Safeway Inc. last week launched a "Locally Grown" campaign featuring new in-store signage that maps its growers, store visits from farmers and advertising that touts its local produce. The move appears to take a page from retailers such as Whole Foods that have marketed their commitment to sustainable, organic and locally grown foods to bond with eco-conscious consumers.
"We've been purchasing locally grown agriculture for a long time," Steve Burnham, vice president of produce for Safeway, told the San Francisco Business Times. "What is new is our initiative to share it with the consumer. And share just how committed we are to buying locally grown. I don’t think we’ve done a tremendous job of that in the past."
In a statement, Safeway noted that nearly a third of its produce comes from local sources. In California, the number reaches 45 percent.
Safeway said its commitment means that shoppers can find more local produce per item at its stores than at a typical farmer's market. The "Locally Grown" campaign features partnerships with local farmers such as G&S Farms of Brentwood, CA, a grower of sweet corn and green beans, and Fitzgerald Orchards of Tyro, VA, which has supplied East Coast Safeway stores with apples for nearly 60 years. The program gives purchasing preference to such local growers.
Stores will feature "Locally Grown" promotional signs that highlight specific growers in the region, "locally grown" reference maps that will geographically show the location of key local farmers as well as point-of-sale material that will tell the story of Safeway's local farmers.
Safeway said that in addition to the quality benefits, buying locally grown fruits and vegetables reduces greenhouse emissions by limiting transportation miles. Sourcing locally ensures the vitality of local farms, which translates into economic opportunities for local communities. Safeway also said the locally-grown product "will be competitively priced, giving Safeway customers the best value for their money."
Discussion Question: What do you think of Safeway's "Locally Grown" campaign? How should Safeway be marketing the strategy? Will this help them better compete with Whole Foods?