As I begin my journey of shopping for myself and as the “Other in the supermarket, I often ask myself do I shop out of instinct or because I have freedom of choice? After reading Raj Patel’s Stuffed and Starved(2003), I contemplate what he proposes about the manipulation of the architecture of the supermarket and its overhaul geography of placement on products in order to further understand my own judgment and role as the consumer. For this reason, my journey will then begin by evaluating three supermarkets Safeway, Winco, and Wal-Mart in the Palouse area.
To begin, I must compose my own personal shopping list. Hence, I am already on a strict diet and budget like many other students with limited funding. Unfortunately, this makes it nearly impossible for me to buy whole foods from a natural food store due to my budget being at least $30.00 -$40.00 every two weeks or more depending on what I buy. My diet alone and my allergies to dairy forces me to look at every label I encounter to check if there is milk, dry milk or contains milk in the product. In reality, if I was not allergic I really do not think I would care about looking at the ingredient section nor spend a huge amount of time trying to see other options. The good thing about this is I can steer clear away from milk products. Nevertheless, as Patel notes supermarkets like Wall-mart, Safeway, and Winco atomically place this product at the end of the store as a way for the customer to roam around to buy more items. For me, I actually buy boxed Almond or Coconut Milk that is usually placed in some far off corner that is typically near the baking items close to the end of aisles, which to me makes no sense at all but it also does make you look around the store. If you have a sweet tooth at Wincos or at Safeway than you will buy more products.
As a student, products like cereals, breakfast bars, ramen, oatmeal, and pasta are always on display either near the entrance or in the beginning of each section. These items are mostly purchased by students because of their nature of being an instant meal for which this is important for people who are pressed on time due to studying. Other products that are a must for students are from the frozen food section. Here, pizza, burritos, and instant Chinese foods are on display at the beginning of each section and close in location proximity for the customer to dive into their indulgence of junk food. I myself must admit have been a fan of the frozen food section until I decided to prepare my own food as a healthier choice. This change of alternative cuts the cost from buying a $3.00 person pan pizza or a larger portion that is around $5.00 to a lot less. Additionally, this results in somewhat knowing what ingredients are being put on your pizza because you are the one preparing the meal. However, there is still the risk not really knowing what is in your food unless you really further research each item and know the differences.
Thus, after observing my own list of products, I then decided to find a diet exclusively gluten free as part of being the “Other.” Gluten, a protein composite derived from processed wheat is also a starch and an additive to food low in protein. This substance has often at times caused many issues for people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. As consequence, people may suffer symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, hair loss, unexplained weight loss or gain, loss of appetite, chronic gas, and bloating. Other symptoms that are more concerning is the fact that gluten may also cause depression and anxiety. For me, this is a question of concern because how can a food additive cause so much pain to a person. However, this is the case for those who suffer this disease and to live a happier life than gluten free is necessary. For this reason, I wanted to find how supermarkets list gluten free products. Today because of the Food Drug Administration(FDA) making apparent the need to label gluten free products, there are signs everywhere stating this, yet most product may cost $2.00 more than products with gluten. For instance, instant oatmeal with gluten cost $3.49 while without runs around $5.29. Gluten free items are also placed in sections that are not at the eye view of the customer making it apparent that the stores do not want the customer to buy gluten free but rather a gluten product because it is cheaper for industry to produce.
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| Here is an example of how a customer may demand for change and thee response from the corporation to fit the needs of the customer. |
Reading this blog, I found many similarities among what you had written also to be in mine. For example, you spoke of how the necessities for most are placed in the back on the grocery stores allowing one to have no choice but to walk in random aisles and see things that might not have been placed on the grocery list making it almost impossible, for me at least, to stay strictly to what I wanted from the store in the first place. I really like the fact that you had talked about being on a strict diet but also being a college student. A lot of consumers are in fact this way making it very hard to shop because you’ll find that the more healthy foods are much more expensive than most and these are also the types that you’ll have to fully cook yourself rather than just throwing it into the microwave. Along with that, you spoke of a gluten free diet, which I know many students that are this way. These are excellent choices when speaking of consumers and the larger food chain because you can tell that stores and big companies take this into consideration. When selling to the typical college student, they know they’ll buy anything that is cheap but where their money is coming from are the healthier ones and the ones on the diets. If you are strictly on a gluten free diet, you MUST only buy gluten free products and since consumers have no choice, they must buy them, making it available for the stores to earn more money.
ReplyDeleteYour observations with a low budget and strict diet were really great. Your point about having almond or coconut milk farther back in the store was interesting. I have thought about why companies place certain items at the end of an aisle or at the front of a store, but I did not think about having items purposefully at the back of the store or in obscure places. Do you think these items are not in as high of demand and that is their reasoning?
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the product placement of milk are for strategic purposes. There are demands for these product but many stores will capitalizes more on the brand they want the consumer to buy. Also if they have a certain product due to customers but are at a higher cost, I still believe supermarkets hid to make sure that they are not being found in order to later discontinue these products.
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