I spoke with Frank Guglielmi (Meijer’s Senior Director of Communications) last Friday by phone, but I needed a few days to process our discussion before posting an update. It was extremely insightful to talk with him as I now have a better understanding of where to focus my efforts in convincing Meijer to adopt healthy checkouts. :) Here are some of the highlights of what he said and of our conversation. 1. “We all [at Meijer] thoroughly understand your passion for this initiative. It’s loud and clear. We appreciate your passion as a Meijer customer.” 2. “We have done testing with healthy foods…I don’t know if this includes the magazine aspect of it….but we’ve actually introduced a lot of healthier foods into our checkout aisles – things like Clif bars.” 3. “When we do tests, it’s all about customer response. So when we test certain things and no one buys it….we’re going to move that out and test something else…..we’re constantly testing and looking at what is the best offering for our customers at the checkout….I’m sure as we continue to test and look at other things, those items [which are discussed in the petition] are being considered.” 4. Mr. Guglielmi said he would notify me when they test healthy products in the Lansing area so that I can see how it's done. I will be sure to pass this information along to all of you. 5. “It’s customer demand that drives what we put there [at checkout]. For any retailer, if you’re smart, you’re going to try to get to that perfect point where everybody’s happy. Now does that happen? No. Ideally you want everybody to be happy, but that’s the challenge.” 6. “Customers vote with their wallets. If one day everybody stops buying snickers bars, you’re not going to see snickers bars at the checkout area. If suddenly everybody stops purchasing sweets at the checkout aisle, then we will not be selling sweets at the checkout aisle.” 7. “People use the word ‘impulse buy’, but in reality people buy what they want. They purchase the things that they want.” 8. “Our customer base is so broad that one little shift in one direction can alienate a very large group of people and that alienation can lead to a sales decrease in a category or in an area. And for a retailer like us, it’s important that we’re basically taking care of or satisfying as many customers as we can.” 9. “Sometimes we all look at each other and at what’s showing success. If we see our competitors having success in areas, it’s certainly something we’ll consider.” 10. I asked who decides which products are placed at checkout and if the health and wellness team is involved in any way. “The merchandising team makes the decisions, not the health and wellness team. Dietitians are focused on customers as opposed to what is happening in the store….There are a group of customers out there that want healthy living solutions. They want recommendations and counsel on how to be healthy and living healthier lives. That’s what the health team is there for.” I pointed out that this is exactly the segment of Meijer’s broad customer base that would like healthy options at checkout. 11. “Hank Meijer says, ‘If we’re just another big box on the street, I don’t want my name on the front of it. I want to be a part of the community and I want to support the community.’” I pointed out that, sadly, Meijer’s checkout aisles are exactly like every other big box store - except for those that offer healthy checkouts. 12. I asked for a meeting with Meijer’s health and wellness team in order to give a presentation on the benefits of creating healthy checkout aisles. (Though I changed this request slightly as noted below.) 13. At the end of our conversation, Mr. Gulgliemi said he would contact me when product testing is done in Lansing and with a response to my request for a meeting. So…I have some thoughts. 1. First, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Guglielmi and I'm glad to hear that they have been paying attention to media coverage regarding the petition. Mr. Guglielmi was also generous with his time and was very pleasant to talk to. 2. It is good to know that Meijer is testing healthy products at checkout – though we don’t know which products, how many, how often or where. I am definitely interested to see what their testing practices are when they test in this area. 3. Yesterday I sent Mr. Guglielmi a follow-up email asking to meet with the merchandising team in addition to Meijer’s health team because it seems that there is a disconnect between what we see at checkout, Meijer’s in-store messaging of healthy living, and the role of the health and wellness team. If Meijer’s dietitians are only “focused on customers as opposed to what is happening in the store” (e.g. the checkout aisle), then who organized the health tours in Meijer's Royal Oak store that were created to help nutritious conscious shoppers navigate the store for healthy choices? Who organized the Produce for Kids - Jump with Jill campaign and accompanying materials? (Look for it in the produce dept.) Was it the merchandising department? If the role of Meijer's dietitians is to help the group of customers that want healthy living solutions, recommendations and counsel on how to be healthy and live healthier lives, why not GIVE THOSE SOLUTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND COUNSEL AT CHECKOUT, TOO? Other retailers are offering healthy products at checkout based on nutrition guidelines and they are labeled as “dietitian’s choice”. This is only the beginning of what Meijer COULD do! 4. In my email, I told Mr. Guglielmi that if Meijer allowed me to give a presentation, I would focus on reasons and ideas for testing a healthy checkout AISLE – instead of just a few healthy products. Not only would they be testing a variety of products at once, but they’d be testing the EXPERIENCE that goes along with it. And as we all know, it’s as much the experience as it is the products that drive us to specific stores. This alone could bring old customers back and draw new customers in. The test aisle that I’m proposing incorporates products, activities and messaging that is linked to Meijer’s education and reading programs for youth, Meijer’s health and wellness program, Meijer’s values of dignity and respect, and Meijer's charitable giving. It is also a continuation of their promotion for healthy living that we already see throughout the rest of the store. 5. The only aspect of our conversation which I found disheartening was Mr. Guglielmi’s statement about Meijer’s philosophy on selling sweets at checkout. What this statement says to me is that Meijer will sell whatever products it can (at checkout) as long as people continue to buy them – regardless of the fact that they are harmful to our physical and mental health – and most importantly, to our children. I understand how customer demand works, but where is the line? Where is the social responsibility? 6. It was also disconcerting to hear him say that he doesn’t believe in the notion of impulse buying. A quick Google search for studies on "decision fatigue" and “impulse buying” will easily demonstrate to anyone that this is indeed a real issue when it comes to the purchases we make. And I’m sure every merchandising department is fully aware of this - including Meijer's. Product placement is key! 7. I am also unable to comprehend how having thirty-plus aisles of the same junk food and the same junk news in every Meijer store is “taking care of and satisfying as many customers as we can.” How does Meijer not realize that it is already alienating a very large group of its customer base at checkout by not offering healthy options? 8. Yes, offering Clif bars is a step (though small), but the problem with offering only a few products like this is that it doesn’t take into account the broad range of people’s dietary needs and restrictions. Not everyone is “on a 150-mile bike ride or exploring a new trail” which are the types of activities for which these energy bars are made. A lot of these products are also completely off the table for those with gluten and nut allergies. So if these are the types of products being tested by Meijer, the testing is flawed. Also, where are the FRESH, unprocessed foods???? I have included a picture of Meijer’s “healthy” section at the checkout aisle in my store. You don’t have to be a dietitian to see that this attempt is seriously troubling. This is where the expertise of Meijer’s dietitians and following some form of nutrition standards and guidelines could really come in handy! 9. The reality is that people want healthier food choices and they want guidance in making those choices. Center for Science in the Public Interest recently conducted a national poll in which 2/3 of shoppers said they are looking for ways to improve their health through the choices they make while grocery shopping, and 80% said that supermarkets should do more to make it easier for people to eat healthfully! But of course, I’m preaching to the choir. 10. Lastly, if customer demand is what drives Meijer’s checkout, if people “vote with their wallets”, and if Meijer looks to a competitor’s success before considering new services and products, then maybe our wallets should be opening in the healthier checkouts of other stores. Is that what this means? I’m open to suggestions. SO WHAT'S NEXT? The petition stays open. We wait to hear back from Mr. Guglielmi regarding my request for a presentation to the merchandising and health teams. We visit the aisles where healthy products are being tested once we're notified of where this is taking place. We continue to call Meijer and speak with store managers to request healthier checkout. I would also encourage you to start a petition to your local store. Personally, I plan to: -continue to advocate for healthy checkout aisles at Meijer through discussions, presentations, social media, etc. -continue to attend monthly meetings as a member of the healthy checkout aisle subcommittee through Center for Science in the Public Interest. This is a group of 80-100 members from around the country that are working on healthy checkout initiatives in various capacities in their communities. -continue to attend monthly meetings of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan coalition to learn about initiatives to prevent childhood obesity. -remain open to connecting with parents and community members interested in increasing access to healthy foods and better reading material for our children at checkout and in our communities. Respectfully, Jane Kramer