Supermarkets Stock More Non-Grocery Items

To compete with Target and Walmart, grocery stores now offer a wider variety of non-food-related products, including toys and gifts.

December 03, 2015

OMAHA, Neb. -- Target and Walmart have a new competitor when it comes to general merchandise: grocery stores. With the discount retailers adding more groceries in recent years, some supermarkets are striking back by increasing their selections of non-grocery products, the Omaha World-Herald reports.

At Hy-Vee stores, shoppers can pick up a bag of apples along with a set of highball glasses, Hot Wheels toys, Barbie dolls, bedding or a slow cooker. “We’re not going to be able to sell customers everything on their holiday list, but we can try and make their holiday shopping a little easier,” said Brandon Lampkin, vice president of general merchandise at Hy-Vee. The chain advertises its merchandise in a “Holiday Home Sale” flier, which this year has more offerings.

General merchandise sales at grocery stores still constitute a small percentage (less than 6% in 2011), but that number has been slowly rising, according to the Food Marketing Institute. With the average American dropping by a supermarket 1.5 times weekly, it’s not surprising that “food stores can be good places to merchandise items that aren’t food,” said Jon Springer, retail editor at Supermarket News.

Another regional chain, Baker’s (owned by Kroger), has beefed up its seasonal gifts this year. “We’ve always provided a selection of holiday items,” said spokeswoman Sheila Lowrie, adding that the selection increases each year.

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