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Thursday, March 10, 2011

GETTING NEW GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS IN YOUR FAVORITE GROCERY STORES

03/10/2011

If you discover a gluten free product that you love and want to get it into your grocery store there are ways to accomplish this task. 
First of all you must find out who is in charge of the gluten free or organic session of the store for ordering.
Call that store and find out who is in charge then go to the store meet up with that person and tell them that you are a Celiac and appreciate what they have in the store.  The next task is to become a friend to them meaning when you go to the store make it apoint that you are there when that person is in and say  hello to them ask them how they are doing.
The next time you go in speak again to that person and ask them how would I get a gluten free product in that I would like to have in the store, generally you have to have the corporate level order the product but in some instances they can order the product.
If it is on a corporate level get the information as to who you should speak to and the corporate offices telephone number.  Call that person and ask for the product to come in tell the corporate person that you shop at their store and give them the location and would like to have this product in so that you do not have to go else where to get it.
When they hear this they are more apt to get the product in they do not want you  to go elsewhere they want you to shop at their store.
It wiil probably take a couple of months for that product to come in, in the mean time go   back to the  person that was in charge of the gluten free or organics aisle.  Ask them again if they can order the product if they tell you no it is not in the system then say to them I am working with the corporate office to have this product come in is there any way in the mean time you can get it in?  If the person still says no then ask if you can get a case in of the product and see if you  can work with him or her with a deal that they put it in their back freezer and when you come in you buy it one at a time until the case is done .  This way takes a little bit more work but it does work and you get what you want and the store gets what they want.  I hate with a passion purchasing gluten free products online.  If I purchase a bread it would be around the same cost of a store price but with the shipping cost one loaf of bread is now costing me any where from $12 - $20.00  I refuse to do this.  The bread costs enough without the shipping cost.  The only problem with doing this way of getting your product that you want is that you  have to go in the store when that employee is in because they have to put a code on it for you to buy it so that he or she gets credit for their department.  The one thing you must do is make sure that you go back and finish purchasing that case they will not work with you again if you make them eat the cost of the case of the gluten free product and it will make it that much harder for the next Celiac that comes along.  What I usually do is ask when it comes in ask the person that ordered it for me how many of the product is in the case?  Then with that information when it gets down to one left for me to purchase I  ask him or her to buy another case. You will not be able to get every product you want in the store you have to choose your battles and let the person know about it and how it can increase their sales with having the product I apt for products that have good nutritional value to them that it has fiber and other good nutriitonal ingredients in it so that they can see that it is a good product.  For instance I am trying to get Rudis Gluten Free Multi Grain  Breads in my stores, I love love this bread.  It is bigger then most gluten free breads it does have good nutritional value and it taste really good..  I am also working to get some gluten free products in the new bottom Dollar Stores.  They do not have any gluten free products at all right now.  I have asked them to carry Canyon Bake House Breads.  .  I am excited but in the mean time I just purchase it one at a time.  Some stores will not be able to this because they will not be able to accommodate the extra space but the bigger store will you just have to becomes friends with them and work with them and together you can get the products in
What I usually do is get the UPC code on the product which is the bar code of a product and bring it in to them

I do a lot of work to get products in the Giant food Stores the corporate number for Giant Food Stores is 1 717 249 4000 .  when you call ask to speak to someone in the Organic gluten Free Foods Department and tell them you want to speak to the buyer for it. if   it is food tell them that if it is for skin care tell them that too.,  they have two different departments for their gluten free food and their gluten free skin care. 

also one more tidbit if you talk to someone about getting a product in tell them if you are afiliated with a Celiac support group that you belong to one tell them that if they bring the product in you will be calling your local support group and letting them know that this product will be coming into their store soon.  They know now that it will be not just for one customer but for many more and they will work with you . 

I told Bottom Dollar Foods just recently I love to shop at their stores but they have no gluten free items and it is hard for me to get out to grocery stores since I do not drive.  If they would have a few gluten free items this would make it a priority for me to shop at their store.  I said to them that for me to shop at their store then have to go to giant or another store tha tcarries what I need for gluten free items it does not make sence to do this.  they agreed and said you are absolutely right we did not think of this we will work to bring in gluten free items  I let them know about the Celiac central Support Group and told them that they are a local chapter and that we have a lot of members. 
Also for people that are like me that have a difficult time getting out .  Their is a new online virtual grocery store that is looking to get more gluten free products in and they work very fast.  The website is www.alice.com   they are always looking for suggestions you just put what you want in and they do the rest. 
You have to have at least a 50.00 order but they will deliver for free .  It will take a few days for the delivery.  .

Thank You

Ellen Gaffney
thegcats@comcast.net