Groceries"R"Us
When visiting a grocery store, most shoppers think of food – not people. But the food we eat and the places we buy it reveal a lot about who we are: socially, economically, ethically, etc. To learn more about who is buying what, and from where, I set out on an excursion to three different food vending locations in the East Lansing area on Sunday, October 23. First, I visited the East Lansing (EL) Farmer’s Market; it was my first time visiting this specific market. Next, I ventured to Meijer, the supermarket where I usually purchase groceries. Finally, I ended the trip at Whole Foods, which is not only new to the area but also to me, since I had never visited any of its locations before. From my visits to these three locations, there is anecdotal evidence that the stereotypes about these grocers are often nuanced or simply untrue, that there are many factors that determine who decides to shop where, and once shoppers are at the store/market, there are many influences on what they decide what to buy.
Price is usually seen as one of the first things that excludes people from shopping at certain stores/markets. Whole Foods has a reputation for soaring prices (hence the nickname, “Whole Paycheck”), but I found an interesting piece of evidence to the contrary. One of the most expensive and sought after apple varieties at this time of year is the honeycrisp; indeed, each location I visited had a display of these delicious apples. Of the two chain suppliers (Meijer and Whole Foods), the latter was cheaper. The cost of the apples at the farmer’s market appears to be the cheapest of all; it is hard to determine exactly, since the price is determined by dry measurements instead of weight, but according to my research, the $10 peck of apples would yield about 10 pounds. (The price point of approximately $1/pound is far cheaper than the other stores’ $2.49+/pound.)
Generally, people recognize farmer’s markets as exclusive and expensive places to shop for local, fresh foods; however, this is not always true, as local markets sometimes have lower prices (as revealed by the honeycrisp anecdote). Additionally, many markets, including the one I visited in East Lansing, accept Bridge Cards and allow shoppers to “double up” on the amount of food they purchase at no additional cost.
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These factors enable lower income people to purchase, fresh, local foods if they desire. However, some shoppers prefer to have an anonymous shopping experience to avoid potential “racist practices” – and indeed, there were few people of color to be seen at the EL Farmer’s Market (Guthman 436).
At farmer’s markets, it is difficult to remain anonymous. Shoppers stand face-to-face with the people who grow/make the products they sell, and this creates a very personal space (sometimes one in which racial tensions exist). The people selling the food rely on these shoppers for some of their livelihood, and the shoppers rely on the vendors for some of their food required for living. The fundamental interdependence of consumer and producer manifests in this environment, unlike at a grocery store. There, you can browse the produce section without the eyes of the farmer upon you. Sometimes, the food is extremely disparate from any human worker or otherwise living thing. Foods packaged in plastics and fiberboard have a literal boundary that separates the consumer and producer that got it into the store. Additionally, the foods in packages are often processed, which disconnects the shopper even further from the lives (whether of plants, animals, or humans) required to make it. (Think of Melanie Warner’s Pandora’s Lunchbox; processed cheese sometimes was known, evocatively, as “‘embalmed cheese,”” which stirs up images quite disparate from life (42).) The EL Farmer’s Market had few sealed packaged goods – just granola and bakery products – and no processed food.
Interestingly, Whole Foods contained many processed foods – I found evidence myself to support Tracie McMillan’s statement (“Do Poor People Eat Badly Because of Food Deserts or Personal Preference?”). As in a conventional supermarket – like Meijer – there were quite a few processed goods made from corn products. Some of the comparable products from each store included vegan cheese-flavored puffs and hulless popcorn. Both contained cornmeal, which isn’t necessarily hyperprocessed – but beyond that each contained additives like BHA, maltodextrin, and “natural flavor.” Whole Foods operates under the slogan, “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store;” this claim diminishes when you discover that one of the products they sell contains an ingredient (i.e. BHA) linked to cancer and birth-defects (Warner 111).
Packaged foods also allow for labeling and branding, two quite revolutionary ideas that came in the early twentieth century. As Gary Cross says, labeling
serves as a form of advertisement, serves as a means to create demand for a product, creates illusion
[about]…what is contained in the box or in the bottle. It becomes almost as important as the contents
itself. (“Outside the Box: The Story of Food Packaging”)
The influence of packaging, advertising, and branding can have a heavy impact on what the consumer chooses to buy. I was particularly curious about the phenomenon of “kid’s food” when I saw a package of Kid Cuisine in a frozen aisle at Meijer. The product was made to appeal to kids, with a Star Wars themed design and colorful, appetizing food pictured on the box. It makes a feeble attempt to appeal to the child’s guardian(s), with meager information about the health of the product on the front. In contrast, the “Spinach Littles” I found at Whole Foods, while made in purportedly kid-friendly shapes of dinosaurs, might not sound very appealing to a child who doesn’t like to eat their vegetables. However, a parent might rest assured that they are giving their child a healthy meal, since it contains spinach and is from Dr. Praeger’s brand (the title of “Dr.” lends a feeling of assured health). There is power in the rhetoric on these packages, and companies can influence the consumer by what they chose to include and exclude on their labels.
serves as a form of advertisement, serves as a means to create demand for a product, creates illusion
[about]…what is contained in the box or in the bottle. It becomes almost as important as the contents
itself. (“Outside the Box: The Story of Food Packaging”)
The influence of packaging, advertising, and branding can have a heavy impact on what the consumer chooses to buy. I was particularly curious about the phenomenon of “kid’s food” when I saw a package of Kid Cuisine in a frozen aisle at Meijer. The product was made to appeal to kids, with a Star Wars themed design and colorful, appetizing food pictured on the box. It makes a feeble attempt to appeal to the child’s guardian(s), with meager information about the health of the product on the front. In contrast, the “Spinach Littles” I found at Whole Foods, while made in purportedly kid-friendly shapes of dinosaurs, might not sound very appealing to a child who doesn’t like to eat their vegetables. However, a parent might rest assured that they are giving their child a healthy meal, since it contains spinach and is from Dr. Praeger’s brand (the title of “Dr.” lends a feeling of assured health). There is power in the rhetoric on these packages, and companies can influence the consumer by what they chose to include and exclude on their labels.
From my experiences on October 23, I learned a lot about people from looking at their groceries. People choose to buy groceries from certain stores based on their convenience, anonymity, and stereotypes about prices. From there, their purchases are influenced by the labeling, purported healthiness, flavor, and knowledge/experiences they have surrounding the foods they encounter. While it’s true that people choose their groceries, they don’t get to choose the environmental factors that influence their choices overall. The cliché, “You are what you eat,” remains a truism for a reason.
About the Author
Lindsay Mensch. Studying English at Michigan State University. Obsessed with Radiohead, cats, and carbohydrates.
Published in 2016.
Published in 2016.