkey Price" game and for what?

If we are successful on that great turkey price and have a few fresh or frozen options we will have simply achieved becoming the king of the ultimate category killer.

"What Are The Options To A Hot Turkey Price.....Instill Trust?

Trust, so overlooked in the daily marketing equation but integral in building sustainable retail food sales and their resulting profits. As retailers we could and likely should concentrate throughout the year on marketing programs that build trust. With a trusted retail food location we can overcome some of this price deterioration.

During the holidays customers tend to lean most on the retailer they trust. Does the lowest price alone on a turkey instill a lasting trust? We think not.

Stop and think for a second how much your retail food location will spend on how many category killers and on how many weeks per year. The unique perishable item for that week that must be priced really hot.

"Trust & The Value Proposition Trump Hot Pricing Alone"

In the end trust will allow for a reasonable value proposition. A trusted retailer at a reasonable price will win that price battle every week. So if we are to rely on trust which is simply "Branding" we need to work on this every week to become effective.

Buying retail food business with just the proverbial lowest price never works long term. A trusted brand with a competitive price is an obstacle we must present to our retail food competition.

Allow your marketing focus to be about a great story....your story. So make it a great story and you will not rely on just price. In closing lets think for a few minutes about all of those great retailers who always had that hot price that are no longer there....That said, something could be wrong with that strategy.

Sustainable retail food sales growth run parallel with time spent on "Branding & Trust" centered on trust as the core value. When we think about branding & trust Publix more than almost any other retail comes to mind. Lets not solely follow the competition look to the industry leaders and how companies like Publix build and then tell their story.

Many have asked why I choose to write about what I see in the supermarket industry today and my ideas. At Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife we believe great ideas and the resulting branding will give new life and direction to any company. So for that reason we chose to open the discussion.

Yes, I understand I probably misspelled something or butchered the English language in a few places, the goal however was to open your minds to new ideas. 

Joel Albrizio, President Bad-Adz Digital, PreparedFoodPhotos.com & Adlife