Friday, October 10, 2008

NSFM in the Media Memo: The '99-Cent Gourmets;' Specialty & Natural Foods and 99-Cent and Dollar Store Format Retailing

Prescott, Arizona Blogger, photographer and 99-cent store shopper Granny J. bought all three of the popular specialty food marinades above for 99-cents at the 'Amazing 99-Cent Store' in Prescot, Arizona. The store specializes in selling specialty, gourmet and natural food and grocery products for 99-cents. In this case, all three for 99-cents. By the way, all three of these specialty marinades are top sellers in the category. All three items sell in supermarkets at an everyday price of about $4.99 -to- $5.99 a bottle, depending on the store.

Korky Vann, the popular food writer for the Hartford Courant newspaper in Harford, Conn., USA, has an article in the food section of yesterday's edition about how shoppers are turning to alternative format food and grocery stores such as 99-cent and dollar stores as one way to save money during the current bad economic times in the United States.

In the article titled, "Shoppers Save On Food In Nontraditional Locations," Vann quotes Natural~Specialty Food Memo's (NSFM) March 27, 2008 story, " Food & Grocery Trends Memo: The 99-Cent Store Gourmets," in which we coined the term the '99-Cent Gourmets" for shoppers who are searching the 99-cent and dollar stores and finding bargains on natural, specialty, gourmet and premium food and grocery products, along with buying more of there basic grocery purchases in these format stores.

From Korky Vann's article in yesterday's Hartford Courant:

"According to the Natural Specialty Food Memo, an online food industry blog, 99¢ Only Stores, Dollar Tree and Dollar General, along with independent 99-cent stores, are reporting increased shopping traffic in their food aisles."

We enjoyed reading Korky Vann's well-written article about non-traditional format shopping. You can read the complete from yesterday's Hartford Courant here.

You can read our March 27, 2008 piece from which Korky Vann quoted by clicking on the title link here: Food & Grocery Trends Memo: The 99-Cent Store Gourmets.

2 comments:

Granny J said...

Thanks for the mention; unfortunately, that unique little 99 cent store is no longer and all we have are the dollar store chains, where I've found very little of interest. For years, my Sson bought his specialty sauces at that old place & we're very sad that it is gone.

Natural~Specialty Foods Memo said...

You are welcome.

Sad to hear about the independent 99-cent store.

How is the selection of specilty and gourmet food items at the chain Dollar stores there?

Regards.