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Helping Hand

The mainstream of health and wellness has offered the conventional supermarket channel unprecedented opportunity. Natural and organic foods bring in

THE MAINSTREAMING OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS has offered the conventional supermarket channel unprecedented opportunity. Natural and organic foods bring in better premiums, and outreach events enhance a retailer's community standing. A new generation of stores is presented as a repository of ideas and education. From the aisles to the pharmacy to the classroom kitchen, supermarkets of all sizes have become whole health destinations.

Most independent retailers today understand the need to provide their customers with at least these basic wellness tools, and most are content to leave it at that.

Not Price Chopper Supermarkets. The Schenectady, N.Y.-based chain of 128 stores stretching six states from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania continues to reinvent the definition of health and wellness as it applies to its widely diverse customer base.

“One advantage to being a regional food retailer is that we are nimble enough to outreach and micro market to diverse health profiles,” said Neil Golub, chairman and chief executive officer, noting initiatives such as the Diabetes AdvantEdge program, gluten-free store sets and cooking classes. “The challenge, though not unique, is to educate consumers about the value of the goods and services that we provide so they can make better informed food choices for themselves.”

Price Chopper's agility has allowed it to pursue additional areas of development under its wellness umbrella. The chain has become an independent leader in sustainability through the use of new green technologies and the adoption of best practices that allow it to reduce its impact on the environment while supporting the local economy.

The scope of the chain's activities and its ability to implement creative solutions, both within the store and companywide, have caught the attention of the industry, and that of SN Whole Health, which has awarded Price Chopper the 2010 Enterprise Award.

A Holistic Approach

Though it is regional in size, Price Chopper has to satisfy a variety of demographics in its far-reaching market area. In this sense, the chain's offerings are typical of those found in any mainstream supermarket. Though not everyone might be looking for a wellness solution, the retailer structures all of its offerings with an eye towards health.

“Other chains look at our model because we center health and wellness throughout every department, with merchandising in all departments,” said Jon Strom, vice president of floral and lifestyle merchandising. “Some companies make it pharmacy-centric or HBC-centric, or just a support group. We've taken a total, holistic approach.”

The corporate culture frowns on vertical thinking and promotes horizontal programming that cuts through departmental silos. This tactic is the reason why shoppers find a consistent wellness message delivered throughout the store, whether they're choosing a canned soup in dry grocery or visiting the pharmacy.

“We try to align what we're talking about with the rest of the store and what we're promoting for that week, so that the pharmacist can recommend things in the store to our patients, depending on their disease state,” noted Kathleen Bryant, Price Chopper's director of pharmacy.

Price Chopper employs two programs to frame its health and wellness initiatives. While both have different roles, they complement one another and support the entire effort. Price Chopper's strategy is to motivate, then educate.

“Most people want to do the right thing in terms of their personal health, but a lot of them need assistance and guidance,” said Maureen Murphy, manager of consumer trends, nutrition and lifestyles. “They want to get there, but wanting it and doing it are different things.”

To get interested consumers started, the chain created Healthy U, a multi-platform program introduced in 2004 that includes in-store, print, promotional and online components. Run in conjunction with Eating Well Media, a regional independent content provider, the varsity letter-themed Healthy U program urges shoppers to “Eat Smart, Get Moving, Live Well.”

And like any school curriculum, there are different tracks consumers can follow. Healthy U offers education materials on heart health, diabetes, healthy aging and related popular topics. Additionally, the moniker is employed during seasonal health events like “Healthy Heart for a Healthy U.”

“People have been real impressed with how it appears in the store, but also the circular, and then you link up to the website,” said Strom. “We often drive our customers to the website because you can be very in-depth there.”

Healthy U has a huge presence online. The retailer's website devotes a separate tab to Healthy U programs and materials. It's where the chain's senior nutritionist, Ellie Wilson, answers questions and discusses wellness topics. It's also where shoppers will find guidance like the chain's gluten-free shopping list.

