"supermarket" news and stories

Are gargantuan Walmart Supercenters and their ginormous kin on their way out, in favor of smaller, kinder, gentler grocery stores? Yes, say the editors at YumSugar, who predict the downsizing (in a good way) of the supermarket. To find out more about what may be the biggest trend in food shopping, visit YumSugar.

Back in July, we reported on supermarkets using solar panels, something Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market was early to adopt; now they've got yet another cool tool up their green sleeves: CO2 refrigeration. We know, CO2 hardly screams "good for the ozone," but the technology actually earned the chain a GreenChill certification from The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Here's why: Compared to standard refrigeration units, the system is estimated to drastically reduce the store's carbon footprint. That's because standard units are made with a potent greenhouse gas, hydrofluorocarbons (HCFC) -- 1,400 times more damaging to the environment than naturally occurring CO2. The EPA says that most refrigeration units in the U.S. use HCFCs in "direct expansion systems," which are typically "charged with 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of refrigerant and can leak in excess of 20 percent each year."

Our desire for fresh(er) food has been heard, though the responses have sometimes been questionable. We've got everyone from Walmart to McDonald's touting "organic" and "local" but we're perhaps most excited when grocery stores, other than standbys Whole Foods Market and Stew Leonard's, start delivering from their neighboring farms.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, an energy-efficient supermarket chain in California, Arizona and Nevada, started their "Farm to Store in 24" pilot program earlier this summer with grapes and strawberries picked and shelved within 24 hours. Their customers liked it so much, the company has decided to roll it right into fall, introducing local stone fruit for August and root vegetables come September.

A "Farm to Store in 24" logo on a package of produce signifies that it has not only been shipped but also picked from a nearby farm in California within 24 hours. This accounts for up to 65% of the store's produce.

Yesterday, the Stop & Shop supermarket chain announced complete installation of solar panels on eight of its stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey. We're guessing this news will elicit one of three reactions: satisfaction that another company has signed on to the reusable energy cause; disinterest because so many already have; or disbelief that any of these mounted plates are worth what they preach.

Many of us have seen the price comparison of what a standard home will save with Energy Star equipment, but imagine what a grocery store, open 24-hours with a 500K-sq-ft paneled roof, can save. Many big name grocery stores like ShopRite, Costco, Walmart, Safeway and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market are starting to see the benefit, too, but it didn't come without technological tweaking and decades of convincing.

It all started back in the 1860s -- actually, right around the time commercial refrigeration was invented -- when a man named Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel started playing with solar cells.

Add Albertson's to the roll call of companies shutting doors due to the recession. The grocery chain has announced that they will be closing multiple stores in economically slammed locations like Florida, Texas, California and Nevada. Albertson's will still be the second-biggest supermarket chain in the U.S., but a bit of the bloom will be off the rose (or, if you prefer, ripeness off the tomato or mayo off the macaroni salad).

Of course, this means that there are bargains to be had at stores that are being terminated, with discounts of 10-90% off. I myself have picked up bags full of Indian specialties for 75% off (thus, my normally overpriced $4 jaipur vegetables are now a solidly discounted dollar), as well as staples like soup and beans for less than a buck and stacks of disposable foil baking pans for a dime apiece. I also scored some Bumble & Bumble hair products for under $10, but you can't eat those.

If you see an Alberston's with a "Store Closing" sign, it's worth checking out.