Healthy U represents the promotional face of Price Chopper's wellness efforts. The other component is strictly science-based. The chain uses NuVal, the nutrition rating system that rates food products on a scale of one to 100, based on their ingredients and nutrient profile. In 2009, Price Chopper became the first supermarket chain to commit the system to all stores.

Murphy recalled a time when Price Chopper looked at developing its own type of guidance, saying the retailer always was interested in some kind of shelf tag program.

“Back then — 15 or 20 years ago — there wasn't this keen interest, but we knew that's the direction things were headed and we wanted to be in front as a resource.”

Today, the chain has its wish. More than 16,000 items have been scored in the two years NuVal has been active. Officials are currently partnering with NuVal to tackle variable-weight meats and cheeses sold in the deli, as well as recipe-driven entrees and sides.

Price Chopper's own private label is not exempt from the system. More than 100 corporate-brand products found to have low scores are undergoing reformulation.

“There is no product that escapes a score,” said Mona Golub, Price Chopper's vice president of public relations, consumer and marketing services. “That's the transparency that allows consumers to make a choice across a broad spectrum.”

While the rating system has worth in and of itself, Price Chopper executives say the system's true value is its ability to reach those who are less connected, and not nutrition gatekeepers, such as older men with chronic illnesses.

“We help them when they get to the shelf and they can look at the bread and pasta and all the places where they're struggling with these decisions, and have this shortcut,” said Wilson, the dietitian, adding that it's fair to all budgets — an important consideration in a region that's been hit hard by the recession.

“We can show you a canned, no-salt-added vegetable scores a 100, a frozen plain version is a 100 and the fresh item in produce is a 100,” she said.

Better Employees

To keep its customers in good shape, Price Chopper makes sure its 24,000 full- and part-time employees are themselves healthy.

“We look at our associates like customers, in that they're nearer and dearer to us,” said Mona Golub. “We work side by side every day. Their needs often serve as a barometer for us in understanding what works, and what people are looking for.”

In 2006, Price Chopper formalized its approach to employee wellness by creating a 20-member Wellness Committee. All departments are represented.

“We set strategy and direction,” said George Coleman, director of compensation and benefits, of the committee's ongoing work. “Everyone takes ownership and a piece of what we're working on for that week, or month or year, and they really embrace it and make it happen, whether it's a special event, blood drives, clinics, screening — you name it.”

The committee's work is translated into action through the use of wellness “Champions”, individuals who spend a couple of hours each week in their particular department of store communicating the wellness message and reaching out to the rest of the population. They put up the notices and set up the in-store events.

Employees are encouraged to adopt and maintain healthful lifestyles by participating in a voluntary program that is open to all associates covered under benefits. Called Well @ Work, the internal wellness program was launched in 2006 through MVP Health Care, the company's benefits provider. As of January, Well @ Work is available throughout the company.

“We try to touch on all the main areas that contribute to a person's general health and wellness because a lot of people still are on a big learning curve,” said Emily Watterworth, an MVP representative assigned to Price Chopper as the chain's manager of wellness programs.

Every year, Well @ Work seeks to motivate employees through a mix of education and events. This year, more than 2,200 people are participating in one contest, called the Total Health Challenge. Contestants had the option of joining an 8-week group or individual event, or they could go for an extended individual challenge that runs until December. Whichever track they choose, employees are expected to record their progress in a journal that totals up their wellness “points.” The entries are verified by weigh-ins and other checks during the course of the event.

“After the 8-week challenge, we had a total weight loss of about 4,500 pounds among all three weight-loss track participants; people earned well in excess of 150,000 wellness points,” Watterworth said.

Individual success stories abound. After 8 weeks, one male store employee lost 21% of his body weight; another in the freezer warehouse lost 18%. The latter was also overall wellness point earner, with 803 out of 804 total points.

“The wellness points guy is going to keep going for the grand prize to be awarded in December,” added Watterworth. The prize? A $2,500 travel voucher for both the biggest weight loser and the highest wellness point earner.

“Most everyone is eager to share their stories, whether it's on the video screens throughout the building, or in our company magazine, or even by email,” said Mona Golub. “The successes seem to help get other people moving on their goals.”

The motivation is there for the company as well. The comprehensive approach has resulted in an ROI of 4:1, according to Coleman.

Shades of Green

As Price Chopper has deepened its commitment to health and wellness, there's been a growing sense of obligation to the environment in which the company operates. And here the company has excelled. Its state-of-the-art $33 million headquarters in downtown Schenectady (see “Brown to Gold”, p. 16) is a candidate for Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Roughly one-quarter of the retailer's stores have at least one eco-friendly feature, whether it's LED lighting, a biohydrator or some other environmental mitigating system.

“Every store we touch from here on out is going to have some sort of green component,” said Bill Sweet, vice president of construction and engineering.

Sweet has been busy since arriving at the company four years ago. Not only is he overseeing physical plants, he's also helping the chain plan for more ecological changes in the future.

“Sustainability isn't just about construction,” he continued. “It's about how you package a product; it's about how consumers take product out of the store; it's about what we do to reduce our carbon footprint from a transportation standpoint. What do we do with all of our wastewater onsite?”

To help address these questions and more, Sweet formed a Green Team and augmented his department with specialists that could help the company become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

“We realized we need a macro look at sustainability if we're going to make a commitment,” Sweet said.

Price Chopper store No. 224 in Albany, N.Y., stands as a prime example of this level of engagement. The 70,000-square-foot, ground-up unit opened in June 2009, replacing a smaller 48,000-square-foot store across the Colonie Center shopping plaza. Like the company's headquarters, the store is also up for LEED Gold certification and, as the company's sustainability flagship, has already garnered awards for design and efficiency from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to Joe Berman, the company's environmental certification specialist, the overall, by-cost percentage of materials containing post-consumer recycled content and half pre-consumer recycled content at this store was almost 31%. Additionally:

  • Overall percentage of materials by weight removed from the waste stream and recycled as part of a comprehensive construction waste management strategy — 75% by weight or 136.74 tons.

  • Percentage of construction materials by cost extracted, processed, manufactured and shipped to the project location from within a 500-mile radius — 36%.

  • Cumulative reduction percentage in potable water consumption based on a lack of permanent onsite landscape irrigation as well as utilization of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures — 35% above building baseline case.

No customer would likely know — much less understand — the work that went into conserving resources in building the new store. They do not see the store's biohydrator, which mixes scraps from every fresh department with shredded plastic and bacteria, and reduces the mass into gray water. They may not realize that the Colonie store is the first in the United States to supply up to 60% of its own power, using a first-ever, 400-kilowatt fuel cell system capable of producing electricity, heat and condensate water.

Yet other aspects are more visible. Shoppers in the frozens section are protected from discomfort that's the norm in these aisles by improved doors that trap the cold air.

“With all of this behind doors, [shoppers] are spending more time, they're making more informed decisions. They're shopping product to product better,” said Sweet. “It's no longer ‘grab and go’ so you can get out of the cold aisle.”

When they do leave, motion-activated LED lights in the cases and displays shut off, reducing energy consumption and maintenance.

Customers are also introduced to sustainability through the products they buy. Price Chopper recently announced plans to begin selling sustainably sourced seafood from Local Ocean, a aquaculture supplier located right in the retailer's market area.

Price Chopper's ability to discern the ever-deepening bonds between food, health and sustainability, and to channel those interests back to customers and associates alike, ensures the company is prepared for the next phase of whole health growth.

“As our customer connectivity and knowledge base grow, so will our ability to address the holistic health of our associates and our customers,” said Neil Golub. “I envision us becoming increasingly better able to bridge the gap between the assessments of the medical community and the products and services we can provide to improve those assessments.”

AT A GLANCE

PRICE CHOPPER

Headquarters: Schenectady, N.Y.

Ownership: Private, Golub Corp.

2009 sales: $3.4 billion

Year founded: 1932

Number of stores: 128

Market area: 6 states, including New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Number of employees: 24,000